Teachers, I see you. 

Classrooms today are not easy to manage. Many students are coming to school with greater needs: inattention, low frustration tolerance, and weak social skills. They seem to be worse than what teachers were seeing a few years ago. Unfortunately, these issues often result in misbehavior. 

When students are distracted, impulsive, or quick to push back, traditional classroom management is often not enough. That doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. It means we need practical, proactive systems that reduce power struggles, increase structure, and help students function more successfully at school. 

This article offers strategies you can use to support behavior, strengthen focus, and make the classroom feel more workable again.

Setting the Stage for Success

Each of us has our own preference for class structure, consistency, and management. I believe it is important to understand that we need to be free to be ourselves and have our own styles of running our classrooms. Yet, some teaching styles seem to lend themselves well to today’s inclusive populations, where others are more challenging for both students and teachers.

Consider these approaches for a successful classroom environment:

• Consistency without rigidity

• Firm discipline without power struggles

• Reasonable flexibility without lax standards

• The goal of the lesson rather than the specifics of the process

• Learning as the goal, rather than focusing on just that test grade

Physical Structure and Environmental Variables

Before we address behavior directly, I always suggest looking at the physical environment.

Consider Classroom Seating Options

Can we change student seating? I try to move students who struggle to self-regulate closer to the center of instruction, closer to me, or away from distractions. Consider allowing a student to choose a new seat as part of a win-win behavior plan. This ensures the student owns the behavior and the solution. 

The Personal Office Solution

I’ve also found DIY study carrels to be valuable.

I first saw them in use in a fifth grade classroom. I wasn’t sure they would be well received when I introduced them to my high school students, yet some of the students loved them. They provide a space free of distractions as well as a secure personal space. I did not force these on students. It was an option I provided. 

For example, I might say, “You can choose a different seat as well as a ‘personal office’ or you can choose to stay where you are sitting. However, that seat does not appear to be working for you. Make a good choice for yourself.” 

The Spacing Solution

Increase the distance between desks and provide more space if possible. Scan the room frequently and stay alert to what students are engaged in at all times. Okay, I know you don’t have eyes in the back of your head and there are times when you can’t see everything. Try to stay with me. You may find these ideas are worth considering. Some of the classrooms I’ve observed in the past few years are crowded. I’m empathetic to the challenge educators face when they are trying to teach thirty students all at once, often in a multi-ability classroom. 

The Grouping Solution – Mixed Ability Groups with Role Models

Finally, we should avoid seating students who struggle academically together as a permanent seating arrangement. It singles them out for stigmatization and creates a situation where they may feed off each other behaviorally.

The Technique that Changed My Teacher Life: Proactive Behavior Plans

I have found this approach to be highly effective with adolescents. It is based on a proactive choice model, and the goal is to teach young people how to take control of their own lives, make more effective choices, and develop the strength to handle daily problems. 

At its foundation is the belief that all humans choose behaviors in an attempt to fulfill basic needs like belonging, freedom, fun, power, and survival. Because human behavior is internally motivated, the only person’s behavior we can control is our own. Each of us fulfills these needs differently. 

Our goal as educators is to get students to evaluate their present behavior and determine whether it is actually meeting their needs.

In one example, we might ask a student if their behavior is getting them what they want. If the student is talking constantly in class and loses a privilege, the student who wants belonging or fun is not getting what he wants through their behavior. 

On the contrary, they are losing the thing they want and need. If the student is not getting what they need with their present behavior, making a specific plan for change is required. They must make a plan and a commitment to follow through with that plan. In my experience, students would prefer to be kicked out of class to sit in the office (which many find more entertaining than being in class) than sit with me and make a plan for better behavior!

As an adult, I do not do the choosing for the student. I may offer suggestions to help the student come up with solutions. Ultimately, the student must make the choice and commit to it. In this way, the student owns his behavior.

Guidelines for Discussion: The Win-Win Discipline Plan

*My work in this area was significantly influenced by Glasser’s Control Theory and Choice Theory philosophy and Kagan’s Win-Win Discipline framework. 

When having these discussions, I find there are four key questions we need to address: 

What were you doing that was unacceptable? 

I found that asking “What is the problem?”  which was how I learned the approach from Glasser’s work, often led to an answer like “I don’t know. I wasn’t doing anything wrong!” For me, “What were you doing that was unacceptable?” is a more direct, less vague, and more productive question. The purpose here is to focus on the specific behavior that’s causing the problem. Try to avoid confronting values or attitudes and just stick to the behavior.

Whose expectations are not being met? 

This needs to be a part of the discussion. If it is the student’s own expectations, I might start with, “I am concerned”. If it is my expectation regarding rules, I simply state, “Part of my job as a teacher is to keep you safe” or “to create a safe environment. When you poke the student in front of you with scissors, that’s not safe.” 

What do you want as a result of the conversation? 

State what you want and word it in the form of a solution. Tell them, “I want to figure out a way that we both win”. Do not get sucked into arguing about the problem. Students are often skilled at avoiding responsibility. They resort to bantering, badgering, and blaming to get out of trouble. 

What will the resolution include? 

The resolution might include a plan for the future or logical consequences. Most importantly, the plan must include a commitment. If it does not, a new plan must be worked out that the student can commit to. When children are resistant to planning, I simply tell them that they will continue meeting with me after school (or another time) until we work it out and create a plan that we both feel comfortable with. 

Yes, this took a lot of my time in the beginning. By January, Students knew that if they didn’t follow the rules we created and agreed to as a class, they would be stuck sitting with me to make a behavior plan. They felt that was worse than other consequences. I realize that some children are so attention starved they may want that time with you. That’s where you get to be creative in how you implement the framework. 

Conclusion

I believe one of the most important things we can do is stop thinking about behavior only in terms of consequences and start thinking more proactively. When we make small changes to the environment, stay consistent without turning everything into a power struggle, and help students take ownership of their choices, we set everyone up for more success. This does not mean students should not be accountable. It means we address behavior in a way that is more likely to teach, support, and actually change it.If you are looking for more practical strategies you can use right away, I invite you to visit my free download page. I’ve put together additional tools and ideas to help you support struggling learners and make your classroom feel more workable again.

FAQ

What are proactive behavior supports in the classroom?
Proactive behavior supports are classroom strategies designed to prevent behavior problems before they escalate. Instead of reacting only after a student misbehaves, teachers use structure, consistency, seating adjustments, clear expectations, and problem-solving routines to help students stay regulated and successful.

How can classroom management support struggling learners?
Classroom management supports struggling learners when it reduces distractions, avoids unnecessary power struggles, and gives students tools to make better choices. Small environmental changes, flexible seating options, consistent routines, and behavior plans can help students focus, participate, and take more ownership of their behavior.

What is a win-win discipline plan?
A win-win discipline plan is a proactive problem-solving approach that helps students reflect on their behavior, identify what is not working, and commit to a better plan. The goal is not just punishment. The goal is to help the student make choices that meet their needs while also protecting the learning environment.

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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We survived a global crisis only to voluntarily drag our best talent back into environments guaranteed to break them. Think about that for a second.

For a brief period during the pandemic lockdowns, people who process the world differently finally had control over their workspace. They thrived. Now we are forcing them back into the sensory nightmare of the open plan office. And company leaders are genuinely baffled as to why their people are disengaged.

Return-to-office mandates and rigid workplace systems often undermine neurodivergent employees by prioritizing conformity over capability.

This profound disconnect was the focus of a recent feature by Cath Everett for Diginomica. She examined a startling new report by City and Guilds that exposed a massive gap in the modern workplace. Senior leaders are highly confident they are providing excellent support for their workforce. But the employees on the ground report a completely different reality. There is a widening chasm between corporate intent and lived experience.

I spoke with Cath for the feature, and I pointed out one of the biggest drivers of this gap. Awareness moves faster than implementation. But there are other factors too, one of which is tech companies’ widespread return to office mandates. As I explained in the article:

“During COVID, people started working from home and many neurodiverse people found life became easier as they didn’t have someone sitting on either side of them and could do things like adjust the lighting to suit themselves. Even when they had to return to the office for one or two days a week, it was bearable. But many employers are now forcing people back full-time, which can be a nightmare if you have ADHD or autism.”

What Employers Still Get Wrong

Organizations confuse activity with results. You can hold all the inclusion seminars you want. You can write sweeping corporate policies and celebrate your diversity initiatives in marketing brochures. But if you demand absolute conformity in how work gets done on a Tuesday afternoon, your policies are useless.

Employers are still operating from a deficit mindset. They look at someone who struggles with harsh fluorescent lights or the constant chatter of an open floor plan and they see a broken employee. They see a problem to fix.

We are essentially pulling an octopus out of the ocean and dropping it onto the beach. On the sand, the octopus looks clumsy. It struggles to move. Through a deficit lens, you might conclude the octopus lacks mobility skills. You might even put it on a performance improvement plan to teach it how to walk. The reality is the octopus is a marvel of engineering. The environment is just wrong. Put it back in the water and watch what it can do.

We do this constantly in the corporate world. We recruit divergent thinkers for their exceptional cognitive skills. Then we drop them into loud, bright, chaotic spaces and expect them to seamlessly assimilate. When they struggle, we blame the employee. We fail to recognize that our own systems are the barrier. We expect people to be superhuman in their output while ignoring their basic human biology.

This obsession with conformity starts before a person is even hired. What employers still get wrong is relying on the traditional job interview. Standard interviews are just mini performances. They test how well a candidate makes small talk, holds eye contact, and mirrors the interviewer. They do not test how well a person can actually do the job. A brilliant software developer might freeze when forced to answer multi part verbal questions on the spot. If you reject them for a lack of social polish, you are filtering out your most innovative thinkers. You are actively choosing conformity over capability.

Why Return-to-Office Policies Hurt Neurodivergent Employees

This is not about making people feel warm and fuzzy. This is a conversation about business survival and the staggering cost of lost potential.

When you force people to work in ways that fight their natural wiring, they have to compensate. They spend massive amounts of energy just trying to look normal. They hide their struggles. Every ounce of energy a person spends trying to block out background noise or navigate unwritten social rules is energy stolen from problem solving.

It leads straight to burnout. Your top performers become exhausted. Output drops. Eventually, they leave and take decades of institutional knowledge straight to your competitors.

This loss of talent is entirely preventable. Consider a top performing sales representative I worked with. Let us call him Ben. Ben was brilliant at connecting with clients. He understood his product inside and out. But Ben is a divergent thinker who struggles with dense, text heavy reading. He successfully hid his dyslexia for decades. Then his company rolled out a new learning management system requiring timed written tests to earn product certifications.

When Ben took the tests, the letters flipped on the screen. He begged senior management for an alternative way to prove his product knowledge. They refused. The rules were the rules. Ben left the company. They lost their best salesperson because they prioritized a rigid testing system over actual job capability. The cruel irony is that his company had a highly publicized hiring initiative for different thinkers. They celebrated inclusion in theory but refused to offer a simple adjustment in practice.

The impact is even more severe for women in middle management. Society teaches girls to hide their differences from birth. They learn to turn their distress inward to avoid making waves. By the time a neurodivergent employees reaches middle management, she is completely depleted from a lifetime of masking. If she asks direct questions to understand a project, she is labeled difficult. If she concentrates hard, her intense facial expression is misread as anger. Workplaces operating on traditional power based norms marginalize these brilliant minds every single day.

We see this frequently in the tech sector with the superpower stereotype. Companies want to hire a brilliant coder, but they expect a savant. They expect superhuman capabilities combined with seamless social assimilation into a fast paced culture. When the employee inevitably struggles with the sensory environment, the company is entirely unprepared to support them. We are leaving performance on the table. We are stifling innovation because we are too stubborn to rethink how work gets done.

Moving Beyond Labels and Designing for Capability

The solution is not to create special categories or stick clinical labels on people. In fact, labels often do more harm than good. They trigger unconscious bias. They make people feel othered. Most of your divergent thinkers will never disclose their struggles because they fear being stereotyped. They do not want to be the office poster child for an inclusion initiative. They just want to do their jobs.

When I speak with leaders about making changes, they almost always bring up fairness. They tell me they cannot let one person wear headphones or work from home because it would not be fair to everyone else. They fundamentally misunderstand what fairness actually means.

Imagine you are on a flight for a solo business trip. You are stuck in a middle seat. The air is hot. The person behind you is kicking your chair. A baby is crying non stop. The smell of fast food is wafting through the cabin. You have a critical report to finish before you land. You have two choices. You can grit your teeth, suffer through sensory assault, and produce terrible work. Or you can put on a pair of noise canceling headphones so you can focus.

If you put those headphones on, is that favoritism? Are you getting a special perk? No. You are using a tool to function. True equity means giving people the specific tools they need to do their best work. Forcing everyone to work under the exact same conditions is not fair. It is destructive.

Why Inclusive Workplace Design Works Better

We need to stop trying to fix the people and start fixing the environment. I call this Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™. It is a philosophy built on common sense and flexibility.

Make adjustments universally. If flexible hours help one person, offer them to everyone. If someone needs to sit in a dimly lit work area to be productive, give them the go ahead. Create quiet chill spaces in the office where anyone can escape sensory overload. When you make flexibility the standard, nobody has to out themselves just to get the tools they need. You eliminate the whispers about favoritism entirely.

This design shift must extend to how we share information and collaborate. Not everyone learns by listening to a manager speak at the front of a room. I once worked with a vice president who had a lead developer on her team. During a critical Zoom meeting to solve a complex issue, the developer kept her head down the entire time. She barely spoke. The vice president could have assumed she was disengaged and called her out. Instead, she waited. Near the end of the meeting, she asked the developer if she had anything to add.

The developer looked up and said she had been mapping out the conversation. She held up a hand drawn flowchart she created while listening. She had successfully identified the break in the process by visually mapping out the problem. That is the kind of capability we unlock when we stop forcing people to look and act like traditional employees.

How to Design for Capability Instead of Compliance

If you want to bring different minds into your company, switch to skills based assessments instead of traditional interviews. Give candidates the interview questions in advance. Allow them to process the information so you get their best answers, not just their fastest ones. Partner with candidates to discover their natural strengths rather than searching for their flaws.

The ground beneath us will always shift. We cannot control that. But we can absolutely control the environments we build on top of it. The future belongs to organizations that let go of forced conformity. When you shift from a deficit mindset to a gifts mindset, you clear the path for raw talent to thrive. You build a high performance culture where every mind can contribute. Get the octopus back in the water. Let your people do what they do best.

FAQ

Why do return-to-office policies affect neurodivergent employees differently?
Return-to-office policies can create added barriers for neurodivergent employees because many office environments include sensory overload, constant interruptions, bright lighting, noise, and social demands that make concentration and regulation more difficult. Remote or flexible work often gives people more control over their environment and working conditions.

What is inclusive workplace design?
Inclusive workplace design is the practice of creating work environments, policies, and communication systems that support different ways of thinking, processing, and working. This can include flexible schedules, quiet spaces, alternative ways to share information, and options that reduce unnecessary barriers to performance.

Why is forced conformity bad for business?
Forced conformity can lead to burnout, disengagement, lower productivity, and higher turnover. When companies prioritize looking like a “traditional employee” over actual capability, they risk losing highly skilled people who could otherwise make strong contributions.

References

https://diginomica.com/employers-are-convinced-they-provide-effective-support-neurodivergent-employees-lived-experiences

https://neurodiversityintheworkplace.guru

CLICK HERE to learn how to Maximize Success in YOUR workplace!. Bring Susan to your organization!

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So let me ask you.

Have you ever taught a lesson that you know you taught well? You had the materials ready. Your explanation was clear. Your pacing was on point.

But then you looked at the assessment results and realized half the class still did not get it.

I have been there. It is one of the most common frustrations in teaching. We often think the problem is student capability, but it is not.

The students can learn.

The issue is that we taught the lesson in one way. When we use a single delivery method, we only reach the kids who match that specific way of thinking.

How do we fix this?

We vary the access points.

We are measuring compliance, not learning

Back when I first started teaching, we leaned heavily on talk and text instruction. You say it. You assign it. You test it. That method works for some students, but it does not work for most.

If we only teach and assess in one way, we are not actually seeing what every student knows. We are only seeing which students can handle our specific method of delivery. That is a hard truth, but it is the reality of the classroom.

When we stick to one path, we miss the potential of students who need a different entrance into the content. We end up prioritizing the process over the actual understanding of the material.

When we teach and assess in only one way, we do not measure learning. We measure compliance with that method.

Behavior is a clue, not a problem

You already know these kids. I am just going to name them.

You have the movers. They are tapping their pencils. They are shifting in their seats. They might be driving you a little bit crazy.

They are not trying to be off task. They are moving because that is how they process information.

Then you have the visual kids. They are doodling while you are talking. You might think they are not paying attention, but they are still with you. They visualize everything. If you explain an idea, they might get nothing. If you draw that same idea, the light goes on.

We also have the big picture thinkers. These kids are always asking why we are learning this or what it matters in the real world. If they do not see the purpose, they disengage.

When we reframe these behaviors as clues about how students learn, everything changes. Management gets easier. Student confidence goes up because they no longer feel like their natural way of thinking is a problem.

The silent strength of the independent processor

Then we have the quiet processors.

These are the independent learners who prefer to think first and talk later. They are reflective and self aware, but they often get overlooked because they are not the first ones to raise their hands.

In a fast paced classroom, these students can fall behind. It is not because they lack the answer. It is because they lack the time to formulate it. They are just not ready the moment you ask.

A simple shift in pacing can change their entire performance. Give them 10 seconds of wait time. They become a whole different kid. When we respect their need for quiet processing, we allow them to show us their true strength.

It is not about 27 lesson plans

I know what you are thinking. You are worried about burnout.

You think differentiated instruction means creating a different lesson plan for every child in the room. That is not what this is.

We are not looking for chaos. We are looking for structured choice.

Instead of changing the content, we change the access. We keep the same standard but provide different paths to reach it.

You can do this on Monday by offering three or four concrete ways to show learning.

You want to write it? Write it.

You want to explain it? Teach it.

You need to see it? Draw it.

You need to do it? Build it.

Instead of asking: “Which students can handle my lesson?” Ask: “How many ways can students access this idea?”

The gift of language and self awareness

Part of our job is to help students figure out what works for them.

We need to give them the language to describe their own learning patterns. When a student has the awareness to say, “I need to draw this to understand it,” the game changes. That is the goal.

This builds independence that lasts long after they leave your classroom. They stop fighting the task and start accessing it.

Once you see that immediate shift in engagement, you cannot go back to the old way of teaching. You realize that the goal was never for them to follow your path. The goal was for them to find their own way to the idea.

The Monday morning shift

You do not need to overhaul your entire curriculum by tomorrow. Start small.

Pick one lesson. Add one new way to present the content. Add one new way for students to show what they have learned. That is it.

When students finally access the content in a way that fits their strengths, the shift is immediate. They stop feeling like they cannot learn and start realizing they just needed a different door.

Do you see how this builds a student’s confidence for the long haul?

Once they realize they can succeed, they are all in. And once you see that happen, you will never want to teach any other way.

FAQ

Why are some students not getting a lesson even when it is taught clearly?
Sometimes students are not missing the lesson because of ability. They are missing it because the lesson is delivered through only one access point. When teachers vary how content is presented and how students can respond, more learners can connect to the material. That idea is consistent with differentiated instruction and UDL principles that emphasize multiple means of representation and expression.

What does differentiated instruction actually look like in the classroom?
Differentiated instruction does not mean creating a different lesson plan for every student. It means keeping the learning goal the same while offering different paths to access the content or show understanding. Education Week describes differentiation as tailoring instruction to give students what they need in diverse classrooms.

Why does wait time matter for some students?
Some students need more time to process a question before they respond. A fast-paced classroom can make reflective learners look unprepared when they actually just need more time to formulate an answer. Giving even a short pause can help students show what they really know and improve confidence and participation. This fits the broader UDL principle of offering multiple ways for students to engage and express learning.

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

The post Why Some Students Aren’t Learning Your Lessons – and How to Fix It appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Most companies say they want to hire the best person for the job, but then they run an interview process that rewards the best performer in the interview room. There is a big difference between hiring the best person for the job and the best actor in the interview process. The two are not the same thing.

Traditional interviews often reward social performance over job competence, which can disadvantage neurodivergent candidates and cause employers to miss top talent. They also reward people who can think out loud in real time with a perfect stranger, under pressure, while being judged. If that sounds like a mini performance, it sounds that way because that is exactly what it is. And that is where many neurodivergent candidates get filtered out of the hiring process.

What Traditional Interviews Actually Measure

When we call an interview a conversation, we are not being honest. A typical interview has its own hidden rules. Candidates must be able to make small talk. They must be able to read the room, which is challenging, especially when most interviews in this hybrid world are happening via Zoom. Candidates must show the right enthusiasm, answer questions quickly, and not pause too long. 

It is often considered a ding on someone’s performance if they ask for a question to be repeated or do not answer the interviewer “correctly.” They also cannot be too direct or too detailed in their response. And depending on the person doing the interviewing, these rules can change.

None of those social requirements fit the typical job requirements. Unless it is a sales job, or a job where the candidate will be interfacing with clients or the public, these social skills may have nothing to do with job requirements or job performance.

The interview is an audition. For neurodivergent candidates, that audition can be a barrier even when their actual work is excellent.

Why Neurodivergent Candidates Struggle in Standard Interviews

The acting barrier is real

Many autistic candidates, for example, are not flat or emotionless. They are regulated. They may not display emotion in the way an interviewer expects them to. If your hiring team equates warm and animated with competent, you are going to miss people who have the right qualities to do a job but communicate in a way that is different than social norms would expect.

Processing speed gets mistaken for capability (or lack of)

Some people need a moment to think before they can answer a question. Some need to hear the full question and then organize their response before they speak. When interviews reward speed, they are not selecting people for expertise. They are selecting verbal agility under pressure. That can disadvantage people with ADHD, auditory processing differences, or anxiety, even when they know the material well..

Confidence is not competence

We all know there are candidates who can sell anything, including themselves. Heck, I was one of them. I was very good at interviewing because I have always been verbally adept. Unfortunately, not everyone has that skill. Interviews reward candidates who are verbally adept at selling themselves.

Meanwhile, many neurodivergent candidates are very literal and honest. Now I am also literal and honest, but somehow that did not hinder me in an interview. I was really good at putting on the confidence hat. Entering an interview feeling like you know everything can sometimes be an advantage. As an undiagnosed autistic woman, I had no doubts about the knowledge that I had hyperfocused on and gained over years of study.

I remember telling an interviewer that I would be an asset in the job I was interviewing for. In this case, the interviewer was offended that I would claim I was an asset and said he would make that decision. But then he hired me.

I may have been literal and honest, but I was also overly confident. Confidence does well in an interview. On the contrary, if an interview candidate says things like “it depends,” because it does, and they do not oversell their talents, they may come across as less than stellar for the job.

If your team has a bias toward confidence, you will regularly hire the best storyteller, maybe not the best contributor.

Here is the hard truth: companies often confuse “I feel good about this person” with “this person will do the job well.”

The Writer I almost Lost to “Culture Fit”

I recently interviewed a writer over Zoom. She had a flat affect. No animation. Slow, deliberate responses. Under standard corporate interview scoring, she would have been labeled “low energy,” “not engaging,” or “not a fit.”

But I have learned the hard way that those labels are often meaningless. They tell you whether someone can perform in an interview. They do not tell you whether someone can do the job.

So I ignored the social performance and gave her a skills-based assessment. Her writing was excellent.

Later she told me she is autistic and that she communicates far better in writing than speaking. That was not a surprise. It was a confirmation.

She is now one of my top-performing writers. Most organizations would have filtered her out because she did not “act” the part in a video call. That is not a talent problem. That is a process problem.

Why Fair Hiring Does Not Mean Identical Hiring

A common reason companies resist adjustments is the belief that fairness means treating everyone exactly the same. In real life, fairness means giving everyone a clear chance to show what they can do.

In my work, I talk a lot about structure. When roles, expectations, and communication are clear, people perform better. When things are vague, people guess. And guesswork causes problems. The same is true in hiring.

If your interview process is built on ambiguity and social decoding, you are not being neutral. You are selecting for one communication style.

Reasonable adjustments that actually work

You do not need a complicated program. You need a smarter design.

Here are changes that raise the signal and reduce the noise.

Provide questions in advance

This is one of the simplest fixes and one of the most powerful. It reduces anxiety and lets candidates organize their thinking. You learn what they know, not just how quickly they can retrieve it under stress.

How to Make Interviews More Skills-Based and Inclusive

If you are hiring a writer, look at writing. If you are hiring an analyst, look at analysis. If you are hiring a project manager, give them a realistic planning scenario.

The secret is simple: test the job, not the performance.

Use working sessions instead of interrogation-style interviews

Some companies do “hangouts” or working sessions instead of formal interviews. That can be a better environment for many candidates, especially if it allows them to demonstrate skill in context. Less theater. More reality.

Offer multiple response formats

Let candidates answer in writing for part of the process. Let them take notes. Let them ask to hear the question again. These are not special favors. They are basic supports that improve the quality of information you get.

The Risk of Automated Screening in Hiring

Resume filters that penalize spelling can screen out dyslexic talent. Tools that judge facial expression can penalize autistic candidates. Even if a tool is marketed as “objective,” it can quietly bake in bias.

If you want fewer bad hires, do not hand the first cut to an opaque system that was not designed for neurodivergent variance.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

When companies filter for social performance, they lose strong technical talent. They lose original problem-solvers. They lose people who are direct, accurate, and consistent. They lose employees who often thrive with clear expectations and good systems.

They also create a workplace where people feel pressure to mask. That leads to burnout, lower engagement, and higher turnover. And they miss an opportunity that is sitting right in front of them.

Because the goal is not to “accommodate” people into the job. The goal is to build a process that measures the right things.

A Better Question for Hiring Teams

Instead of asking, “Would I like to work with this person?” ask, “What would I need to put in place so this person can do their best work?”

That shift is leadership. It is also good business.

FAQ

Why do traditional interviews disadvantage some neurodivergent candidates?
Traditional interviews often reward eye contact, fast responses, social ease, and confident delivery. Those traits may reflect interview performance rather than actual job ability, which can disadvantage neurodivergent candidates who communicate or process information differently. Guidance from CIPD and SHRM supports more neuroinclusive recruitment practices that reduce these barriers.

What is a better alternative to a standard interview?
A better alternative is to add skills-based assessments, work samples, realistic scenarios, or structured working sessions that let candidates demonstrate the job itself. SHRM and other HR guidance note that exercise-based assessments and work simulations can provide a clearer picture of talent than interview performance alone.

Can automated hiring tools create bias for neurodivergent candidates?
Yes. Automated screening tools can create or amplify bias if they penalize differences in spelling, facial expression, communication style, or response patterns. The EEOC has specifically warned that AI and related technologies used in employment decisions can create discrimination risks if not carefully designed and monitored.

CLICK HERE to learn how to Maximize Success in YOUR workplace!. Bring Susan to your organization!

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The Big Shift in Learning

Have you ever taken a course and did everything you were told to do and yet still didn’t get it? It is not because you can’t learn.

Traditional instruction has relied on a “talk and test” model:
Say it. Assign it. Test it.

This approach works for some learners, but it fails many others.

When instruction is delivered in only one format, it does not measure true learning. It measures how well someone can comply with that specific teaching method.

Real learning happens when there are multiple ways to access and process information.

The first step toward becoming a more effective learner is understanding your learning strengths and information processing style.

Learning Styles vs. Reality: How People Actually Learn

Traditional Model:

• One path for everyone
• Measures compliance
• Leaves many learners behind

Effective Learning Model:

• Multiple access points
• Based on individual strengths
• Measures true understanding
• Reaches nearly all learners

Common Learning Styles and Strategies

These are not labels meant to box you in. They are tools to help you find your own way into a subject. You have permission to learn differently.

• Word Learners. These people like reading, writing, and storytelling. They remember what they hear or read.
  
  Strategy: If you learn this way, do not just stare at a page. Take control by writing a script or an article to explain the concept.

• Pattern and System Thinkers. They ask “how does this work” a lot. They need a problem to solve or a strategy to build. They notice problem solving through cause and effect.
  
  Strategy: Use logic to your advantage. If a lesson feels random, find the system or the code behind it.

• Movers and Doers. These people are hands on. They might fidget, tap, or shift while thinking. That is not a behavior problem. It is a clue. They show understanding through action.
  
  Strategy: You are allowed to move to focus. Build a model or act it out to make the lesson stick.

• Visual Thinkers. You explain it and they get nothing. You draw it and boom. They might doodle while you speak, but they are still with you. They are visualizing the concept.
  
  Strategy: Use diagrams, maps, and color. It is your way in.

• Sound and Rhythm Connectors. They pick up patterns in sound. They may hum, tap, or create beats while working. They use rhythm to store information.
  
  Strategy: Use audio or verbal repetition to master hard facts.

• Social Processors. They learn by talking and collaborating. If you make them sit silently, they do not learn as well.
  
  Strategy: You need interaction to think. Find a partner and talk the idea out to prove you get it.

• Independent Processors. They are reflecting on learning before they speak. They need quiet time to make deep sense of things.
  
  Strategy: Your need for quiet is a strength. Take the time you need to process before you respond.

• Real-World Thinkers. They ask “When am I ever going to use this?” It is a fair question. They like sorting and notice details others miss.
  
  Strategy: Connect the lesson to your environment. If the work is practical, you will master it faster.

• Big Picture Thinkers. They want meaning and purpose. They ask deep “why” questions. If they do not see a point, they are done.
  
  The So What: Always look for the purpose first. Once you see the “why,” your focus will follow.

How to Identify Your Learning Strengths

Once you know how you learn, you can choose better ways to work. That is how you build independence. Use this checklist to find your top two or three strengths.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• [  ] Do I understand an idea faster when someone draws a map or diagram? (Visual)
  
• [  ] Do I find myself fidgeting or tapping when I am trying to focus? (Mover)
  
• [  ] Would I rather talk an idea through with a friend than write it down? (Social)
  
• [  ] Do I frequently ask why we are learning a specific topic or what it matters? (Big Picture)
  
• [  ] Do I need a few minutes of silence before I feel ready to answer a question? (Independent)
  
• [  ] Do I like to take things apart or build models to see how they work? (Pattern/Mover)
  
• [  ] Do I notice details in the environment that others seem to miss? (Real-World)

Learning Strategies That Match Your Strengths

Effective learning happens when your strategy matches your processing style.

To process information:

• Visual → diagrams and mapping
• Auditory → repetition and discussion
• Logical → cause-and-effect analysis
• Practical → sorting and real-world application

To demonstrate learning:

• Verbal → writing or explaining
• Kinesthetic → building or demonstrating
• Independent → journaling
• Logical → designing systems or timelines

To stay engaged:

• Social → collaboration
• Big Picture → connect to purpose
• Kinesthetic → movement
• Independent → solo work before sharing

Final Thought: Start Small and Build Momentum

You do not need to change everything at once.

Start with one adjustment. One new strategy. One new way to access information.

When learning aligns with how your brain processes information, your confidence increases and your results improve.

Once you experience that shift, you will not go back.

Frequently Asked Questions About Learning Styles

What are learning strengths or learning styles?
Learning strengths refer to the ways individuals most effectively process and understand information, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or verbal learning styles.

How can I identify how I learn best?
You can identify your learning style by noticing how you naturally process information – whether through visuals, discussion, movement, reflection, or real-world application.

Do learning styles actually improve learning outcomes?
Yes. When learning strategies align with how a person processes information, comprehension improves, retention increases, and engagement becomes more consistent.

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The Shift: Why One Way is No Longer Enough

Classroom accessibility in the general education classroom requires more than differentiation. It requires structured choice. This approach helps teachers reach diverse learning styles and improve student engagement without changing the core standard.

The “Talk-and-Test” era was simple. Say it. Assign it. Test it. This method assumes every student processes information the same way. We know that isn’t true.

If I teach one way, I get the kids whose learning preferences match that way.

If I teach a concept in multiple ways: I get almost everyone. That is the goal.

When we rely on one method of teaching and testing, we measure compliance. We do not measure learning. We are just seeing who can handle our specific style of teaching. If we want to reach every student, we have to change how they get to the content.

NOTE: I understand that some educators reading this just balked at what I wrote with these thoughts, “But, my [fill in the blank – principal, department head, supervisor, etc.] says that I have to follow the script in the teachers manual provided by the X,Y, Z publisher. 

Please read the rest with a problem solving mindset. Can you incorporate any of these ideas into your teaching and still maintain the fidelity of the lesson plan you are required to teach. 

The Instructional Shift

Traditional One-Way Instruction

• Focuses on “say it, assign it, test it.”
• Measures how well a student follows a method.
• Works for some students but leaves most behind.
• Relies heavily on talk-and-text delivery.

Multi-Modal Access

• Provides multiple ways to access the same idea.
• Measures the student’s actual understanding.
• Accelerates learning for almost every student.
• Varies how students interact with the work.

This shift starts with the students in the room. You have to look at the students sitting in front of you in your classroom(s).

Identifying Learning Strengths: The Nine Student Learning Preferences

Every student has a way of working that feels natural to them. These preferences are tools for expansion. They are not labels for pigeonholing children. When you recognize these clues, you open the door to the work necessary to reach all learners.

• The Word Kids (Verbal Learners): They tell stories and explain ideas. Their strength is remembering what they hear or read.
• The System Thinkers (Logical Learners): They ask how it works and hate pointless worksheets. Their strength is finding patterns and solving problems.
• The Movers (Kinesthetic Learners): They fidget and tap to stay focused. Their strength is showing what they know through action.
• The Visual Learners: They doodle to stay with you. Their strength is understanding a drawing faster than a page of text.
• The Rhythm Learners: They hum or tap while they work. Their strength is remembering through patterns in sound.
• The Talkers (Collaborative Learners): They need to say it out loud to understand it. Their strength is collaborating and leading others.
• The Quiet Processors: They prefer to think first and talk later. Their strength is being reflective and self-aware.
• The Detail Seekers: They notice things others miss. Their strength is connecting lessons to practical, real-world systems.
• The Big Picture Thinkers: They disengage if the work feels pointless. Their strength is connecting learning to a larger purpose.

These learning preferences help us see that students are not being difficult. They are just trying to process what we are teaching. When they can’t, that’s often when we lose them. 

From Chaos to Structured Choice

Many teachers worry that giving options leads to chaos. It doesn’t. Structured choice is not the same as having no plan.

You do not need to create 27 different lesson plans. That is impossible. You only need to adjust student access to the same educational standard.

When we open up options, we stop fighting the students. We start helping them do the work.

Instead of asking, “Which students can handle my lesson?” ask, “How many ways can students access this idea?” Next, ask yourself, ‘How many of these ways can I sprinkle into my lesson plan and stay sane.’ I realize teachers often have ridiculous demands on their time and these ‘options’ may seem overwhelming. Take baby steps to incorporate different learning preferences into a lesson plan. Once those first steps become part of your teaching repertoire, then try others. 

Theory is fine. But teachers need to know what to do when the bell rings on Monday.

The Monday Morning Strategy Guide

You do not have to overhaul your entire curriculum at once. Start small. Give students two or three options for an assignment. Use these low-prep strategies to get started.

1. For Word Kids: Let them write a script or an article. They can teach a peer or create debate questions.
2. For System Thinkers: Have them build a timeline or design an experiment. They can compare and contrast two ideas.
3. For Movers: Let them act it out or build a model. They can use a simulation or create a physical demonstration.
4. For Visual Thinkers: Ask them to draw it. They can make a map or an infographic. Use color to organize notes.
5. For Rhythm Learners: Let them create a chant or a rhythmic explanation. They can explain the learning out loud to themselves.
6. For Quiet Processors: Give them time to think first. Let them journal or write personal connections before they have to share.
7. For Talkers: Use a turn and talk. Let them teach a friend or participate in a group debate.
8. For Detail Seekers: Ask them to apply the lesson to a real-life situation. Let them sort or categorize information into systems.
9. For Big Picture Thinkers: Let them explore the “why” behind the lesson. Connect the topic to a larger goal or a real-world value.

The content stays the same. The standard stays the same. Only the path changes.

This is the foundation of structured choice and differentiated instruction in today’s classroom.

The Impact: Measuring What Matters

When you use structured choice, the classroom changes. You stop measuring who can sit still. You start measuring who understands the material.

The results are immediate:

• Engagement goes up because students feel capable.
• Behavior issues go down because students aren’t frustrated.
• Confidence grows because students have a way to succeed.

The goal is for a student to say: “I get it.”

When a student finally accesses the content in a way that works, the shift is instant.

Once you see that happen, you don’t go back.

Frequently Asked Questions About Structured Choice in the Classroom

What is structured choice in the classroom?
Structured choice is an instructional strategy that gives students multiple ways to access and demonstrate learning while maintaining the same academic standard and learning objective.

How is structured choice different from differentiated instruction?
Structured choice is a practical application of differentiated instruction. It focuses specifically on offering students options in how they engage with content, process information, and demonstrate understanding.Does giving students choices create classroom management issues?
No. When implemented correctly, structured choice improves classroom management by increasing engagement, reducing frustration, and giving students clear, purposeful ways to participate in learning.

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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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.

Image credit andrewgenn / Dollar Photo Club Standard License.

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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.

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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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.

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