Will Hennessy shares about fostering neurodivergent learners’ growth on episode 499 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.

Quotes from the episode

Neurodivergent learners need structure. All learners need need structure.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, internal and external tics that occur repeatedly in the same way. OCD is a neurological disorder that causes problems with information processing.
-Will Hennessy

I honestly thought that I just wasn’t as smart as my peers, that I just needed to try harder, or that one day, I guess, it would just kinda all click in my brain. Now, obviously, I know that’s not the case now, but that’s kind of where I was at.
-Will Hennessy

I want to create inclusive learning environments for neurodivergent learners and introverts, students like me.
-Will Hennessy

Structure is incredibly important for neurodivergent learners. Even though we’re implementing flexibility and choice, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be a free for all where students can just do whatever they want, that could actually hinder learning.
-Will Hennessy

Neurodivergent learners need structure. All learners need need structure.
-Will Hennessy

Resources

Episode 493 with Maha Bali: Openness as a Way of Being
Tourette’s syndrome
Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Sarah Silverman’s Workshops
Liz Norell
TILT Framework
Michelle Pacansky-Brock
Remi Kalir on Annotating Your Syllabus
Good Omens Scene: Crowley Tells His Plants to Grow Better
The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony with Your Brain, by Todd Zakrajsek

Fostering Neurodivergent Learners’ Growth

Teaching in Higher Ed