ND Bright Brains in Educational Settings

ND learners may feel intellectually capable, they often hear from teachers how much potential they have.

However, they often struggle realising that potential due to invisible challenges such as: difficulty producing written work, understanding what is expected as the outcome of a task, verbal instructions, group work, slow processing, distractibility, sensory sensitivities, social interactions and organisational challenges.

They often face judgment or misunderstanding from peers and teachers. This can lead to feelings of frustration and isolation resulting in behaviour problems, learnt helplessness and decreased self-confidence and well-being.

Expecting ND learners to be able to overcome their challenges and regulate their emotions independently is unrealistic, research shows that young people with Neurodevelopmental delays require direct instruction of their lagging skills in order to level the playing field with their neurotypical peers.

ND categories include: ADHD, AuDHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, OCD, Giftedness and more.

Gifted learners with an additional neurodivergence are referred to as Twice Exceptional Students.

ND learners’ unique strengths should be recognised and nurtured to foster their overall well-being and academic success.