Innovation comes from people who think and experience the world differently. This is true whether we are talking about volunteer organizations, the government, or large corporations. Unfortunately, as humans, we are wired to look for people who work like us, look like us, and think like us. The challenge facing organizations today is overcoming those instincts to hire more diverse teams.

I had a chance to talk to Nish Parikh as part of a REDi chat about how organizations can build neurodiverse teams. A big part of that discussion was why creating an environment conducive to neurodiversity is beneficial for your whole company.

Neurodivergent People Are Already on Your Teams

When I work with clients who are looking to hire neurodiverse teams, I remind them that they already have neurodiverse people on their teams. Neurodiverse people are everywhere, some are simply better at masking, or have stumbled on roles that really fit their skills, than others.

A client that I used to work with lost their best salesperson after implementing a learning management system (LMS) to train salespeople on their new products. They introduced the LMS to gamify training and try and promote better product knowledge amongst their salespeople. The only problem was their best salesperson, someone who knew their product inside and out, kept failing the online quizzes they needed to “qualify.” As per the policy, the salesperson couldn’t sell those new products because he didn’t pass the quiz. They had put the whole thing down to the salesperson struggling with technology, but just from hearing the story I knew what the issue was. The salesperson was dyslexic. They lost their best salesperson (and the millions that person was bringing in) because they were too rigid with an arbitrary policy.

When people think of neurodivergence, they often think of really specific examples of things they have seen before. The truth is neurodivergence is a spectrum and no two people have the same experience. Your company already has neurodivergent people, you just don’t know it. In many cases, some neurodivergent people may not know they are neurodivergent. I was diagnosed later in life because my son was being diagnosed for things that I also struggled with. That was how I found out I was dyslexic and had auditory processing issues. I just thought I was a slow reader.

Becoming more inclusive and offering options will help your current neurodivergent employees experiment and find what works for them. This will help your staff retention and help your employees thrive in their roles.

A Neurodivergent-Friendly Environment Helps All Your Employees

No two people work the same. Before we start looking at preferences, you have different learning and communication styles to deal with. When I help companies implement flexibility in their policies, it opens the door for all employees to be able to work in the way that suits them best. Employees are happier and more productive because they are not having to deal with barriers to work.

It also allows people to be open about their needs and understanding of the needs of others in the workplace. During COVID-19, one company I worked with started doing daily stand ups over Zoom to check in on how people were doing and communicate needs based on the challenges of working from home. Neurodivergent employees thrived because they were able to say that they needed to concentrate and so people should only contact them by email, so they were able to really focus on what they were doing. Other days, they may be feeling great and are happy to jump on calls; these standups let them communicate their needs for that particular day.

When I told my husband about this, he was envious. He works in technology, so there are days when he needs to focus on difficult tasks and there are days when he is doing smaller tasks or easier tasks and he doesn’t need such intense concentration. Your employees may even have days when they are tired or emotionally in a place where they need a less stimulating environment. Allowing all employees to express their needs creates a better and more productive environment.

New Ideas Lead to Innovation

Neurodiverse people see and experience the world in different ways. Encouraging everyone on your team to share ideas could lead to creativity that sets your company apart from competitors. That means setting up a system where everyone can share their ideas in a way they feel comfortable.

It is not just your neurodivergent team members who may feel reluctant to speak up in meetings. Many of your other employees may not like it. Brainstorming ways you can overcome barriers to speaking up will help you get the most out of your employees’ creativity.

If your team is experiencing these barriers, other people likely are too. Because 30–40% of the population are neurodivergent, identifying common issues can make your product more suitable for wider audiences.

FAQ

Why does a neurodivergent-friendly workplace improve retention?

A neurodivergent-friendly workplace improves retention because it gives employees more options for how they work, communicate, and learn. When people are able to use the tools and conditions that fit their needs, they are more likely to stay, perform well, and feel supported.

Do neurodivergent-friendly workplace strategies help all employees?

Yes. Many strategies that support neurodivergent employees also help the rest of the workforce. Flexible communication, reduced barriers, clearer expectations, and more options for focus and collaboration can improve productivity and job satisfaction across the whole team.

How can a neurodivergent-friendly environment drive innovation?

A neurodivergent-friendly environment can drive innovation by making it easier for different kinds of thinkers to contribute ideas. When employees can share ideas in ways that feel comfortable and accessible, organizations are more likely to uncover creative solutions, spot problems earlier, and build products that serve a wider range of people.

CLICK HERE to learn how to Maximize Success in YOUR workplace!. Bring Susan to your organization! Featured seminar – Inspiring Success: Leadership Strategies that Promote Employee Success

The post How a Neurodivergent-Friendly Workplace Creates a Competitive Edge appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Co-teaching sounds simple until two adults are standing in the same classroom trying to decide, minute by minute, who is doing what.

That is where the struggle often begins.

Too many co-teachers are handed model names, but not the practical details they need to make those models work with real students, real schedules, limited planning time, and different levels of content expertise.

The Reference Guide that Solves the Problem

The HOW of Co-Teaching: 24 Classroom Implementations at a Glance gives teachers, specialists, instructional coaches, and administrators a quick, practical way to choose co-teaching approaches that fit the lesson.

Not the other way around.

Based on Chapter 2 of Best Practices in Co-Teaching and Collaboration: The HOW of Co-Teaching, Implementing the Models, this guide moves beyond “one teaches and one helps.” It shows what each adult can actually do during instruction so both professionals are used well.

Inside, you will find 24 co-teaching implementations organized by:

• Planning time required
• Specialist content expertise needed
• Best use for each approach
• What the implementation looks like in the classroom
• Chapter support for lesson chunks, co-planning, grouping, and routines

Use it during co-planning. Keep it handy for coaching conversations. Pull it out when a team is stuck in the same one or two models and needs a better option.

Co-teaching works best when roles are clear, planning is realistic, and both adults know how to contribute without stepping on each other or standing on the sidelines.

This guide gives teams a practical place to start.

FAQ

What is a co-teaching model?

A co-teaching model is a structured way for two educators to share instruction in the same classroom. Different co-teaching models help teams decide who leads, who supports, how students are grouped, and how both adults contribute during a lesson.

How do teachers choose the right co-teaching model?

Teachers choose the right co-teaching model by looking at the lesson goal, the amount of planning time available, the specialist’s content expertise, and what students need during instruction. The best model fits the lesson, rather than forcing the lesson into the same routine every time.

Why do co-teaching teams need more than model names?

Co-teaching teams need more than model names because knowing a label alone does not explain what each adult should actually do during instruction. Practical implementation details help teams clarify roles, avoid confusion, and use both professionals more effectively in the classroom.

Download the reference guide and choose the implementation that fits your next lesson.

Want more practical support for teachers?

I offer professional development for schools on co-teaching, collaboration, learning strategies, and supporting students who learn differently.

Education Programs & Workshops
Co-Teaching Training / Consulting
Free educator download
Substack sign-up

If you are here because you care about supporting teachers, you may also like:

Co-Teaching Support for Schools
Practical Learning Strategies for Struggling Students
Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together – Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for Student Success

The post How Co-Teaching Models Work in Real Classrooms appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

For neurodiverse employees, the modern workplace can be a tough place to excel. Some struggle with workplace interaction and socialization. Workers with ADHD can have trouble prioritizing responsibilities — and, conversely, may hyper-focus on one task. People with dyslexia may need extra time to review and process email messages.

When stress is added to the struggle pile, neurodiverse employees may quickly lose focus and motivation. But it’s not just neurodiverse employees who can feel overwhelmed and overly stressed at work.

The strategies below can help all employees, but they significantly improve the workday for neurodivergent employees by enhancing their focus, supporting a sense of calm, and making it much easier for them to accomplish their work objectives.

1. Start the day with music. Play calming ambient music, 60 beats per minute or less, as employees enter your office. It will create an environment that enhances calm and focus. Lower the volume as the workday starts, and turn it off entirely if the music becomes annoying or distracting.

2. Maximize natural lighting. Plenty of windows and lights that provide “natural light” wavelengths help to calm people and increase productivity.

3. Boost focus & creativity with coloring books. Coloring in a mandala from the outside-in will focus a person’s attention. Coloring a mandala from the inside-out can boost creativity. Keep a book of mandalas along with markers, colored pencils, or crayons for employees to use anytime they need to break away from work, relax and focus.

4. Provide and encourage text-to-speech (TTS) apps. Neurodiverse employees often find it easier to listen to emails, memos, and documents rather than read them. Talk to IT about adding a TTS app to assigned devices — or, if the device already has TTS capability (as Microsoft Windows does), ask IT to show employees how to access and use the function.

5. Communicate meeting structure clearly. Before a meeting starts, provide an agenda, outline, and notes, so everyone knows what will be discussed and when. Employees are more likely to pay attention to you during the meeting, rather than struggling to take notes or wondering when they can leave.

6. Subscribe to Grammarly Business. This powerful app will help all of your employees, not just neurodivergent employees. But it mainly accommodates neurodivergent employees with language-based learning challenges like dyslexia. Grammarly can be enabled to run in the background and “live check” documents as employees write them, providing suggestions on spelling, sentence structure, and more. While a free version is available, the paid app has powerful features, including a laser-sharp plagiarism checker and more–making it well worth the investment.

7. Re-read emails before sending them. An email that seems clear to you while writing it may confuse the employee who receives it — especially if you’re imparting instructions. Review the draft before you hit send. Even better, read it to a colleague to get their feedback first.

8. Review official company documents for confusing language. Project descriptions, new company rules, training manuals — any of these documents (among others) may have confusing language in them. Sending a clarification by email or in a separate memo may confuse employees even more, and some employees may not get the email or memo. Review documents periodically to ensure they’re up-to-date, accurate, and clear.

9. Bullet points are your friend. Break down instructions into bullet points. Even if instructions are concise and straightforward already, put them into bullet points (not numbered points, which suggest a sequence) and short, clear sentences. Grammarly can help with this.

10. Add color and graphics to text-heavy documents. A chart that reinforces the concept being explained can significantly enhance employee understanding and retention.

11. Use examples to clarify concepts. Provide examples of the topic or instructions you’re communicating about. Here’s an example of providing a model to a web developer. (Yes, I’m getting a bit meta at this point, but bear with me.)

And lastly… 

12. Schedule regular group activities. To boost team cohesiveness and productivity, make time for a regular group activity — weekly, biweekly, or monthly — of 30 minutes to an hour. These activities should enhance employee learning and boost the confidence of neurodiverse employees by presenting new ways to think about and approach things that challenge them at work.

FAQ

What are the best ways to support neurodiverse employees at work?

Some of the most effective ways to support neurodiverse employees at work include clear communication, visual structure, text-to-speech tools, natural lighting, bullet-point instructions, and predictable meeting agendas. These strategies reduce overload and help employees focus, process information, and complete work more effectively.

Why do workplace communication strategies matter for neurodiverse employees?

Workplace communication strategies matter because neurodiverse employees may process written, verbal, and visual information differently. Clear emails, bullet points, examples, visual supports, and structured meetings help reduce confusion and make expectations easier to understand.

Do strategies for neurodiverse employees help the whole team?

Yes. Many workplace supports that help neurodiverse employees also improve productivity, clarity, and focus for everyone. Better meeting structure, clearer documents, stronger visual communication, and more thoughtful work environments benefit all employees, not just neurodivergent team members.

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 Credits:
Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Code Sample Best Practices, github.com

CLICK HERE to learn how to Maximize Success in YOUR workplace!. Bring Susan to your organization! Featured seminar – Inspiring Success: Leadership Strategies that Promote Employee Success

The post Workplace Strategies for Managing Neurodiverse Employees appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Scripts for Hard Conversations Without Damaging the Relationship

The Reality of the Co-taught Classroom

If you asked me, “What is one thing you should never say to your co-teacher?” my reply would be, “Don’t announce to the class that you are superior, and your co-teacher is inferior.”

I was co-teaching biology with a Biology teacher who could say the meanest things with a smile on his face. One day, I was teaching the parts of the heart. When I finished explaining the difference between the inferior vena cava and the superior vena cava, he told the class, “Yes, it is just like Mrs. Fitzell and I. She’s the inferior vena cava, and I’m the superior vena cava.”

The class laughed. I felt humiliated, diminished, and betrayed.

Months later, when we were reviewing the eye, which has an inferior oblique and superior oblique, he repeated the analogy again. He thought it was funny. I thought it was mean.

These were two of the most humiliating experiences I had while co-teaching because he said these things in front of the entire class.

This story shows how easily a relationship is damaged in front of students. The fastest way to ruin a partnership is to act superior in the classroom. When one teacher is treated like an assistant, the students notice. They stop seeing that person as a real teacher. This post provides practical language to handle these hard moments. You can say the hard thing without damaging the professional bond. It all comes down to one thing: parity.

Understanding Parity in Plain English

Parity is a state where both teachers are respected and valued. It means students see both adults as active participants in their education. When parity exists, neither teacher is just a helper. Both own the classroom. One small change in your wording can build this respect. Use the table below to shift from solo ownership to shared leadership.

Once you share ownership of the room, you need to look at the specific words you use in your daily interactions.

The Power of “And” Over “But”

There is a “No Buts About It” rule in collaboration. The word “but” usually cancels everything you said before it. It acts as an anchor for an argument. The word “and” is different. It acknowledges the other person. It connects your thought to theirs and allows the conversation to move forward.

Consider these three pivots:

• The “Hard Work” Shift: Instead of “I know you worked hard, but the students were confused,” try, “I know you worked hard, and I noticed students were confused during independent practice.” This makes your colleague feel acknowledged rather than dismissed.
• The “Idea” Shift: Instead of “That is a great idea, but we don’t have time,” try, “That is a great idea, and let’s decide where it fits in the plan for this week.” This treats the idea as a contribution instead of a burden.
• The “Planning” Shift: Instead of “I know you are busy, but we have to plan,” try, “I know you are busy, and we need a planning routine so students benefit from both of us.” This focuses on a shared goal instead of a personal demand.

Small shifts like these move the focus from past mistakes to future success.

Coaching the Future vs. Shaming the Past

There is a big difference between criticizing and coaching. Criticism uses “should have” and focuses on the past. No one can change the past. This phrasing only causes resentment and shame. Coaching focuses on “next time” or “in the future.”

“You can’t build a relationship with a hammer.”

Use these three coaching pivots to protect your colleague’s professional face. Always try to request instead of giving orders.

1. On Complexity: Change “You should have thought about how hard this was” to “Next time, let’s think through the complexity before we execute.”
2. On Changes: Change “You should have told me you were changing the activity” to “Next time, please let me know before the activity changes. I want to support the students well.”
3. On Orders: Change “You’ll have to do the accommodations” to “Could you please review the accommodations so we both know what students need?”

These phrases maintain trust because they offer a path forward. When we are frustrated, our words tend to stretch the truth.

Watching for Language “Warning Lights”

Certain words act as warning lights. When you say “never,” “always,” or “no one,” you are likely speaking out of frustration. These words are rarely facts.

“Exaggeration is truth that has lost its temper.”

Swap these extremes for specific facts:

• The Attendance Issue: Instead of “You never attend co-planning sessions,” try “This is the second time we missed planning together. We need both our areas of expertise there.
• The Materials Issue: Instead of “You are always late with materials,” try “This is the second time the materials were not ready. Please let me know in advance if the plan changes.”

Specifics allow for a calm conversation. You can start showing this respect in the first few minutes of the school day.

The Five-Minute Parity Plan

A simple way to build authority is to have the co-teacher lead the first five minutes of class. This teacher can lead a review activity while the other teacher observes. This small shift creates several benefits:

• Students see the co-teacher as a leader. They see a credible authority.
• The teacher leading the review learns the content more deeply.
• The teacher who is not leading has time to collect student data.
• Students get a review using methods other than a verbal-linguistic lecture.

Public leadership is vital, but private communication must remain the priority.

Closing: Practicality Over Perfection

These scripts are starting points. They are not magic words. You must deliver them in a calm tone without any hint of sarcasm. A respectful sentence said with sarcasm will still damage a relationship.

These scripts are starting points. They are not magic words. You must deliver them in a calm tone without any hint of sarcasm. A respectful sentence said with sarcasm will still damage a relationship.

Don’t try to fix everything in one day. Pick one phrase and try it. The goal is not to win an argument. The goal is to keep enough trust in the relationship so you can both serve your students. Professional relationships stay strong when we address concerns one-to-one and keep respect at the center of the room.

Video: What to Say to Your Co-Teacher | Co-Teaching Communication and Parity

FAQ

What should I say to my co-teacher during a hard conversation?

Start with language that protects the relationship while addressing the issue directly. Use specific observations, focus on future solutions, and frame concerns around shared goals for students. Phrases like “Next time, let’s…” or “I noticed…” are more productive than blame-based language.

Why is parity important in a co-taught classroom?

Parity matters because students notice how teachers treat one another. When one teacher is seen as less important, the classroom relationship weakens and student respect can shift. Shared language, shared leadership, and mutual respect help both teachers maintain credibility and support students more effectively.

How can co-teachers handle conflict without damaging the relationship?

Co-teachers can handle conflict more effectively by speaking privately, using calm and specific language, avoiding exaggeration, and focusing on what should happen next rather than attacking what already happened. Respectful communication helps preserve trust while still addressing real concerns.

Want more practical support for teachers?

I offer professional development for schools on co-teaching, collaboration, learning strategies, and supporting students who learn differently.

Education Programs & Workshops
Co-Teaching Training / Consulting
Free educator download
Substack sign-up

If you are here because you care about supporting teachers, you may also like:

Co-Teaching Support for Schools
Practical Learning Strategies for Struggling Students
Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together – Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for Student Success

The post What Do I Say to My Co-Teacher? appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

So often, managers call a meeting, share information, then end the session expecting employees to understand, assimilate, and implement the new information into their work endeavors. When this does not happen, a manager may feel frustrated with employees that just can’t do what they told them to do. Or a more self-reflective manager may wonder what is wrong with their presentation style. Add the fact that more managers are managing neurodiverse employees, and the challenge increases exponentially.

Here are a dozen ways to lead more effective presentations and meetings when managing neurodiverse employees.

1. Avoid dispensing important information to your employees ‘lecture style.” That ‘lecture voice’ puts people to sleep.
2. Include material that is not in the manual or handbook. Effective meeting presentations present material that can’t be read from a book or slide deck. Use your resources as jumping-off points, not a script.
3. Mix it up. Keep your style dynamic, not static. Make good eye contact. Establish a relationship with the audience and vary how you engage with meeting attendees.
4. Use group discussion as a reinforcement technique during the meeting. Pause for a few minutes at the end of the session and ask participants to discuss what they’ve learned among themselves. This discussion strategy will give employees time to catch up and consolidate their notes. It also gives you time to assess your delivery’s efficacy, ask questions and listen to employee feedback.
5. Show enthusiasm for the subject. If you don’t seem to care about the material, your employees won’t care either. If the boss isn’t invested in the message, why should they be?
6. Provide quality, not quantity. Don’t overwhelm your team with new information. Studies show that the more introductory material in a lecture, the less information participants retain. Assign readings, use online discussion boards, and direct employees to read articles online.
7. Generate curiosity about the material being shared early in the meeting. Introduce new ideas and push your team to develop their perspectives where appropriate.
8. Keep your meeting delivery organized, and don’t veer off course. Start with a brief schedule of what you want to talk about, then use “signposts” to keep your presentation on track (For example: “Now I want to talk about…,” “That’s the end of our discussion of…”).
9. Check in with participants — not just at the end of the meeting but throughout the session. Summarize important concepts periodically. Encourage active discussion but avoid tangents that derail your message.
10. Use the “Rule of Three.” The brain tends to remember information presented in threes — beginning, middle, and end. A typical adult’s concentration starts to wane after 10–12 minutes, so chunking information during longer meetings allows teams to process new information more effectively.
11. Don’t over-rely on technology. Use PowerPoint slides and online resources to support the discussion with visuals and main points. Ditch the multi-bulleted slides that tempt you to read from the screen!
12. Always integrate collaborative discussion when presenting new information. A presentation should never be you standing in front of the team and talking “at” your employees.

I’d love to hear some of your tips for effective meetings and presentations when managing neurodiverse employees. Please add them to the comments, making this an even better resource for readers.

FAQ

What makes a presentation more effective for neurodiverse employees?

A presentation is more effective for neurodiverse employees when it is organized, engaging, and broken into manageable chunks. Clear signposts, discussion time, visuals, and regular check-ins help employees process and retain important information more successfully.

Why should managers avoid lecture-style meetings with neurodiverse teams?

Lecture-style meetings can overwhelm employees and reduce retention, especially when too much information is delivered at once. Neurodiverse teams often benefit from more interaction, reinforcement, and opportunities to process information in different ways during the meeting.

How can managers make meetings more inclusive for neurodiverse employees?

Managers can make meetings more inclusive by using collaborative discussion, chunking information, limiting overload, checking for understanding throughout the session, and using visuals to support key ideas. These strategies help employees engage with information instead of just listening passively.

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.

Credit:AndreyPopov /iStockphoto Standard License

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 Lead Effective Meetings for Neurodiverse Employees appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Part 2: How to Structure Lessons with Chunking Lesson Plans™.

A strong 10-minute core teach is clear, focused, and intentional. The time you save provides the time you need for practice, grouping, reteaching, and enrichment.

In Part 1, we looked at one of the biggest reasons lesson planning takes too long: teachers often try to solve every learning problem by extending whole-class direct instruction.

• You explain a concept.
• Some students look confused.
• You explain it again.
• A few students still look confused.
• So, you explain again.

Before long, 20 or 25 minutes of class time are gone. Some students are bored. Some students are still lost. Practice time has been squeezed. Grouping has had little room to be intentional. You leave class feeling as if you worked incredibly hard, yet still did not reach everyone.

That is exhausting.

And it is not necessary.

The answer is not to lower expectations. The answer is to change the structure.

• Teach the core concept.
• Stop.
• Check understanding.
• Group, practice, reteach, enrich.
• Pull students back together.
• Check again.
• Assign do-able homework.

That is the heart of Chunking Lesson Plans™.

How to Plan a 10-minute Core Teach

A 10-minute core teach must be focused.

This is not the time to explain everything you know about the topic. It is not the time to give every possible example. It is not the time to wander into interesting but unnecessary information.

Ask yourself:

• What is the essential concept students need today?
• What must all students understand?
• What vocabulary do they need?
• What is one strong example?
• What is one quick check for understanding?
• What visual, cue, or model will help students access the idea?

For example, if the objective is genre, the core teach might include:

• A simple definition of genre.
• Three examples of genre.
• A quick visual organizer.
• A “Which one is it?” check.
• One student-friendly explanation.

Then stop.

That is the hard part.

Teachers are used to filling space with more explanation. But more explanation is not always more learning.

Sometimes more explanation simply uses up the time that should have been available for practice, feedback, grouping, and intervention.

What to do After the Core Teach

After the core teach, the lesson transitions to a reinforcement activity that engages students more directly.

That reinforcement might be movement into partner practice, same-ability groups, mixed-ability groups, independent work, teacher-led reteach, enrichment, or a quick formative assessment.

The point is that the teacher is no longer assuming (and hoping) that students understood the initial core teach.

Rather, the teacher uses student responses to decide what happens next.

In a 40-minute class, the structure might look like this:

• Five minutes: warm-up
• Ten minutes: core teach
• Five minutes: quick formative check or “ticket” to see who has it and who does not
• Ten minutes: same-ability grouping, partner work, reteach, practice, or enrichment
• Five minutes: whole-class pull-back, Q&A, vocabulary review, or clarification
• Final minutes: ticket to leave, do-able homework, and closure

That is a very different lesson from 25 minutes of direct instruction followed by practice that has to fit into whatever time is left.

n the chunked lesson, the teacher is still covering the same core instruction. The difference is that the class is not trapped in one mode for too long.

• And the students who need acceleration? They accelerate.
• The students who need reteaching? They get reteaching.
• The students who need practice? They practice.
• The students who need enrichment? They are not sitting there waiting for the rest of the class to catch up.

This is not watered-down instruction. This is better use of instructional time.

What’s the Benefit of Chunking Lesson Plans™?

Here is what this might look like in real life.

Before Chunking the Lesson: the long direct-teach lesson

• Five minutes: warm-up.
• Twenty-five minutes: teacher explains the concept, gives examples, repeats examples, asks questions, tries to pull students into discussion, notices confusion, explains again.
• Ten minutes: limited time for practice.
• Three minutes: assign homework.
• Two minutes: closure, if there is time.

What is often the result?

Some students are bored. Some students are still confused. Practice is too short. The teacher does not have enough information to group students well. Homework may go home before students are ready to do it independently.

After Chunking the Lesson:

• Five minutes: warm-up.
• Ten minutes: focused core teach.
• Five minutes: quick check for understanding.
• Ten minutes: targeted practice, partner work, reteach group, or enrichment group.
• Five minutes: pull class back together for review, vocabulary, or clarification.
• Three minutes: ticket to leave.
• Two minutes: do-able homework and closure.

What is often the result?

The teacher gets formative assessment data sooner. Students move into practice sooner. The students who need more support get it. The students who are ready to move on are not held back. The teacher is not trying to solve every learning issue through whole-class explanation.

That’s the difference.

Start With Two Days per Week

Teachers don’t have to overhaul every lesson immediately.

In fact, I recommend starting with this structure just two days a week. Consecutive days are best. Avoid a Friday and Monday scenario because too much time falls between the initial instruction and the group instruction.

Once teachers see how much more efficiently the class runs, they can build from there.

For block scheduling, the same idea applies. A longer block can be treated as two shorter chunks. The first 40 minutes might function like “day one,” and the second 40 minutes might function like “day two.” Teachers can use a quick formative assessment in the middle to determine who needs reteaching, practice, or enrichment.

The key is to keep the lesson moving in purposeful chunks.

Keep chunks under 12 minutes whenever possible.

Plan Once for Access, Not Endless Reteaching

Teachers are exhausted.

They don’t need one more complicated initiative. They don’t need to write three separate lesson plans for one classroom or spend hours creating materials that still don’t meet students where they are.

They need structures that work.

Chunking Lesson Plans™ gives teachers that structure.

That’s not watered-down instruction. Rather, it’s instruction with purpose.

And when we plan this way, we spend less time catching students up later.

Instead, we plan once for access.

Video: How to Make Lesson Planning Faster

Source note: Adapted from Susan Gingras Fitzell, Special Needs in the General Classroom: 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction, especially the sections on Chunking Lesson Plans™

FAQ

What is Chunking Lesson Plans™?

Chunking Lesson Plans™ is a lesson structure that breaks instruction into smaller, purposeful sections. Instead of spending most of the class on whole-group direct teaching, the teacher delivers a focused core teach, checks understanding, and then uses the remaining time for practice, grouping, reteaching, enrichment, and closure.

How does chunking make lesson planning faster?

Chunking makes lesson planning faster because it gives teachers a clear structure for how to use class time. Instead of planning one long direct-teach lesson and then trying to fit in practice afterward, teachers plan a short core teach followed by targeted next steps based on student understanding. This reduces overexplaining and makes differentiated instruction more manageable.

Why is a 10-minute core teach effective?

A 10-minute core teach is effective because it keeps instruction focused on the essential concept students need to learn that day. It gives students enough information to begin learning without overwhelming them, and it preserves time for practice, formative assessment, reteaching, and enrichment.

Want more practical support for teachers?

I offer professional development for schools on co-teaching, collaboration, learning strategies, and supporting students who learn differently.

Education Programs & Workshops
Co-Teaching Training / Consulting
Free educator download
Substack sign-up

If you are here because you care about supporting teachers, you may also like:

Co-Teaching Support for Schools
Practical Learning Strategies for Struggling Students
Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together – Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for Student Success

The post How to Make Lesson Planning Faster Without Watering Down Instruction appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Part 1: When More Explaining Leaves Less Time for Practice

Teachers are already working hard to plan meaningful lessons and support all learners. Chunking makes that work more effective by breaking instruction into smaller, purposeful sections that give students more chances to process, practice, and succeed.

Teachers ask me all the time, “How can I make lesson planning faster?”

My answer is usually not what they expect.

I don’t tell them to find a shortcut that waters down the lesson. I don’t tell them to lower the bar. I don’t tell them to create three completely different lesson plans for one class period. Who has time for that?

Instead, I ask them to look at the structure of the lesson.

Because often the problem is not the teacher’s work ethic. It is not that the teacher does not care enough, plan enough, or try enough.

The problem is that the lesson is planned as one long teach instead of a series of smaller, purposeful chunks.

And that matters.

When I work with teachers in inclusive classrooms, I see the same pattern again and again.

A Typical Scenario

A teacher starts with a clear objective. The lesson begins well. The teacher explains the concept, gives examples, asks questions, and checks faces around the room.

Then the teacher sees it.

Jessica has that glazed look in her eyes. David is looking puzzled. Rob, who is on an IEP, is just kind of “out there” at this point.

So, being a caring teacher, the teacher keeps teaching.

They give another example. Then another one. They ask more questions, hoping to pull students in. They try to get participation going, but it feels like pulling teeth because the same students are answering over and over again.

By now, 20 minutes of class time has gone by and they still are direct teaching. Maybe they’ve included visuals or used dramatic role-play to engage. Maybe they’re doing outstanding direct teaching.

Still, some students are lost.

So they keep going.

Now 25 minutes are gone. In a 45-minute class, that leaves only 20 minutes for practice, application, grouping, reteaching, enrichment, closure, or whatever else was supposed to happen.

So, here is the question that stopped me in my tracks when I first started thinking deeply about Chunking Lesson Plans™:

Probably thinking, “Oh, geez. I’m bored.”

And who knows? They may have even begun to act out their boredom and frustration.

At the same time, after 25 minutes of direct teaching, there are probably still students who need more practice. There may still be a handful of students who have no clue what the concept means.

So, weren’t we in almost the same place after 10 minutes of direct teaching?

Why did we spend 25 minutes only to be at the same place we were in after ten?

What an epiphany this was for me.

That realization is the heart of Chunking Lesson Plans™.

The goal is not to teach less. The goal is to use whole-group teaching where it helps most, then give students time to process, practice, and apply.

Direct teaching is a best practice technique. Ten minutes, done well, is powerful. But after that, we need to do something different.

We need to chunk the lesson.

Why Lesson Planning Feels So Overwhelming in Inclusive Classrooms

Inclusive classrooms are complex.

In one room, a teacher may have students who are reading above grade level, students reading two or three years below grade level, students with IEPs, students with ADHD, students with auditory processing difficulties, English learners, anxious students, gifted students, students who need movement, students who need visuals, and students who need time to think before responding.

Teachers are expected to teach the grade-level standards, provide accommodations, keep students engaged, manage behavior, assess understanding, provide intervention, enrich advanced learners, and document what is happening.

No wonder lesson planning feels overwhelming.

Teachers do not need one more complicated form to fill out. They need something that visually cues them into remembering the methods they might use to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom.

That is where a planning tool matters.

The goal is not to make teaching mechanical. The goal is to reduce the mental load.

Instead of sitting there thinking, “What am I forgetting?” the teacher can glance at a visual planning reminder and ask:

• How will students access the information?
• How will they practice?
• How will they show understanding?
• What supports will help students who struggle?
• What options will keep students engaged?

That saves time.

Not because the teacher is doing less thinking, but because the teacher is not starting from scratch every time.

What Often Happens: Direct Instruction Expands, and Practice Time Shrinks

This is where lesson planning can get tricky:

A whole-class lesson often assumes that everyone needs the same amount of direct instruction, even when students are starting from different places.

Then, when some students do not get it, the teacher gives the whole class more direct instruction.

That feels responsible. It feels caring. It feels like we are not leaving anyone behind.

But in reality, we may be holding some students back while still not giving struggling students the kind of support they actually need.

Some students do not need another whole-class example. They need a smaller group. They need a different modality. They need to talk it through with a partner. They need to manipulate something. They need vocabulary clarified. They need the steps color-coded. They need to see the concept mapped out. They need guided practice.

Other students already have it. They need acceleration, enrichment, application, or an opportunity to go deeper.

When we keep reteaching the whole class, we often create two problems at once:

• The students who understand become bored.
• The students who do not understand still do not get enough targeted support.

What Chunking Lesson Plans™ Solves

Chunking Lesson Plans™ helps teachers use class time differently.

Instead of thinking, “I have to explain until everyone gets it,” the teacher thinks, “I am going to teach the core concept clearly and briefly, then use the rest of the lesson to find out who needs what.”

That one shift changes everything.

Let’s use the example from my book: teaching genre.

If I have five on-grade-level capable students with no learning disabilities in a small group, and I want to teach them the concept of genre, not to be experts on it, but to know what genre is and identify three types, most teachers would agree that I could teach that concept in about ten minutes.

So why do we often take 25 minutes in a whole-class lesson?

Chunking helps us stop doing that.

Instead, how about we teach the core instruction for about ten minutes and then stop. No matter how many glazed looks we see, we stop.

Not because we are abandoning students.

But, because we are moving them into a structure where we can actually help them better.

The Takeaway for Part 1

Faster lesson planning should not mean weaker instruction.

It should not mean copying a worksheet and hoping for the best.

It should not mean lowering expectations for students who struggle.

It means designing the lesson so that the teacher is not trapped in 25 minutes of direct instruction when 10 minutes would have been enough to launch the learning.

My whole philosophy is built around the idea that strategies can be good for all and critical for different learners.

Chunking Lesson Plans™ is one of those strategies.

It helps the teacher stop reteaching the whole class longer and longer and start using class time more intentionally.

In Part 2, we will look at how to plan the 10-minute core teach, what to do after that first chunk of instruction, and how to use the Lesson Planner Idea Jogger to make differentiated planning faster and more manageable.

Podcast: Stop Overexplaining with Ten Minute Chunks

Source note: Adapted from Susan Gingras Fitzell, Special Needs in the General Classroom: 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction, especially the sections on Chunking Lesson Plans™ and the Differentiated Planning – Lesson Planner Idea Jogger.

FAQ

How can teachers make lesson planning faster without lowering expectations?

Teachers can make lesson planning faster by changing the structure of the lesson, not the rigor of the content. When instruction is chunked into smaller, purposeful sections, teachers can spend less time overexplaining and more time giving students opportunities to process, practice, and apply what they are learning.

Why does direct instruction sometimes take too much class time?

Direct instruction often stretches too long because teachers are trying to meet individual learning needs through whole-class teaching. When some students look confused, teachers naturally keep explaining. The problem is that this can reduce time for practice and still fail to provide the targeted support struggling learners actually need.

What is the benefit of chunking lesson plans in inclusive classrooms?

Chunking lesson plans helps teachers use class time more intentionally. A short, focused core teach gives students the foundation they need, and the rest of the lesson can be used to identify who needs practice, reteaching, enrichment, or a different way to access the content. This makes differentiated instruction more manageable in inclusive classrooms.

Want more practical support for teachers?

I offer professional development for schools on co-teaching, collaboration, learning strategies, and supporting students who learn differently.

Education Programs & Workshops
Co-Teaching Training / Consulting
Free educator download
Substack sign-up

If you are here because you care about supporting teachers, you may also like:

Co-Teaching Support for Schools
Practical Learning Strategies for Struggling Students
Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together – Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for Student Success

The post How to Make Lesson Planning Faster Without Watering Down Instruction appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Historically, people have viewed neurodivergence from a deficit model point of view. Unfortunately, I’d say that this is the prevailing view. The world is still very much neurotypical-centric. Consider that neurodivergent brains are the other side of the same human neurological coin.

Humans tend to categorize, sort, and normalize information. In short, we do this to facilitate our understanding of a complex world. This tendency to categorize makes things manageable so we can focus on what we need to do. Unfortunately, this approach fails us when attempting to understand humans. We desperately want human interaction to be simple, but it isn’t.

The double-edged sword: Medicine and mental health diagnoses

Medicine has done a fantastic job of defining medical pathologies that can be addressed and cured. How do we know when we have gone too far? For example, when does a trait become a pathology? Yet, humans must deal with the reality that what is not diagnosed and labeled is not supported or accommodated in most countries.

As humans, we pride ourselves on being unique. We show compassion that counters the survival of the fittest idea. We take care of each other, even to our detriment. We are charitable. We love and mourn in a way that we don’t see among other creatures. We see this most clearly in families and small communities. However, as the group grows, we see how people create divisions among themselves. This division happens when some interpersonal conflict has the potential to threaten the group’s status quo. The result is an us-vs-them mindset.

This situation can stabilize if the conflicting groups are well-matched in number and strengths. However, it can become a vastly different situation when there is a clear social minority. Without a proper understanding of differences, this approach can cause harmless traits to be pathologized, and those possessing those traits become marginalized.

Moving from a deficit mindset to a gifts mindset

This fact is evident if we consider the ideas behind the deficit vs. a Gifts Mindset. As mentioned earlier, medical diagnoses are inherently based on a deficit mindset, and that’s appropriate since the goal of medicine is to heal a problem. When does this go too far, though?

Do ALL aspects of a learning or sensory processing difference need to be viewed from a deficit point of view? No. They do not.

“In education, a deficit mindset is when teachers or school leaders focus on problems rather than potential.” I prefer to focus on strengths or a Gifts Mindset. A Gifts Mindset focuses on a person’s strengths first and teaches how to utilize a learner’s gifts while using specific strategies to overcome obstacles that get in the way of maximizing talent.

One can extend the experience of learners to the modern workplace. How do employers view neurodiversity in the workplace? Does it seem too much effort to accommodate so much “deficit?” Suppose an employer views neurodiversity through the limiting view of the deficit mindset. In that case, it can seem like “more effort than it’s worth.”

The Double Empathy Theory

Like so much of life, the viewpoint we choose matters. The double empathy theory purports that deficits in communication between autistics and non-autistics are a two-way street. In other words, the deficit in communication must be accounted for by both parties — instead of laying the “blame” on the autistic alone. An extension of the theory holds that the “problem” is not precisely the pathology of a neurodivergent individual but rather the setting or the environment. Consider this:

This (double empathy problem) model “suggests that a disability is more about external circumstances that impact a person, [and] less a set of personal attributes. So, the person with ADHD is disabled by a busy, loud office apartment. They themselves are not the problem.” Source: https://www.jazzhr.com/blog/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/

The idea that the entire problem does not belong to the autistic individual is a significant change in mindset. Yet, consider the possible advantages of reviewing how we think about the communication challenge.

How the deficits model fails us in the workplace

Think of an octopus that ventured out of the water onto the seashore. It happens under some exceptional circumstances. The octopus will do OK for a few minutes. It has nine brains and eight legs, so it can make do and persist for a time, but not for long. Does this mean that the octopus has an inherent deficit or pathology? No, the environment limits the octopus’s ability to thrive in that situation.

OK, let’s take a classroom example I have seen firsthand many times through the years. Jayden is a first-grader who is doing exceptionally well in school. His parents had been concerned because he had so much energy and could barely sit still in kindergarten. In first grade, everything was coming together for Jayden. He was thriving. He loved his teacher.

Then in second grade, everything changed. Jayden’s teacher called home multiple times to complain that Jayden was distracted, bored, and exhibiting challenging behaviors. Finally, the second-grade teacher referred Jayden to special education for an evaluation. Jayden is now diagnosed and labeled. This is the same kid who thrived in first grade with a teacher who understood how he learned. Then, he went to the second grade and had a different teacher who was less tolerant of Jayden’s energy level and struggled to engage him in learning.

Is Jayden like the octopus?

Over the past four decades, countless stories and studies show how students who fail in one learning environment may thrive in a different one. So why is the child pathologized?

The child is pathologized because it’s easier to blame the children or parents than to fix a broken system. The system is broken for many reasons; however, it starts with an educational system that views children through a deficit model instead of a Gifts Mindset. A Gifts Mindset would focus on the child’s strengths instead of their deficits.

Environment plays a huge role, from microscopic to plant life, and without a doubt, humans’ ability to thrive. If the deficit point of view is maintained, accommodating neurodivergent talent in the workplace can seem impossible.

If we are to create conducive and kind classrooms and workspaces, we need to replace the deficit model thinking and embrace a ‘Gifts Mindset’ and Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™.

In schools, this is called Universal Design for Learning. In autistic humans, a standard defining feature is that an individual has deficits in social interaction and communication. In looking at this deficit, consider the double empathy model again. The theory holds that the communication deficit comes from both directions, autistic and non-autistic.

While this might be uncomfortable, it bears consideration. Consider marriage relationships; both parties hold some responsibility in a disagreement. It gets ugly when one party puts itself on a perfection pedestal, and the other one is always to blame.

In his article, The Double Empathy Problem, Dr. Damian Milton states, “… these issues are not due to autistic cognition alone, but a breakdown in reciprocity and mutual understanding that can happen between people with very different ways of experiencing the world.”

Why does this change in perspective matter?

Imagine a world where we lead with reciprocity and mutual understanding. Is it possible? I’d like to believe that it is possible for those who strive for it in their corner of the world — one human light at a time.

We are experiencing a world where an us-versus-them mindset leads to striations and conflict. The result is chilling. It’s tearing apart families, friendships, and countries. So, how can we be the light? Let’s start with inclusion: workplaces, like classrooms, are based on an implicit hierarchy. At the school, the teacher can implicitly and unconsciously influence the culture of the classroom. The same goes for management in the workplace.

What can management do to improve inclusivity in their workplace cultures? Work toward a company culture that includes Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™. Inclusive Dynamic Workplace Design™ does not only consider physical space, corporate policies, and options for individual employee success; it makes inclusion and diversity the norm.

FAQ

What is the deficit model of neurodiversity?
The deficit model of neurodiversity views differences in thinking, learning, communication, or sensory processing primarily as problems to be fixed. This mindset focuses on what a person cannot do instead of recognizing strengths, supports, and environmental factors that influence success.

What is a Gifts Mindset in education and the workplace?
A Gifts Mindset focuses on a person’s strengths first. Instead of defining students or employees by deficits, it looks at how to use their natural abilities while providing strategies and support to address challenges. This approach helps create more inclusive classrooms and workplaces.

Why does the environment matter for neurodivergent people?
The environment matters because many challenges are not caused only by the individual. Noise, lighting, communication styles, rigid expectations, and poor system design can all create barriers. When schools and workplaces change the environment, neurodivergent people are more likely to thrive.

References:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/double-empathy

https://www.achievementnetwork.org/anetblog/eduspeak/deficit-mindset

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 Credits:
Andrea Migliarini /iStockphoto Standard License
Top Neurodiversity Speaker and Expert, Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP

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 Why the Neurodiversity Mindset Needs to Evolve appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

There’s one approach to neurodiverse hiring that has not received much notice in the United States: apprenticeships. Data from the United Kingdom (UK)(HM Government, 2020), where renewed interest in apprenticeships has spurred relevant research, indicates that 89% of employers said apprenticeships helped companies develop skills pertinent to their organization. Over 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity and the quality of their product or service.

I remember a time when teens who weren’t into academics and preferred to work with their hands had the option of becoming an apprentice. Starting in secondary school or after graduation, they worked side-by-side with a plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc. They learned the trade hands-on. These opportunities are almost non-existent today. Now, they must (usually) go to a tech school. More school!

One out of five apprentices may be neurodivergent. (Kirby, 2021) Consequently, it’s essential to discover and maximize their strengths.

Any two individuals with neurodivergent attributes have different combinations of strengths. For example, “One person with Dyslexia may have predominant challenges with spelling and another with reading comprehension. The first person may also have difficulties communicating verbally, and the second person may have additional challenges relating to ADHD traits such as time management.” Consequently, their training and support must be tailored to meet their needs.

If that seems daunting, consider that this is true of over 50% of your workers, whether identified as neurodivergent or not! Most corporate learning initiatives reap minimal engagement and success because they are canned learning modules that do not consider individual learning preferences. By providing individualized options for learning and training, ALL employees benefit, which means the company benefits from their corporate learning investment.

One of the challenges both companies and apprentice candidates face is the lack of confidence that has evolved during the school years for neurodivergent adults. Most were labeled learning disabled during their school years. Some were labeled lazy, slow, or unmotivated. Sadly, because schools operate with a deficit mindset instead of a gifts mindset, neurodivergent students go through the school years believing they are not intelligent. This reality exists even though many are not only smart but talented in unique ways. They just don’t learn and thrive the way schools dictate learning should happen.

So, for the best chance of success with apprenticeship programs, the workplace culture must support brain diversity — or neurodiversity.

“Apprentices who received support over the three-month period increased in confidence by 14% on average, and their motivation increased by 16% on average. Crucially, learners who did not have identified learning needs and, therefore, did not receive support experienced no increase in confidence or motivation over the same period.”(Cecile, 2020)

This study is critical because, as previous scientific research has revealed, “Measures of confidence have the highest correlation with academic achievement.”(Sanchez-Ruiz et al., 2016)

Seven companies that have established tech apprenticeships for professionals from diverse backgrounds stand out:

• IBM- Apprenticeship program
• Google- Tech Apprenticeship Program
• Airbnb Connect Software Engineering Apprenticeship
• Accenture- Apprenticeship Program
• LinkedIn- REACH Engineering apprenticeship program
• Microsoft- LEAP Apprenticeship Program
• Pinterest- Tech Apprenticeship Program

What can companies do to facilitate successful apprenticeships?

World bank listed three ways companies can successfully implement apprenticeships (Datta et al., 2020):

1. Create a consortium where businesses can collaborate to design apprenticeship programs. For instance, in France, Sodexo, a food service enterprise; Adecco Group, a staffing firm; Accor, a hospitality company; and Korian, a nursing facility company, collaborated to establish an apprenticeship training center that focuses on culinary arts.
2. Work with local universities and colleges. In Costa Rica, Intel is leveraging a student-worker model to recruit students part-time so they can gain work experience.
3. Introduce work contracts and certifications. A contract guarantees fair wages for all, while certification injects elements of formality to the experience. In the Republic of Benin, craftspeople partnered with the local government to secure government-issued certificates for apprentices. Every apprentice goes through a practical and supervised exam by the local trade association when they ‘graduate’ from the program.

Skill-based interviews

When screening candidates for apprenticeships, interviewers need to customize the interview process to meet the needs of neurodivergent candidates. Companies can embrace this process by

• providing clear instructions for locating assessment tools. One way to do that is to enhance instructions with visual cues or icons.
• Clarifying expectations of the interview process. Lack of clarity causes increased anxiety and undermines a candidate’s ability to prepare appropriately for the interview experience. Let the candidate know what interviewees should expect, the length and format of the interview, and items the candidate should bring. Examples might include portfolios with work samples, a resume copy, pen, notebook, etc.
• Ensuring the candidate has information about whom they will meet and how to contact them in an emergency.
• Securing a suitable interview space that is quiet space devoid of distractions.
• Ensure that the online application portal is not assessing web page navigation instead of job skills. If the user interface is unfriendly, skilled candidates may be lost; Not because they are not viable, but because they can’t navigate the web portal properly.

In my years as a teacher, I saw this same problem with many test questions and instructions — poor wording of questions and unclear instructions caused students (and me) to misunderstand what was being asked or required.

The failure of the test (or web page) creator was the problem. Not the neurodivergent’s ability and skill.

Conclusion

There are significant benefits for companies that embark on an apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship program allows companies to recruit from a broader, more diverse base of candidates. Companies have the opportunity to train employees to meet the specific requirements of their business. The mindset of the candidate and employer is different than when a person is hired in a traditional interview: It’s expected that training is needed, and growth will take some time. This expectation of necessary training is not always the case in conventional hiring practices. Often, candidates are hired, quickly onboarded, and expected to perform with minimal support or training. This process often fails at a high cost to the employer. Apprenticeships are inherently more successful. Most importantly, employees who start through an apprenticeship program will likely stay and grow with the company.

FAQ

How can apprenticeships support a neurodiverse workforce?
Apprenticeships can support a neurodiverse workforce by creating hands-on, skill-based pathways into employment. Instead of relying only on traditional interviews or academic credentials, apprenticeships allow candidates to learn on the job, build confidence, and demonstrate their strengths in real work settings.

Why are apprenticeships a strong hiring strategy for neurodivergent candidates?
Apprenticeships are a strong hiring strategy for neurodivergent candidates because they focus on growth, training, and practical skill development. This can reduce some of the barriers created by traditional hiring processes, especially for candidates whose strengths are not always visible in a standard interview or online application system.

What makes an apprenticeship program more inclusive for neurodivergent learners?
An inclusive apprenticeship program offers clear instructions, flexible training methods, quiet and low-distraction environments, transparent interview expectations, and support tailored to individual learning needs. These adjustments help neurodivergent apprentices build skills, confidence, and long-term success.

Resources:

Apprenticeships.gov.uk resource hubhttps://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/resource hub

Apprenticeship.gov (USA) https://www.apprenticeship.gov

References:

Cecile. (2020). Improve Apprenticeship Retention Rates — Cognassist. Cognassist Blog. https://cognassist.com/insights/improve-apprenticeship-retention-rates/

Datta, N., Krishnamurthy, A., & Mannie, N. (2020). 3 ways to build lasting apprenticeship programs. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/3-ways-build-lasting-apprenticeship-programs

Fritsch, S. (2022). Land Your Dream Job Through Volunteering? It Happens More Than You Think. Forbes2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeseq/2022/05/01/land-your-dream-job-through-volunteering-it-happens-more-than-you-think/?sh=78794e49a435

HM Government. (2020). What are the benefits of hiring an apprentice? Apprenticeships.Gov.Uk. https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/benefits-of-hiring-apprentice#

IBM Newsroom. (2021). IBM Newsroom — Neurodiversity @ IBM. IBM Newsroom2. https://newsroom.ibm.com/Neurodiversity-IBM

Kirby, A. (2021). Apprenticeship and Neurodiversity — recognising intrapreneurship — FE News. FeNews. https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/apprenticeship-and-neurodiversity-recognising-intrapreneurship/

Quickfall, C. (2022). Supporting neurodiverse apprentices | Training Journal. Training Journal. https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/features/supporting-neurodiverse-apprentices

Sanchez-Ruiz, M.-J., Khoury, J. El, Saadé, G., & Salkhanian, M. (2016). Non-Cognitive Variables and Academic Achievement. Non-Cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment, 65–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-591-3_4

Williams, A. (2021). (2) Top companies who are engaging their Neurodivergence in 2021 | LinkedIn. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-companies-who-engaging-neurodivergence-2021-andrew-williams/

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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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.

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For all the acceptance that neurodivergence has been receiving, including workplace initiatives to recruit and train neurodivergent talent, we still have a long way to go to achieve equity and full inclusion. Stereotypes still shape hiring patterns, and too many hiring practices are built around those stereotypes.

I have often spoken about neurodiversity as a competitive advantage. I have cited workplace research and employer case studies showing that neurodiverse teams can strengthen innovation, problem-solving, and performance when people are supported well. But there is another side of this conversation that deserves equal attention.

I also believe that every human being has unique gifts. Yet there is growing concern about the “superpower” stereotype in neurodiversity conversations. This language shows up especially often in discussions of autism. It is time to bring those concerns into the open.

When neurodiversity hiring initiatives are introduced, there is often an assumption that the candidates will primarily be autistic, and that they will be savants or extraordinary outliers. At the same time, those same candidates are often expected to assimilate into a neurotypical work environment that was never designed with neurodiversity in mind. They are expected to exceed expectations while also adapting seamlessly to systems that may be actively working against them.

This superhuman expectation is especially common in workplace conversations about autism. Our tendency to rely on stereotypes about people who are different from us weakens hiring initiatives before they begin. Despite growing awareness, the autism employment gap remains significant. In the UK, ONS-linked reporting highlighted by the National Autistic Society found that only 22% of autistic adults were in any kind of employment. That is not a talent problem. It is a systems problem.

At a time when highly visible public figures are often used as shorthand for neurodivergent success, it is worth asking what that idealization has done to the broader picture of neurodivergence. More than one autistic colleague has asked me not to use celebrity examples as proof points. Stereotypes that suggest neurodivergent people must be geniuses, savants, or exceptional outliers can be deeply harmful. They affect self-worth, distort public understanding, and raise the bar so high that ordinary human strengths are ignored.

At its worst, this pressure contributes to masking. Masking, or camouflaging, is a coping strategy in which autistic people suppress or alter natural traits in order to fit social expectations. Research continues to show that masking is associated with emotional distress, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and burnout.

What counts as acceptable neurodivergence – and who decides?

Organizations often try to define what an acceptable presentation of neurodivergence looks like. When neurodivergent people are not included in those discussions, the result is often arbitrary. Presumed exceptional attributes become the standard. Corporate narratives end up rooted in social misconceptions rather than lived experience. Inclusion becomes tokenized.

Well-known workplace platforms often describe neurodivergence as a competitive advantage, but too often they do so by spotlighting extraordinary mathematical ability, software brilliance, or unusual memory. That focus on “superpowers” sets unrealistic expectations. Instead of creating equity, it flips reality on its head. It can leave people believing that neurodivergent employees are somehow privileged because of unusual gifts, while ignoring the real barriers they face.

This pattern is not new. It has deep roots in pop culture. Research on autism stereotypes has long noted that media portrayals disproportionately emphasize savant abilities and exceptionalism.

Movies like Rain Man helped bring autism into public conversation, but they also reinforced a narrow image by centering savant syndrome. More recent examples have continued that pattern. Characters like Sheldon Cooper and Shaun Murphy are often portrayed through the lens of extraordinary intelligence, eccentricity, and exceptional skill. The result is a damaging question that hovers beneath the surface:

Is neurodivergence only considered legitimate when it comes with exceptional talent?

Revamping our hiring practices

Generalizing the entire neurodivergent population under one umbrella does very little to dismantle the stereotypes that guide many human resource decisions. Hiring systems that see neurodivergence in black and white leave candidates facing the same recurring problem: to be accepted into a neurotypical workplace, they must either camouflage their neurodivergence through masking or somehow prove themselves extraordinary enough to compensate for it.

Pop culture continues to promote the idea that exceptional talent is the only acceptable version of neurodivergence. Hiring practices often mirror that belief.

This critique of the savant stereotype is not a call to lower expectations. It is a call to raise awareness. Employers need to become aware of the stereotypes that do not serve organizations seeking to build truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

If companies want neurodiversity hiring initiatives to succeed, they need to move beyond the search for brilliance wrapped in conformity. They need to stop asking whether a candidate seems exceptional enough to justify support. They need to ask whether the hiring process is actually measuring job capability or simply rewarding the people who best match a narrow social norm.

A neuroinclusive workplace does not assume every neurodivergent person is a genius. It does not expect people to be superhuman. It creates conditions where a wide range of minds can contribute, grow, and succeed.

References

Austin, R.D., and Pisano, G.P. “Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage.” Harvard Business Review, 2017.

Draaisma, D. “Stereotypes of Autism.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009.

Heasman, B. “Employers may discriminate against autism without realising.” London School of Economics Blogs, 2017.

Pearson, A. and Rose, K. “A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice.” Autism in Adulthood, 2021.

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 promoting neurodiversity in the workplace, I am referring to creating a workforce that reflects the broad spectrum of ways people think, process information, communicate, and learn. Some employees may be neurotypical, while others may have ADHD, dyslexia, autism, trauma-impacted ways of thinking, or other differences in how they move through the world.

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

Be careful, though, because you should not describe one person as neurodiverse. An individual person 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.

Many neurodivergent people may have a diagnosis or label you recognize, such as autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. Neurodivergence may also include epilepsy, brain injury, or other differences in how a person processes the world.

FAQ

What is the “superpower” stereotype in neurodivergent hiring?
The “superpower” stereotype is the idea that neurodivergent candidates, especially autistic candidates, are valuable only if they bring extraordinary or savant-level abilities. This stereotype can distort hiring decisions by creating unrealistic expectations and overlooking capable people whose strengths are real but not sensationalized.

Why is the savant stereotype harmful in the workplace?
The savant stereotype is harmful because it narrows how employers define value. Instead of recognizing a wide range of strengths, employers may expect neurodivergent candidates to be exceptional outliers. That can lead to tokenism, biased hiring, masking, and missed opportunities to build truly inclusive teams.

How can companies make neurodivergent hiring more inclusive?
Companies can improve neurodivergent hiring by focusing on actual job skills rather than stereotypes, involving neurodivergent voices in decision-making, using skills-based assessments, and designing workplaces that do not require people to mask or conform to narrow social norms in order to succeed.

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