Much of my work is helping professionals see that they’re not “bad at learning”; they’re simply trying to learn in a way that doesn’t work for their brains. While my work naturally helps many neurodivergent people, it applies to neurotypical people with different learning styles.

Much of my work helps professionals recognize that they do not need to fight the way their brains work. Instead, they need to learn in ways that support their attention, processing, and memory. While this approach often helps neurodivergent learners, it is just as valuable for neurotypical people with different learning preferences and needs.

When I joined Michael Sherlock on her podcast, we discussed useful tools and strategies that help people learn more effectively. Here are five brain-based learning strategies that can help you learn faster and retain more of what you learn.

Optimize Your Environment for Focus

Your brain cannot process and retain information as effectively when it is constantly distracted. That is why your learning environment matters.

Start by reducing as many distractions as possible. For me, that means using noise-canceling headphones when I need to focus. Outside noise pulls my attention away from the task, so I work and learn more effectively when I limit what competes for my attention.

It also helps to pay attention to what you are hearing while you work. Some people focus well with music, while others do not. I learned through trial and error that music with lyrics does not work for me. Over time, I found sounds that help me focus instead of pulling me away from the task.

Visual distractions matter too. A cluttered workspace can interrupt concentration just as much as background noise. Move things out of view, simplify your setup, and create a space that supports sustained focus.

If you work from home, experiment with different supports and notice what actually helps. The same strategy will not work for everyone. The key is to stop comparing your focus needs to someone else’s and start identifying what allows you to do your best work.

Pause to Process What You Learn

One of the most effective ways to improve retention is to pause at regular intervals and let your brain process what you just learned.

These pauses do not have to be long. Even a short break can help reduce overload and give your brain time to organize new information. When I am learning something new, I often stop to take notes or capture a screen image for reference. My husband likes to take a short walk while he processes what he has learned. The method can vary, but the principle is the same: pause, reflect, and give your brain time to connect the dots.

When you return to learning after a short pause, your brain is often better able to connect new information to what you already know. Instead of overwhelming yourself with too much content at once, you create space for understanding.

Some people also process information better while doing something with their hands. I have worked with people who knit during training sessions, and I have folded laundry while listening to a webinar. If that helps you stay engaged, use it. Just make sure you stop at intervals to take notes, summarize key points, or record a quick voice memo so the learning sticks.

Preview the Framework Before You Begin

If you want to learn faster, give your brain a framework before diving into the details.

Reviewing the course outline, the main topics, or even a short summary in advance gives your brain a structure for what is coming. That structure helps you sort and categorize information as you learn it. Your brain processes information more effectively when it has context.

If a course or presentation does not provide a framework, take a minute or two to find a basic overview of the topic before you begin. A quick article, summary, or short explanation can prepare your brain to make better sense of the information in real time.

This does not take long, but it can make a significant difference in how well you understand and retain new material.

Teach What You Learn

One of the fastest ways to strengthen learning is to teach the material to someone else.

When you explain what you have learned, you are forced to organize it, simplify it, and retrieve it from memory. That process deepens understanding and helps you remember it better.

You do not need a formal audience. Teach a colleague, a friend, your child, or even your dog if you want to. The goal is not to impress anyone. The goal is to practice explaining the concept in your own words.

This strategy is especially effective for people who process information by talking it through. If teaching helps you learn, be honest about that. It may even become an asset at work. For example, if a colleague misses a training session, volunteering to share what you learned can reinforce your own understanding while helping someone else.

Learn How You Learn Best

The most important learning strategy is to become a student of your own learning process.

For years, many people were taught that there was only one right way to learn. We now know that is not true. People learn differently, and those differences matter.

Start paying attention to what helps you focus, what helps you retain information, and what makes learning harder. Watch videos, listen to podcasts, read articles, take courses, and notice which methods help the information stick. When something feels difficult, ask yourself why. Is the pace too fast? Is there too much information at once? Is the format not working for your brain?

Once you begin to understand how you learn best, you can make smarter choices about how to study, train, work, and grow. That self-awareness is one of the most powerful learning tools you can develop.

FAQ

What are brain-based learning strategies?
Brain-based learning strategies are techniques that work with how attention, memory, and processing function. Examples include reducing distractions, taking short pauses to process information, previewing a framework before learning, and teaching others what you have learned.

Do short breaks really help you learn faster?
Yes. Short pauses can improve learning because they reduce overload and give your brain time to organize and retain new information. Even a brief pause to reflect, take notes, or review key ideas can support better retention.

Why does teaching someone else help you remember information?
Teaching helps you remember because it forces you to retrieve information, organize your thoughts, and explain ideas clearly in your own words. That process strengthens understanding and makes learning more likely to stick.

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: This term refers to the natural diversity of human minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about neurodiversity, I am referring to the broad range of ways people think, process information, communicate, and learn.

Neurodiverse: This word should be used as an adjective to describe a group, team, or workplace. For example, you can say that a workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful, though. You should not describe one person as neurodiverse. An individual should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking, processing, or learning differs from what is considered neurotypical. You may also see it abbreviated as ND.

A neurodivergent person may have a diagnosis such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism, epilepsy, or a brain injury, or they may simply process the world in a way that differs from dominant expectations.

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School administrators often ask me what co-teaching should look like. It is a fair question. Assessing a collaborative classroom is especially challenging for administrators who are new to the concept of co-teaching.

Too often, schools use what I call the dumped-in method of co-teaching. Teachers are simply dumped into it without support or training. The result is predictable. You walk into a classroom and see one teacher teaching while the other teacher stands in the background waiting for permission to work with students. Some specialists feel like they are just holding up the wall. 

That is not co-teaching.

Administrators need to view co-taught classes as classes taught by two essential teachers working as one team.

To help school leaders observe and support these teams, I have developed the 2026 Walkthrough Form. It provides a non-evaluative snapshot of classroom practice for administrators. It moves beyond vague theories and focuses on the practical realities of the classroom.

Here is exactly what you should look for when you walk into a co-taught class.

Specific Implementations

Observers should look for clearly defined roles. General approaches are no longer enough. I have detailed two dozen specific co-teaching implementations. Look for targeted strategies like Two Facilitate Speed Partnering or One Teach and One Summarize. There should be absolutely no doubt as to what each person is doing during a lesson.

Shared Ownership and Parity

Both adults must actively contribute to instruction and student engagement. They do not have to look identical to demonstrate parity. They also do not both need to be content experts. You should see them share ownership of the class through their actions, language, or leadership. Both names should be displayed, and the physical space must be shared. Furthermore, both adults should interact with a range of students, not just one subgroup.

Chunking Lesson Plans

Look at the clock. Teachers should transition smoothly between short chunks of instruction. Ideally, these chunks are ten minutes or less. The most effective time managers use timers to stay on track. This maximizes student engagement and keeps both teachers actively involved. 

Stop Guessing, Start Teaching:
Introducing the Co-Teaching Lesson Plan Builder

Student Access and Differentiation

Are students engaged and clear on what they are expected to do? Teachers need to provide multiple ways to learn content. This might look like visual interpretations, graphic organizers, or technology like backchanneling. Students must also have choices in how they demonstrate their learning. Furthermore, teachers should be using formative assessments, like exit cards or Oral K-W-L activities, to guide immediate instruction.

Data and Flexible Grouping

Notice how the students are grouped. Students should work in intentional mixed-ability groups for practice. They might also work in targeted same-ability groups for review and enrichment. You should also see teachers collecting objective data on student behavior and understanding to guide future instruction.

Effective co-teaching is a partnership. It requires communication, persistence, and mutual agreement. This new walkthrough form gives you the framework to support your teachers in that work. It helps you focus on what matters most.

Access the  2026 Walkthrough Form by clicking here. 

It is imperative that administrators understand what co-teaching is and what it is not. Also, it’s important to coach and mentor your staff in a positive, productive way to achieve the best possible results while making it clear that collaboration is not optional. 

In this age of testing, fear, and reprisal, teachers need to be motivated and taught how to best utilize their time and efforts to help students succeed. Co-teaching, done well, is one of the best ways to make a difference for students. 

I encourage you to download the 2026 Walkthrough Form and take it on your next classroom visit. Look for specific implementations and shared ownership that accelerate learning. Try the form today. Observe your collaborative teams and give your teachers the practical, targeted feedback they need to thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Teaching

What does effective co-teaching look like in a classroom?
Effective co-teaching involves two educators actively sharing instruction, planning together, and engaging students through clearly defined roles and strategies.

What are the most common co-teaching mistakes?
The most common mistake is the “one teach, one assist” default, where one teacher leads and the other becomes passive. Lack of planning and unclear roles also limit effectiveness.

How can administrators evaluate co-teaching?
Administrators should use structured observation tools that focus on parity, student engagement, differentiation, and data-driven instruction rather than general impressions.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of co-teaching strategies and resources to maximize student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Best Practices in Co-teaching and Collaboration: the HOW of Implementing the Models

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Many students with learning disabilities struggle with working memory and recall. They may forget important details, lose track of steps in a process, or have difficulty holding onto information long enough to use it for comprehension, problem-solving, analysis, and synthesis. That is why explicit memory strategies matter.

One effective Tier 2 instructional support is the use of chunking, processing, and paraphrasing to help students retain and apply what they are learning. When teachers intentionally limit the amount of new information presented at one time and then provide opportunities for students to restate and revisit that learning, students are more likely to remember it and use it successfully.

Limit Information by Chunking

Working memory is limited, which means students can only hold a small amount of new information at one time. When too much information is presented at once, many students become overloaded before they can process what matters most.

That is why chunking is so important. Chunking means breaking content into smaller, meaningful parts so students can take in and organize information more effectively. Instead of teaching too much in one long stretch, teachers can present ideas in shorter segments and group related concepts together.

Visual organization can also strengthen this process. Color coding, clear formatting, and visual grouping help students see how ideas connect. For example, if students are learning about different types of memory, related facts can be grouped by color or category so the information is easier to process and recall. When information is presented in manageable chunks, students are more likely to remember it and build understanding from it.

Paraphrase Immediately

Another effective way to strengthen memory is to ask students to paraphrase important information right after it is taught. After introducing a key concept, ask a student to explain it in their own words.

This strategy takes only a few seconds, but it gives the brain another chance to process the information. It also allows students to hear the same idea expressed in a different voice and with slightly different wording. That novelty matters. When students restate learning in their own words, they move beyond passive listening and begin actively processing meaning.

Immediate paraphrasing can also help teachers check for understanding quickly. If a student cannot explain the idea clearly, that is a signal that more modeling or support may be needed before moving on.

Paraphrase Again Later

Paraphrasing becomes even more powerful when students are asked to bring information back later in the day. When students revisit something they learned an hour earlier and restate it in their own words, they strengthen recall and deepen retention.

This simple practice helps move information from a brief classroom moment into active learning. It gives students another opportunity to connect to the content, organize it mentally, and prepare to use it in discussion, writing, or problem-solving.

Teachers can do this informally with a quick verbal review, partner discussion, or short written response. The key is not complexity. The key is repetition with purpose.

Why This Strategy Works

Chunking, processing, and paraphrasing work together because they reduce overload and increase meaningful interaction with content. Students are not expected to hold onto too much at once. Instead, they receive information in smaller pieces, process it actively, and return to it again before it disappears.

For struggling learners, this can make a major difference. When students remember more, they are better able to comprehend, apply, and analyze what they are learning. The goal is not simply memorization. The goal is to give students the support they need to build understanding and confidence.

Feed the brain small chunks at a time, and students are more likely to remember, understand, and use what they learn.

If you want, I can also add the FAQ, metadata, tags, and SEO recommendations directly onto this rewritten version so you have a single paste-ready draft.

FAQ

What is chunking in teaching?
Chunking is the practice of breaking information into smaller, meaningful parts so students can process it more easily. This supports working memory and helps reduce cognitive overload, especially for struggling learners. Research on working memory commonly suggests a limited capacity of about 3 to 5 meaningful chunks, depending on the task.

Why does paraphrasing help students remember information?
Paraphrasing helps students remember information because it requires them to restate new learning in their own words. That process deepens understanding, reinforces recall, and can improve comprehension. Studies of paraphrasing instruction have found positive effects for struggling readers and for text recall.

How can teachers support working memory in the classroom?
Teachers can support working memory by presenting information in small chunks, using visuals and clear organization, providing immediate practice, and asking students to revisit new information through discussion or paraphrasing. These strategies help students hold onto new learning long enough to understand and apply it. Working memory is strongly related to reading, language comprehension, reasoning, and problem-solving.

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Innovation and creativity are the lifeblood of business. To get to both of those, you need different perspectives and ways of thinking. That is why companies hire consultants and agencies.

A more effective way for businesses to gain different perspectives and divergent thinking is to hire a diverse team. Neurodiversity is just as important as other forms of diversity. A neurodiverse person’s brain is wired differently. They experience the world differently than neurotypical people and often have entirely different perspectives.

People with OCD or autism may be frustrated with systems or processes and, consequently, find ways to make them more efficient. People with sensory processing disorders may help workplaces rethink how they communicate to keep employees happy and increase productivity.

Recently, I spoke with Gregg Gregory on his podcast The Teamwork Advantage about the importance of neurodiverse teams. We discussed the challenges of neurodiversity in the workplace and its advantages.

So why is neurodiversity important in business environments?

Neurodivergence Leads to Creativity

Some of the world’s greatest minds are neurodivergent. Elon Musk and Bill Gates have Asperger’s, and Richard Branson and Charles Schwab have dyslexia. All of them credit their neurodivergence for their success. It allowed them to see the world differently and approach problems from a different angle.

Did you know the late founder of Ikea, Ingvar Kamprad, was dyslexic? It was the reason behind the unique Swedish names of all their products. He struggled with inventory numbers, so he decided to name the products.

The corporate world often gets bogged down in “the ways things are done” and fails to acknowledge that there may be better ways to do things. All it takes is a little bit of frustration and determination to find a solution. For example, businesses shifted to an open-plan office layout to encourage collaboration and create a sense of team unity. At the time, a lot of data showed that it would positively affect employee productivity. However, many thought leaders and researchers believe that the challenges outweigh the benefits for employees that dislike open-plan office space.

Rather than convert processes and spaces for one-size-fits-all solutions, consider multiple options for using the workspace. I call this Dynamic Workspace Design.

Neurodivergence Leads Us to Rethink Talent

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in a role. One employee may be skilled at presenting and public speaking but does not have the attention to detail required to manage a project. One employee may be good at coding but constantly falls behind on their admin work. We are already aware that people have strengths and weaknesses and that a good “all-rounder” is rare to find. Yet, we still expect employees to work on their shortcomings as if they are more critical than the strengths and skills for which they were hired.

Workplaces are already familiar with the concept of fitting together different disciplines and talents to create a product or finish a project. Marketing agencies will form small groups to create a campaign; writers, designers, project managers, and lawyers will all work on a new marketing campaign to ensure each aspect of the project is completed to the highest standard. It is unreasonable to expect one person to be able to research, write, design, and check a campaign for compliance to achieve a high standard.

People with OCD or those on the autism spectrum have shown remarkable talent, especially in technical fields like software development. But many have historically failed the traditional interview test because their behavior doesn’t follow social protocols. Or worse, they are hired for their exceptional talent but leave when they are bullied or ostracized in their teams because people feel uncomfortable around them. Why? Because they are odd or quirky or don’t make eye contact.

Neurodiverse teams offer an opportunity to rethink the way businesses do things. The scope of roles could be narrowed to better fit employees’ talents. What if job-related tasks were always done by the person who was the most talented at that particular task? A Dynamic Workplace Design approach would consider what works best for the employee or team in a given situation.

Would sales increase if a business always sent the salesperson that was most knowledgeable about that particular type of client? Would technology improve if the person doing the coding was the best at that specific coding language and kind of project? Instead of forcing employees to spread their efforts over various tasks, we could laser focus them on getting the most out of their aptitudes.

Opportunity to Innovate

Neurodiverse teams offer a prime opportunity to rethink corporate culture. It forces businesses to recognize that no two employees are the same; therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. When you rework the standard operating procedures to get the most out of neurodiverse employees, it leads to getting the most out of all employees. A better way to support productivity and promote loyalty amongst employees is Dynamic Workplace Design — the opposite of one-size-fits-all!

FAQ

What is neurodiversity in the workplace?
Neurodiversity in the workplace refers to the presence of employees who think, learn, process information, and communicate in different ways. A neurodiverse workplace includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent people, and a neuroinclusive culture works to support that range of cognitive styles.

Why are neurodiverse teams valuable in business?
Neurodiverse teams can strengthen innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving because they bring together different ways of thinking and working. Employer guidance from CIPD highlights benefits tied to neuroinclusive organizations, including employee confidence, success, retention, collaboration, and creativity.

What is the difference between neurodiversity, neurodiverse, and neurodivergent?
Neurodiversity refers to the natural diversity of human minds. Neurodiverse is an adjective that describes a group, team, or workplace. Neurodivergent describes an individual whose way of thinking or processing differs from what is considered typical. That distinction is widely recommended in current neurodiversity guidance.

Neurodiversity Definition

Neurodiversity: this term refers to a general diversity of minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, for example, I am referring to creating a diverse workforce representative of the broad spectrum that exists when it comes to ways of thinking, processing information, communication, and learning. Some employees may be “normal” or neurotypical while others may have ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or trauma impacted ways of thinking. I am not referring to any particular label or diagnosis, but rather, the concept of an environment where a diversity of minds coexist.

Neurodiverse: This word is pretty much the same as neurodiversity, but should be used as an adjective. You can say, for example, that your workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful though, because you should never describe a person as being neurodiverse. Individual people should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking falls outside of society’s defined version of normal. Oftentimes you will see it abbreviated as ND.

Many times, neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis or label you may recognize, like autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. But neurodivergent people are also those with epilepsy, different kinds of brain trauma, or simply a unique way of thinking that may not have a specific diagnosis.

Photo by Amauri Mejía on Unsplash

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Walk into any general education classroom and you will see a wide range of learners working through the same content. Some students move through it easily. Others struggle to keep up, and some become disengaged before they ever have a chance to succeed. The challenge for educators is clear: how do we support struggling learners in an inclusive classroom without lowering expectations or slowing instruction for everyone else?

One of the most effective answers is the combination of MTSS, or Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and microlearning.

Why MTSS Is the Starting Point

MTSS offers a proactive framework to identify and support students’ academic and behavioral needs. At its core, MTSS ensures that all students get high-quality, differentiated instruction, with more intensive interventions added as needed. It’s structured in tiers — Tier 1 is general classroom instruction for all students, Tier 2 provides targeted support, and Tier 3 offers intensive intervention, often outside the general ed classroom (Fitzell, MTSS and RTI – Seven Keys to Success).

Tier 1 isn’t just “basic” teaching. It must include best practices rooted in research — strategies that work for everyone but are critical for different learners (Fitzell, p. 2). In other words, general education instruction should be so effective and inclusive that fewer students require more intensive interventions.

MTSS helps schools provide early, systematic support so students receive the right level of instruction before learning gaps become long-term barriers.

Microlearning: The MTSS Multiplier

Microlearning breaks instruction into short, focused chunks that students can process more easily. Instead of asking learners to absorb too much at once, teachers deliver key content in smaller segments with immediate opportunities to practice, discuss, reflect, and apply what they are learning.

This approach aligns perfectly with Susan Fitzell’s Chunking Lesson Plans®, which recommends dividing instruction into short bursts to support retention and reduce cognitive overload (Fitzell, MTSS Article; Fitzell, p. 122).

In practice, this might mean delivering a mini-lesson, followed by a brief activity, a peer discussion, or a visual processing task. The idea is to teach less at once, but with greater clarity and more opportunities for student interaction.

When we combine MTSS with microlearning:

• Tier 1 instruction becomes more accessible.
  
• Tier 2 interventions feel more natural — embedded right into flexible grouping and small-group instruction.
  
• Tier 3 supports are easier to design because we’ve already gathered consistent progress-monitoring data along the way (Fitzell, MTSS Article).

Microlearning in Action

Picture this: Instead of lecturing on the causes of the Civil War for 45 minutes, the teacher breaks the topic into three mini-lessons. Each one includes a quick mnemonic device, a relevant visual (like a snapshot organizer), and a short paired discussion. Now students are encoding the same content multiple ways — a key principle of brain-based learning (Fitzell, p. 20).

Meanwhile, struggling students aren’t overwhelmed. They’re engaged, active participants — gaining small wins that build confidence.

Final Thoughts

MTSS and microlearning are not quick fixes, but together they create a more responsive way to teach. When instruction is delivered in smaller, brain-friendly chunks within a tiered support system, struggling learners do not have to wait for failure before they receive help. They experience success earlier, build confidence faster, and stay more engaged in the learning process.

FAQ

What is MTSS in education?

MTSS, or Multi-Tiered System of Supports, is a framework schools use to provide academic and behavioral support at increasing levels of intensity. Tier 1 includes high-quality instruction for all students, Tier 2 adds targeted intervention, and Tier 3 provides intensive individualized support.

What is microlearning in the classroom?

Microlearning is an instructional approach that breaks lessons into short, focused chunks. Instead of presenting too much information at once, teachers deliver content in smaller parts with opportunities for practice, reflection, and feedback. This helps students process and retain new learning more effectively.

How do MTSS and microlearning work together?

MTSS and microlearning work well together because both focus on meeting student needs in a structured, responsive way. MTSS provides the framework for support, while microlearning helps teachers deliver instruction in manageable steps that reduce overload and increase understanding.

Why does microlearning help struggling learners?

Microlearning helps struggling learners because it reduces cognitive overload and gives students more chances to interact with content in meaningful ways. Smaller learning segments can improve focus, retention, participation, and confidence, especially for students who are easily overwhelmed by long lectures or large amounts of information.

Can MTSS and microlearning benefit all students?

Yes. Although these strategies are especially helpful for struggling learners, they benefit all students by making instruction clearer, more engaging, and easier to process. In an inclusive classroom, strong Tier 1 instruction supported by microlearning can improve outcomes across the board.

Additional Reading 

MTSS and RTI – Seven Keys to Success
By Susan Fitzell https://susanfitzell.com/mtss-seven-keys-successful-rti/

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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Why Neurodiversity in the Workplace Matters

Many leaders say they value diversity, but they often overlook one of the most important forms of difference on a team – neurodiversity. When organizations build workplaces that welcome different ways of thinking, processing information, communicating, and solving problems, they gain more than inclusion. They gain creativity, innovation, and stronger problem-solving across the board.

The challenge is that many traditional hiring and workplace practices were designed around neurotypical norms. If you want neurodivergent employees to thrive, you need to rethink both how you hire and how you support people once they join the team.

I recently spoke with Gregg Gregory on his podcast The Teamwork Advantage about the importance of neurodiverse teams and how to nurture them.

So, what can businesses and managers do to hire more neurodivergent people and create a workplace that allows them to thrive?

How Hiring Practices Can Exclude Neurodivergent Talent

Many traditional hiring practices do not accommodate people with neurodivergence, or only accommodate those who have learned to mask their neurodivergence. Masking is the ability to act like a neurotypical person in social settings. This behavior is often learned while young to fit in with peers.

Traditional hiring practices are tailored to people with neurotypical brains. They require a good grasp of social norms to succeed. In-person interviews, for example, require a lot of eye contact and positive body language. It also requires the interviewee to read between the lines and address the subtext of a question along with the actual question. These practices would rule out some candidates with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) or autism, regardless of how capable they are for the actual role.

The practice of asking for a resume or cover letter may also eliminate neurodivergent people. It is an obvious barrier for people with dyslexia, but other neurodivergent groups may also struggle to know what to write. Unless they get professional help to write these documents, they may not even make it through the process to get an interview.

Currently, more companies in sectors like technology and finance are recognizing that neurodivergent employees bring valuable strengths to the workplace, including pattern recognition, innovation, focus, persistence, and unconventional problem-solving.

Companies that are looking to hire neurodivergent employees haven’t dropped traditional hiring practices, but they have added processes that allow them to better assess the suitability of candidates. In many cases, they ask candidates to complete mini-projects or solve problems to see their abilities. This is a win-win situation for companies because they are hiring people who can do the job, not just people who fit the neurotypical mold.

How to Build a Neuroinclusive Workplace Culture

Hiring a neurodiverse team is only part of the process. Companies also need to create an atmosphere where neurodivergent people feel safe and comfortable. Without this, your neurodivergent team members will not thrive, or worse, they may face hostility from colleagues or managers.

I like to look at the pandemic as an example of what happens when companies accommodate the needs of their employees. Before the pandemic, corporate culture was adamant that employees needed to be in the office to achieve peak productivity and collaboration. It was thought that allowing employees to work from home would cost too much in terms of productivity, system management, and company culture.

But when the world was forced to work from home, we discovered that wasn’t the case. Companies that loosened the reins and were open to different ways of working thrived during the pandemic. So, for companies who wonder how best to support neurodivergent workers, the answer is, the same way you supported workers during the pandemic. Let your team tell you how they work best, be open to trying different things.

It is not just people with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing disorders who will benefit. Taking a flexible approach to the workplace will benefit all your employees. It will help people with different learning preferences, different social capacities, and even those experiencing stress to have a better workplace experience. Discussions around working styles and needs will help your team become more sensitive to each other’s needs.

A great example of this is Ultranauts Inc., a software testing company that employs many autistic people. All new hires are given a BioDex, A user manual for every teammate, that introduces them to their new team members. Included in the BioDex is data about preferred working styles and communication methods to ensure a harmonious work environment. 

This kind of initiative not only helps neurodivergent team members, but neurotypical team members also benefit from people communicating with them in their preferred manner.

An employee user’s manual is a great step in promoting the cultural change that is necessary to successfully create a neurodiverse team. It provides opportunities for people to consider their work preferences and understand that others may have different inclinations. So, when someone with a sensory disorder needs to wear earbuds or headphones at work to concentrate, it is less likely to cause offense to other team members. It also opens the door for neurotypical employees to be able to use noise-canceling headphones when they need to concentrate; open-plan offices aren’t conducive to deep focus.

Simple Workplace Accommodations That Help Everyone

Being open to creating a workplace that is conducive to the needs of neurodivergent employees means understanding that people work best in different ways. While it’s important to have conversations about how to make workplaces more inclusive to neurodivergent people, these conversations are futile when C-Suite executives promote a “one size fits all” approach to workplaces. Even neurotypical people don’t all work in the same way. Extroverts may thrive in open-plan offices, while introverts would prefer more privacy. Visual learners may struggle in verbal brainstorming meetings, while auditory learners may thrive.

By empowering employees to discuss their individual needs, businesses can create a workplace where workers can reach their full potential. Think about it; an introvert is never going to be able to do their best work in an open-plan office when people keep stopping by their desk to “pick their brain.” But if they had the ability to tailor their work environment to their needs, they could improve their output. It doesn’t require renovations or expensive tools. An introverted employee could discuss working from home when they need to or wearing headphones in the office when they need more focus. They could discuss their communication preferences with colleagues and ask them to email instead of stopping by.

Yes, these culture shifts make the workplace accessible to neurodivergent people, but they also result in an overall happier, more productive workforce. Cultivating a neurodiverse team should not be viewed as disruptive or too much work; it is a win for everyone involved.

FAQ

What is neurodiversity in the workplace?

Neurodiversity in the workplace refers to the presence of employees who think, learn, process information, and communicate in different ways. A neurodiverse workforce includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. When organizations recognize and support those differences, they create stronger, more innovative teams.

What does it mean to build a neuroinclusive workplace?

A neuroinclusive workplace is a work environment designed to support different thinking styles, communication preferences, sensory needs, and problem-solving approaches. This can include flexible communication methods, alternative hiring practices, sensory-friendly options, and clear expectations that help all employees do their best work.

How can hiring practices be more inclusive for neurodivergent candidates?

Hiring practices become more inclusive when we reduce unnecessary reliance on resumes, cover letters, eye contact, social performance, and vague interview questions. Employers can use work samples, problem-solving tasks, job previews, and clearer communication to assess whether a candidate can do the job rather than whether they fit a narrow social mold.

What workplace accommodations help neurodivergent employees thrive?

Helpful accommodations may include flexible work location, quiet spaces, headphones, written follow-up after meetings, clear deadlines, predictable routines, visual supports, and communication preferences that reduce ambiguity. Many of these supports help all employees, not only neurodivergent team members.

Why does neurodiversity benefit workplace teams?

Neurodiversity benefits teams because people who think differently often bring unique strengths in creativity, pattern recognition, problem-solving, innovation, attention to detail, and systems thinking. A team that includes different cognitive styles is often better equipped to identify inefficiencies and generate fresh solutions.

Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent, and Neurodiverse: What the Terms Mean

Neurodiversity: this term refers to a general diversity of minds. It includes people who are neurotypical and neurodivergent. When I talk about promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, for example, I am referring to creating a diverse workforce representative of the broad spectrum that exists when it comes to ways of thinking, processing information, communication, and learning. Some employees may be “normal” or neurotypical while others may have ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or trauma impacted ways of thinking. I am not referring to any particular label or diagnosis, but rather, the concept of an environment where a diversity of minds coexist.

Neurodiverse: This word is pretty much the same as neurodiversity, but should be used as an adjective. You can say, for example, that your workplace is neurodiverse.

Be careful though, because you should never describe a person as being neurodiverse. Individual people should be described as neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent: This word describes an individual whose way of thinking falls outside of society’s defined version of normal, or neurotypical. Oftentimes you will see it abbreviated as ND.

Many times, neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis or label you may recognize, like autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. But neurodivergent people are also those with epilepsy, different kinds of brain trauma, or simply a unique way of thinking that may not have a specific diagnosis.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post How to Build Neurodiverse Workplace Teams That Thrive appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

One powerful solution is to combine microlearning with MTSS. In an inclusive classroom, small chunks of instruction, quick checks for understanding, and targeted intervention can help students access content, build confidence, and make steady academic progress.

In today’s inclusive classrooms, ensuring every student, from the advanced to the struggling learner, reaches their potential is the core mission. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) provides the organizational framework for this goal, addressing the needs of all learners through differentiated instruction. By integrating “microlearning” or the intentional use of small chunks of instruction and activities, educators can effectively deliver the tiered interventions essential to MTSS, especially in a secondary environment where finding adequate time for intervention is often a challenge.

The Framework: MTSS and Tiered Instruction

MTSS, or Multi-Tiered System of Supports, is a framework schools use to provide increasing levels of academic and behavioral support based on student need.

MTSS encompasses several approaches, including Response to Intervention (RTI). This system is graphically represented as an umbrella, emphasizing failure prevention. Central to MTSS/RTI is a tiered model of support:

• Tier One (Universal Support): This foundational level requires the use of best practice, research-based teaching methods, including differentiated instruction, for all students (80–90% of the population). Implementing effective strategies in the core classroom significantly reduces the need for subsequent interventions.
• Tier Two (Targeted Support): This tier is for students requiring targeted, high-quality interventions (5–10% of students). These interventions often use research-based practices from Tier One but are modified to provide more intense instruction, increased time for practice, and a higher intensity of implementation for specific students. For secondary students, strategies such as a tutor-led study hall combined with frequent, immediate in-class interventions, made possible by Chunking Lesson Plans™, can be highly effective.
• Tier Three (Intensive Individual Interventions): This tier serves the smallest percentage of students (1–5%) who require the most intensive interventions, often a combination of general classroom instruction and specialized outside-of-class support.

The Strategy: Small Chunks, Big Gains

The key to implementing effective interventions within a busy class schedule, particularly at the secondary level, lies in breaking down content and instruction into manageable segments. This concept is explicitly leveraged in “Chunking Lesson Plans®” to maximize instructional time and target student needs precisely.

How Microlearning Prevents Cognitive Overload

The goal of this microlearning approach is to prevent cognitive overload—since the brain typically holds only three to four chunks of novel information in short-term memory at a time—and enhance memory and retention.

What a Chunked Lesson Looks Like in a 40-Minute Class

A core component of this microlearning strategy is to shorten the duration of whole-class direct teaching. For example, in a 40-minute class period, the plan might involve:

1. Core Teach (10 minutes): Deliver essential instruction (e.g., teaching a concept like genre or the FOIL method) as effectively as if teaching a small group of capable students, and then stop.
2. Practice in Mixed Ability Groups (10 minutes): Immediately follow the core instruction by having students practice the new information in mixed-ability groups, allowing for application and reinforcement.
3. Whole Class Check-in (5 minutes): Bring the class back together for a quick question-and-answer session to clarify concepts and gauge understanding based on observations during group work.
4. Exit Card/Assessment (5 minutes): Use a quick assessment, such as an exit card with two or three questions, to immediately determine who needs re-teaching, practice, or enrichment.

Microlearning Strategies That Support Inclusive Instruction

The data collected from quick, frequent assessments like exit cards inform targeted, micro-interventions for the next class period. This allows the teacher to address learning differences right away, using the time saved from excessive direct instruction.

This can take the form of same-ability groups (e.g., grouping struggling students for a re-teach session) or peer-assisted learning models. Peer tutoring is especially effective, as it reinforces the tutor’s knowledge and skills while developing responsibility and self-confidence, making learning materials accessible and meaningful.

Enhancing Learning Through Small Adjustments

Microlearning principles extend beyond time management into the design of instructional materials and learning activities that respect how students learn. This includes utilizing multimodal strategies and cognitive supports:

• Visual Cues and Organization: Provide information in small chunks (5 to 7 pieces of information) and use graphic organizers, flowcharts, or mind maps to visually categorize material and demonstrate complex processes, freeing up working memory for higher-level thinking.
• Aiding Memory: Employ mnemonics, acronyms (like NASA), rhymes, and visualization techniques to aid recall, as the brain typically remembers color and unique visual content better than plain text. Even handwriting instructions clearly or adapting existing materials with adequate white space and larger font size provides essential scaffolding.
• Kinesthetic Engagement: Incorporate movement, like standing stations or acting out vocabulary words, to increase oxygen flow to the brain and engage multiple areas in the learning process, supporting kinesthetic learners and enhancing retention.
• Fostering Self-Regulation: By implementing chunked assignments with parts due at specific dates, students (especially perceptive types) can manage their workload effectively and are actively taught organizational strategies and self-monitoring skills, key components of success in a personalized learning environment.

By systematically implementing small, targeted instructional practices within the overarching MTSS framework, educators can create an inclusive environment where the focus shifts from struggling with content presentation to achieving mastery through individualized and carefully paced learning opportunities. This intentional focus on small chunks yields big gains for all students.

If you’d like more practical strategies to help your team move from awareness to action, I offer PD sessions and coaching built around the strategies outlined in Special Needs in the General Classroom. Let’s build forward—not backward.

FAQ: Microlearning, MTSS, and Inclusive Classrooms

What is microlearning in the classroom?
Microlearning in the classroom is the practice of delivering instruction in short, focused segments instead of long blocks of direct teaching. Teachers use small chunks of content, quick practice opportunities, and brief assessments to help students process information more effectively and avoid cognitive overload.

How does microlearning support MTSS?
Microlearning supports MTSS by making tiered instruction more manageable and responsive. In Tier One, it improves core instruction for all students. In Tier Two, it allows for targeted reteaching and focused practice. In Tier Three, it helps educators deliver more intensive, individualized intervention based on student data.

Why is chunking instruction effective for struggling learners?
Chunking instruction is effective because it reduces the amount of new information students must process at one time. When content is broken into smaller parts, students are more likely to understand, retain, and apply what they are learning. This is especially helpful for students with working memory challenges, attention differences, or gaps in prior knowledge.

Can microlearning help advanced students too?
Yes. Microlearning benefits advanced learners as well as struggling learners. Because instruction is clearer and more intentional, advanced students can move more quickly into application, peer support, discussion, and enrichment tasks. In an inclusive classroom, small chunks create flexibility for all learners.

What are simple microlearning strategies teachers can use right away?
Teachers can start with short direct instruction, mixed-ability practice groups, exit cards, graphic organizers, movement-based review, mnemonic supports, and chunked assignments with clear deadlines. These strategies fit well within an MTSS model because they provide immediate data and support differentiated instruction.

Additional Reading 

MTSS and RTI – Seven Keys to Success
By Susan Fitzell https://susanfitzell.com/mtss-seven-keys-successful-rti/

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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Stimming is short for self-stimulatory behavior. It includes repetitive movements or repeated use of objects, and it shows up in autistic people, people with ADHD, people with sensory processing differences, and plenty of neurotypical people, too.

Nail biting, leg bouncing, pen clicking, hair twirling, and chewing on a pencil all fit the same basic pattern. The difference is that neurodivergent stims can be more visible, more frequent, and sometimes unsafe, which is why they attract attention in classrooms, clinics, and workplaces.

The reframe matters: many stims are a form of self-regulation, not defiance. For some people, a stim adds input when the brain is under-stimulated. For others, it helps dampen or organize input when the environment is too loud, bright, busy, or unpredictable. Stimming can help regulate stress, anxiety, boredom, fear, emotional overload, sensory overload, and sometimes it is simply how a person expresses excitement and joy.

That is the practical “why” behind sensory rooms. A sensory room is a dedicated space that lets someone meet a sensory need safely, with less social judgment, and with fewer harmful coping behaviors. Instead of forcing a child or adult to spend their energy masking, a sensory room provides a controlled environment where regulation can happen faster and with less fallout.

Suppressing Stimming?

What went wrong for years is the same thing that happens with nail biting. People see the behavior and try to stop it without addressing the reason it started. When you suppress harmless stims because they look unusual to others, you remove a coping tool and increase stress. If a stim is harmful (skin picking, head banging, hair pulling), the answer still is not “ban it and move on.” The answer is “reduce risk while you solve the underlying need,” which often includes safer substitutes, environmental changes, and predictable ways to take breaks.

Sensory Rooms Accommodate Stimming in a Healthy Way

Sensory rooms support that approach. They can be simple or elaborate, but the best ones do the same core job: they give a person more control over sensory input and a place to reset before stress escalates. That can include tools for tactile input (fidgets, textured items), proprioceptive input (weighted lap pads or blankets), visual control (dimmers, lamps, reduced glare), and sound control (soundproofing, white noise, permission to use noise-canceling headphones).

This also is not “just a kid thing.” Children who stim grow into adults who still have sensory needs. In fact, sensory stress can compound at work because many neurodivergent adults are actively trying to look “fine” all day. When someone is spending effort to mask, it reduces bandwidth for focus, communication, and stamina. A sensory space is one concrete way to reduce that load, and it often helps neurotypical employees too. Quiet and control are not niche benefits; they are human benefits.

A workplace example makes the point. An employee in a bright, open office manages most days, but a personal stressor pushes their nervous system over the edge. They cannot think clearly, their breathing feels tight, their heart rate climbs, and concentration drops. A short reset in a private, darker room, with fewer inputs and a chance to use a calming body position, helps them regulate in about ten minutes and return to work. The lesson is not that the employee is “fragile.” The lesson is that capacity changes with cumulative stress, and having a predictable reset option prevents a small overload from becoming a full derailment.

If you are setting up a sensory room, design it around control and choice. Privacy matters. Lighting options matter. Sound options matter. Seating options matter. Include a few “input” tools (fidgets, textured items, chewable options) and a few “calm” tools (weighted items, soft blankets, a neutral couch, a yoga mat). Add a clear usage policy that keeps access fair and keeps the space respected, and pair it with culture cues that make it safe to use. A room no one feels permitted to use is a room that will not help.

Finally, use accurate language. Neurodiversity refers to the natural diversity of minds across humans. Neurodivergent describes an individual whose cognitive style diverges from dominant norms. Neurotypical describes the majority cognitive style. “Neurodiverse” is best used as an adjective for a group or environment, not for an individual person. Susan_Fitzell_Style_Guide_v1.0

FAQ

What is stimming, and who does it?

Stimming is self-stimulatory behavior, usually repetitive movements or repeated interaction with objects. Autistic people and people with ADHD or sensory processing differences may stim more visibly or more often, but many neurotypical people stim too (nail biting, leg bouncing, pen clicking, hair twirling).

Why do neurodivergent people stim?

Stimming is often a regulation strategy. It can reduce sensory overload, organize attention, manage stress or anxiety, prevent emotional overwhelm, or provide needed stimulation when the brain is under-stimulated. Sometimes it also expresses joy or excitement.

Should schools or workplaces stop stimming?

Stopping harmless stimming without addressing the underlying need usually increases stress and can worsen regulation. If a stim is unsafe or damaging, the goal is to reduce harm while meeting the sensory need in a safer way, not simply banning the behavior.

What is a sensory room, and what problem does it solve?

A sensory room is a dedicated space designed to support sensory regulation. It gives a person a controlled environment to reset, meet sensory needs safely, and return to learning or work with less escalation, less masking, and fewer harmful coping behaviors.

What should a simple sensory room include?

Start with privacy and environmental control: adjustable lighting, reduced noise or white-noise options, and comfortable seating or space to lie down. Add a small set of regulation tools like weighted lap pads or blankets, soft blankets, a yoga mat, a few fidgets or textured items, and clear guidelines for respectful use.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Things to Consider Before You Jump On the Bandwagon

Neurodiverse hiring practices can benefit any company in any industry and in more areas than most people realize. The investment has yielded greater patenting, innovation, process improvement, efficiency, and creativity not only in technology industries but also in industries that include investment banking, insurance, and mortgage banking.

This resource explains the term “neurodiversity” and describes the potential positive impact on your business that can come from including neurodivergent individuals in your workplace.

The post Sensory Rooms and Stimming: Practical Supports for Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Needs appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

What if we designed classrooms around how the brain learns best; not just standards, pacing guides, or coverage goals? As schools shift toward inclusive education, teachers need approaches that reach a wide range of learners without lowering expectations. One practical way to do that is to combine brain-based learning principles with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and microlearning. Together, they strengthen Tier 1 instruction, reduce cognitive overload, and build the self-regulation students need to become successful, independent learners.

Susan Fitzell’s School House Model provides a visual framework for aligning instruction with student needs. This model reminds us that academic instruction, represented by the “Functions” or nuts and bolts (the curriculum), must be supported by two critical structures. The foundation is based on building a strong community, connection, and cooperation. Above this foundation is the “Framework,” which must be based on current brain and educational research and an understanding of how students learn. MTSS and microlearning work together to support this comprehensive, whole-house approach—from foundation to function.

Brain-Based Meets Tier-Based

MTSS is a multi-tiered system that incorporates Response to Intervention (RTI), with a core goal of failure prevention. The foundational element, Tier One, demands the use of best practice, research-based teaching methods, including differentiated instruction, for all students (80–90% of the population),,. Implementing brain-friendly strategies in Tier 1 benefits all learners, ensuring instruction aligns with how the brain naturally processes and retains information.

A traditional reading lesson might involve extended reading and a standard writing prompt. However, a brain-friendly approach leverages microlearning techniques to maintain engagement and retention:

• Color-coding vocabulary to support memory encoding: Color is a powerful memory tool, helping students retain information better than black and white text. Using color to categorize or highlight text makes the information unique, aiding visual recall,. Color-coding the parts of speech, for example, assigns nouns a unique color (like red, relating to a stop sign) and verbs a movement color (like green, relating to ‘go’).

• Paired think-alouds to encourage interpersonal interaction and verbal rehearsal: Verbalizing concepts is crucial for learning, as students often discover gaps in their understanding when they attempt to explain information to others. Strategies like Think-Pair-Share or Thinking Aloud Paired Problem Solving (TAPPS) engage students in active rehearsal.

• Chunked instruction, where students process one paragraph at a time using graphic organizers: The brain’s capacity for holding new information in short-term memory is limited to roughly three to four chunks at a time. Breaking down content into smaller, manageable pieces prevents cognitive overload. Using graphic organizers, flowcharts, or mind maps during this process visually categorizes material and helps students see patterns and relationships, supporting deeper understanding.

• Doodling key ideas as a form of nonlinguistic representation: Nonlinguistic representation, such as drawing or visualizing concepts, is a research-supported strategy that requires students to process content in new ways. This “production effect”—speaking or drawing during recall—further strengthens the encoding and memory consolidation process.

All these methods employ differentiation (Differentiated Instruction or DI) that is “good for all” students and “critical for different learners”, making instruction effective for everyone in the general classroom environment.

Self-Regulation: The Secret Weapon

The goal of instruction is to move students from being struggling learners to being successful learners by fostering self-regulation. Self-regulated learning is the most important characteristic of expert learners. These learners implement a plan that includes setting clear performance and process goals, employing clear strategies (including time management), controlling their motivation, and monitoring their own progress.

Microlearning supports these metacognitive habits. For instance, perceptive students often procrastinate, seeking information until the last minute. Teachers can mitigate this by breaking assignments down into small chunks with specific due dates, teaching students organizational strategies and self-monitoring skills. When students practice strategies frequently for short amounts of time, it is more effective than overwhelming the brain with too much at once, accelerating the learning process.

Beyond Remediation

Too often, struggling students are pulled out, slowed down, or given “easier” material, creating lower expectations that diminish their chance to achieve their greatest potential. But what if the problem isn’t the student—it’s the size of the instructional bite?

Instead of relying solely on remediation after failure, MTSS encourages adapting Tier 1 instruction to prevent failure from the outset. By intentionally structuring lessons using small, brain-aligned chunks—such as the Chunking Lesson Plans™ approach,—teachers ensure that instruction matches the capacity of the brain to learn and process new concepts effectively. This way, students who might otherwise be labeled “at risk” or “learning disabled” can remain in the rigorous general classroom environment, benefiting from high expectations and specialized instructional support embedded seamlessly into the daily lesson.

FAQ

1. How does microlearning support MTSS, especially Tier 1?
Microlearning fits Tier 1 because it makes strong, research-based instruction easier for all learners to process and retain. Instead of long, overloaded lessons, teachers deliver content in smaller chunks with frequent practice, which aligns with working memory limits and reduces cognitive overload. This improves engagement and retention for the 80–90% served in Tier 1, and it helps prevent failure before students need more intensive tiers.

2. What brain-based strategies in the article are most useful for differentiated instruction in a general classroom?
The article highlights four practical strategies that scale well in Tier 1 while still meeting diverse needs: color-coding vocabulary or parts of speech to strengthen encoding and recall; paired think-alouds like Think-Pair-Share or TAPPS to build rehearsal and reveal misunderstandings; chunked instruction using graphic organizers to manage working memory limits; and doodling or drawing key ideas as nonlinguistic representation to deepen processing and improve recall.

Why does “chunking” matter from a brain-based learning perspective?
Because working memory can hold only a small number of new “chunks” at once, long passages or multi-step directions can overload students, especially those who struggle. Chunking instruction into smaller parts, like one paragraph at a time, helps students process information without the system collapsing under cognitive load. Pairing chunking with visual tools like graphic organizers helps students see patterns and relationships, which supports deeper understanding.

How do think-aloud strategies improve learning and assessment at the same time?
When students verbalize their thinking, they rehearse the content, which strengthens learning. At the same time, explaining ideas out loud often exposes gaps in understanding that silent work can hide. Structures like Think-Pair-Share or TAPPS create a routine for interpersonal interaction, immediate feedback, and active processing, which supports both comprehension and retention.

How does this approach shift MTSS away from remediation and toward prevention?
Instead of pulling students out, lowering expectations, or giving “easier” work after failure, the article argues for improving Tier 1 instruction so more students succeed in the rigorous general classroom. By designing lessons around small, brain-aligned instructional “bites,” and embedding supportive strategies as part of everyday teaching, students who might otherwise be labeled “at risk” can keep up with higher expectations while receiving targeted support inside the core environment.

Bibliography

Burnett, S. (n.d.). The A-Z of Differentiated Instruction.

Cowan, N. (2010). The Magical Mystery Four: How is Working Memory Capacity Limited, and Why? Current Directions in Psychological Science a Journal of the American Psychological Society, 19(1), 51–57. http://doi.org/10.1177/0963721409359277

Fitzell, S. G. (n.d.). 360 Inservice, slide 3.

Fitzell, S. G. (n.d.). 360 Inservice, slide 165.

Fitzell, S. G. (2011). RTI Strategies for Secondary Teachers. London: Sage Publications.

Fitzell, S. G. (2017). Special Needs in the General Classroom: 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction (3rd ed.). Manchester: Cogent Catalyst Publications.

Marzano Debra J. Pollock, Jane E., R. J. P., Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction That Works: research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Wong, B. (2010). Points of view: Color coding. Nature Methods, 7(8), 573–573. http://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth0810-573.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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The moment is painfully familiar: you’ve repeated a direction three times, and your student or child is still staring blankly. You immediately think, ‘They just aren’t listening.’ But what if the problem isn’t ‘won’t listen’ but ‘can’t process’?”  If we want to support students with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) effectively, we must shift our focus from behavioral compliance to auditory processing strategies.

The APD Shift: Why It’s Wiring, Not Willpower

We have to start by looking at the biology of the brain rather than the behavior of the child. Research tells us that the brain’s working memory—essentially the brain’s sticky note—can only hold about three to four “chunks” of new information at one time.

If you give a child five verbal instructions in a row, and they only do the first three, they aren’t necessarily being defiant. Their working memory literally dropped the last two. The feedback signal in their brain failed, and the system collapsed. This is often the case for students with ADHD or auditory processing issues. They may be physically hearing the sound of your voice, but they cannot process the meaning effectively, especially if there is background noise.

To tell the difference, I recommend a simple test: Change the input method. If a child “ignores” a verbal request to clear off their desk, put their homework in their backpack, and get ready to meet the bus but immediately responds to a checklist or flowchart, it is not a behavioral refusal. It is a processing gap. We have to stop blaming the child for a mismatch between how we teach and how they are wired.

Bypass the Ear: Visual & Tactile Strategies That Stick”

If I had to give parents and teachers a life hack for giving directions that actually stick, it would be this: Minimize verbal instruction and emphasize using visual and tactile cues (often accompanying verbal instruction.) 

When we give verbal directions, they vanish the moment we say them for students with APD. For a child who struggles with processing, this is a nightmare. Instead, use effective auditory processing strategies that bypass the ear. I call this the “Checkbox Strategy.”

Write the directions down in a specific way. Use a checklist format with empty boxes next to each step. This works for two reasons. First, it offloads the information from their overwhelmed working memory onto the paper. Second, the act of physically checking off a box gives the brain a small dopamine hit. It feels good to complete a task.

Additionally, use the technology you already have. If your child is watching TV, turn on the Closed Captioning. This associates the written word with the auditory sound and reinforces language processing without you having to say a word. Using effective auditory processing strategies can make the difference between success and failure. 

Shifting the Narrative: From ‘Failure’ to ‘Strategist’

It is heartbreaking to watch a bright child begin to believe they are “stupid” simply because their brain processes information differently than their peers. I speak to you not just as a professional, but as a mother who has walked this path.

My son, Ian, was diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and dyslexia. Teachers told me he didn’t belong in honors classes and that he was an “overachiever” who was working too hard. If we had accepted that label, he might have given up. Instead, we focused on “double dosing” his instruction and honoring his unique learning preferences. We didn’t lower the bar; we just increased the support. Because he learned how he learns, he went on to earn a mechanical engineering degree.

We must shift the narrative from “I can’t learn” to “I need a different strategy.” When a child realizes they can succeed when the format changes, that internal voice changes from “I am a failure” to “I am a strategist.”

Reducing the Homework Battle

Finally, we need to address the battleground of homework and grading. We must separate “process” from “product.” If a child knows the science concepts but struggles with writing, and we fail them on a written test, we aren’t measuring their science IQ. We are measuring their writing deficit.

For homework, I recommend the “Half-Sheet Theory.” It is a simple psychological hack. Take a worksheet, put the content on the front and back of a half-sheet of paper, and cut it. When a student sees a full page of math problems, they often shut down. When they see a half-sheet, they think, “I can do this.” It is the same workload, but the visual presentation reduces the cognitive load.

By using these strategies, we build a bridge between the student’s potential and their performance.

FAQ

1. How can I tell if a student “won’t listen” or genuinely “can’t process” verbal directions?

For students who consistently miss multi-step verbal directions but succeed when you switch the input method, it’s likely a processing gap, not defiance. Try giving the same direction two ways; first verbally, then as a written checklist or simple flowchart. If performance improves immediately with the visual support, you’re seeing a mismatch between how you’re delivering information and how their brain processes it, not a behavior issue.

2. Why do multi-step directions fall apart so quickly for some students?

Working memory can only hold a small amount of new information at once (often about 3–4 “chunks”). So, when you give five verbal steps in a row, the student may retain only the first few and “drop” the rest, especially with background noise, attention challenges, or auditory processing difficulties. The fix is reducing load and changing the format.

3. What are the most effective auditory processing strategies when verbal directions don’t stick?

Use strategies that “bypass the ear” by pairing brief verbal cues with visual and tactile supports. A high-impact option is the Checkbox Strategy; write steps in a checklist with empty boxes so the student can offload memory to paper and track completion. Keep directions short, concrete, and sequenced. The goal is durability, directions that remain visible after your voice is gone.

4. How can closed captions help with auditory processing?

Closed captioning links spoken language to printed words in real time. That pairing reinforces language processing and comprehension without adding more instruction from you. It’s an easy, built-in support at home and in classrooms using video: captions help many students “catch” what their ears miss, especially in noisy environments or fast speech.

5. What type of homework can I assign to reduce parent-child conflict?

Separate “how much work it is” from “how big it looks.” The Half-Sheet Theory keeps the workload the same but reduces overwhelm by shrinking the visual presentation. Print the work on a half-sheet (front & back if needed). This lowers cognitive load, increases willingness to start, and helps students experience momentum instead of defeat before they begin.

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