Open Collections

Soldovieri, Antonia

University of British Columbia

Students with learning differences or neurodivergences (e.g., autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities) require additional supports such as differentiated instruction, one-on-one learning supports, sensory or teaching tools, and other accommodations to successfully be included both academically and socially (Hornby, 2014; Valle & Connor, 2019). A theoretical shift towards neurodiversity-affirming perspectives (the idea that neurological diversity is a natural and beneficial phenomenon in society) has entered scientific discourse across the last fifteen years, school policy, curricula, and classrooms in Canada (Armstrong, 2015; Barnes, 2019; Pellicano & Stears, 2011). Research has shown that there continues to be a lack of inclusion for neurodivergent students, and that physical inclusion in the classroom does not guarantee experienced inclusion; the feeling of benefitting from instruction, forming meaningful connections with others, and being part of their classroom culture. When experienced inclusion is lacking, learning suffers (Chen & Patten, 2021). A focus of current research is on how academic inclusion (e.g., differentiated instruction or accommodations to materials) can be promoted or is limited to older populations. There is little existing work which addresses inclusion in younger populations or explores how educators promote inclusion outside of specific social-emotional interventions (Sokal & Sharma, 2013). This critical gap in the literature has tangible impacts for neurodivergent students’ experiences of schooling. The present study explored how primary school educators conceive of neurodivergences in the classroom environment, understand their role in facilitating a safe and welcoming environment for all learners, and use strategies for promoting inclusion of neurodivergent learners. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) interviews with educators teaching Kindergarten to Grade 3 in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver and with under 10 years of teaching experience were analyzed towards this goal. IPA analysis revealed that educators felt their training was neither sufficient, comprehensive, nor practical enough to adequately prepare them to teach diverse learners. However, they employed a variety of strategies to promote inclusion, such as relationship building, subtle inclusion efforts, modeling inclusion and self-acceptance, fostering neurodiversity-affirming conversations, using inclusive language with students and parents, and community building. Educators also reported a strong motivation and sense of duty to include neurodivergent students.

Text

2025-01-16

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90129

School and Applied Child Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/