The deal with neurodiversity – providing the best conditions for accessible learning

In our latest insights on accessibility, we delve into the subject of neurodiversity. You might have a good understanding of the term or what it means to be neurodivergent. Or it’s a term that may be completely new to you.

Many people associate neurodiversity with autism. Others aren’t clear on the language surrounding neurodiversity – it doesn’t exactly explain itself. Of the articles we’ve researched on the internet, not many seem to get neurodiversity ‘right’ – from using the terminology ‘neurodiverse person’ (instead of a neurodivergent person) to labelling neurodiversity as being a learning disability – something it is not (note that some people who are neurodivergent may see their neurodivergence as a disability). 

This blog aims to correct some of these inaccuracies and help you learn a little bit more about the specific struggles neurodivergent people may deal with when interacting with learning content.

Before we go into what neurodiversity has to do with accessible learning, let’s clarify what it is.

Neurodiversity defined

The world is naturally neurodiverse. This means that every human brain is different – ‘neuro’ means nervous system and ‘diverse’ means different. Some people have what we call ‘neurotypical’ brains, or brains that do not struggle enormously when processing information. Others have what we call ‘neuroatypical’ brains (they are neurodivergent). They can struggle (and excel) with certain aspects of processing information. For example, a neurodivergent person with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) can struggle with sensory overload but excel at displaying soft skills such as empathy.

Can you imagine how a person with SPS might respond to a video with flashing images, bright colours, voiceover and background music? They won’t be able to receive and process the sensory information all at once. They’ll probably get anxious about it. They might develop a migraine or feel sick, and they’ll certainly have less of a chance of engaging with the content.

We can turn this around by becoming more sensitive to these struggles - actively minimising or avoiding them when producing learning content. Why? Because a significant percentage of your staff will likely be neurodivergent. Some of them might not even know it yet or have a diagnosis – they will have been struggling with elements of everyday life but without knowing why or realising that it’s different for other people. As we discussed in our blog about accessibility myths, it’s not a case of going to great effort to tailor your content to neurodivergent people. However, it’s still important (and can be quite validating to employees) to take time to find out how neurodivergent brains process information. Knowledge is power.

Creating the right environments to thrive in

Like disability, the natural neurodiversity of the world is not as recognised or accepted as it should be. Just as the world favours the able, it does the neurotypical. So neurodivergent people may already live their lives feeling different or ‘less than’ because others don’t know how to best accommodate them. Just as different plants and flowers need different environments to thrive, so do people.

The University of Plymouth’s ‘7 steps to: Considering neurodiversity in online learning' states that eLearning can be a beneficial means of education for neurodivergent learners. Classroom or face-to-face methods can often put them in uncomfortable situations where they can feel overwhelmed from constantly having to be ‘on’ in the company of lots of people. The pace of learning can often be too fast and doesn’t include many opportunities for the processing time that a neurodivergent person may need to truly benefit from the learning.

Generally speaking, most neurodivergent people will benefit from schedule and environment flexibility at work – if anything ever gets too much, can they take a break or work in a space that helps them think better? It might be that their workstations or the tools that they use to do their work need adjustment. If a neurodivergent person feels that they are part of a working culture that accepts that they are different but recognises equally valid ways of doing things at work, they’ll be in a better position to learn and thrive.

Neurodivergent conditions and traits

Let’s explore some of the many neurodivergent conditions and traits and what struggles they may face when interacting with eLearning content. Note, that whilst some of these conditions and traits have the term ‘disorder’ in their description, there is still disagreement within the neurodivergent community relating to these negative labels (or at least, with these labels alluding to the fact there is something ‘wrong’). Just as people who are neurodivergent may have different ways of describing their condition or trait, for example, ‘I am an autistic person’ or ‘I am a person with autism’.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)/Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

The most notable feature of ADHD/ADD is the difficulty to concentrate and focus. Make it clear to learners how to navigate through the content, write text that is succinct and focused and let them know what’s expected of them at any given point.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder is probably the most wide-ranging neurodivergent condition – what one person experiences can be very different from another. A person can experience some traits of ASD and not others, and their experience of a trait, can range from high functioning or mild, all the way up to severe – hence the term ‘spectrum’. Having Autism Spectrum Disorder means that a person can have difficulty interacting and communicating with others. They can find it difficult to understand facial expressions and body language as well as not being able to grasp literal language or abstract concepts (whilst some people do not experience this at all).

What is common amongst most neurodivergent conditions and traits is that a person with autism will take longer to process information. They are also at risk of being overwhelmed by the amount of information and sensory stimuli they are presented with.

New learning can often come from change, whether that’s an organisational change or a process change. Change and lack of structure can be jarring to someone with ASD. So from the outset, this kind of learner may already be experiencing a level of anxiety about the unknown. What’s important here is, again, to be clear and consistent with your messaging. Keep to a logical structure using descriptive labels and headings. Use ‘plain English’ and steer away from any idiomatic or ‘flowery’ language. If you have to use jargon, explain what this means. Break up your text so it’s easy to process and isn’t a contributing factor to potential overwhelm.

Always pair visuals with supporting text. Using visuals as the only way to communicate information may not translate as you would like it to (let alone not be seen by somebody who is visually impaired).

Dyscalculia

Instead of words and phrases, it’s numbers that present difficulties here. The brain finds it hard to figure out how numbers relate to each other. This leads to directional confusion (for example, is 12 actually 21?) and struggles with simple number concepts and calculations. Think about how reliant using a number is on your learning. Do you have tools that can support working with numbers, such as a calculator? Provide clear directions that are broken down into simple, step-by-step tasks.

Dyslexia

Dyslexic learners struggle with reading and writing – they have problems with identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to words or letters. This is because their minds are more likely to visualise concepts in 3-D rather than 2-D. They will need more time to read and write. It is tricky to have an eLearning resource with minimal text, but where possible we should (again) consider more than one way to present information – can we add supporting visuals to text, or is a piece of information better presented as audio or video?

Where we need to include text, dyslexic people respond better to lowercase letters that are not in italics and underlined. Think about whether you really do need to use that acronym or whether that word does need to be capitalised. When you hyperlink text, is it easy to tell it’s a hyperlink? It’s all about making text as easy to read as possible when it’s already hard enough. Sometimes, considering a softer background, such as cream, instead of white, can make a word much easier to see.

Dyspraxia

Movement and coordination skills are not as well developed in people with dyspraxia – there is a disruption in the way messages are passed between the brain and body. So, it takes more effort to do activities that require fine motor skills such as writing and using a mouse or keyboard and even gross motor skills such as sitting up. Like people with ADHD, they will also have some difficulty with concentration and focus. Give people the opportunity to take as much time as they need to complete the learning – the duration of a module is only ever given to indicate the minimum time it may take for a learner to complete. Opportunities for reinforcement may also be helpful here, particularly by way of visual demonstration (static or video). Often people with dyspraxia can find it hard to absorb instructions that they read or listen to, so instructions do need to be clear and succinct and with visuals to complement where it is appropriate (for example, a step-by-step method).

Sensory Processing Sensitivity

Also known as the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) trait, SPS learners will have a nervous system that gets easily overstimulated – they will often have heightened physical and emotional responses to stimuli, and this can overwhelm them.

Neurodivergent commonalities

We’ve inadvertently covered some of the commonalities already. Let’s focus on a few more.

Neurodivergent brains can struggle with memory, and it’s no wonder considering the potential for overwhelm and lack of focus. With this in mind, we need to think about how we position assessment – is a memory-based quiz really the most effective? Are there other more ‘on the job’ ways to do this? Usually mixing activities that help a person to reflect and question the way they do things can be more effective. We can also help people during the learning process by providing nudges, tips, hints, summaries, and an easy way to revisit content should they need to.

Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve shows how memory is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it (and it applies to the ‘neurotypical’ also). Learning transference can only really prove to be effective if it’s timed right and is well-placed within the flow of learning and work. Is a person going to be able to put what they’ve learned into practice right away?

Time matters for a neurodivergent person. Time restrictions, whether explicitly stated or implicitly felt by a neurodivergent person, can cause anxiety and overwhelm. Sometimes learning may impose a timer on a particular task to try and give a person the feeling of what it might feel like in reality or to create an element of competition that you might experience from gaming. However, learning resources should create a space to safely practice without anxiety so that when you do something for real, you can do so with more confidence and a greater sense of accomplishment. It’s not somebody’s fault if they cannot respond to things as quickly as others. Quick doesn’t always equate to success.

In summary…

This blog has attempted to superficially address some of the ways that we can start to consider our rich neurodivergent workforce in accessible learning solutions. Despite having a different neurological makeup, many of the ways we can make it easier for a person who is neurodivergent to engage with learning content and succeed are not too far removed from how to make content accessible for everybody. However, being conscious of specific and nuanced differences can help to provide a more holistic view of best supporting different types of learners in their flow of learning and work.

Don’t miss our other key insights on accessible learning:

• Embracing accessible eLearning: A pathway to inclusivity
• 4 Myths About Accessible Learning
• Accessibility Learning Checklist