Teaching neurodivergent kids - with no training

Let’s be honest — the training teachers receive when it comes to neurodivergence is wildly inconsistent. Some get a single lecture in their degree, some get a PD afternoon, and others get nothing at all before finding themselves face-to-face with a classroom full of beautifully different brains.

Many teachers start out trained to teach the “neurotypical edition” of a classroom. Then, somewhere along the way, you find yourself in what feels like an entirely different landscape. The classroom you prepared for doesn’t quite fit the students in front of you.

And that moment of recognising that your class has ADHDers, Autistic students, dyslexic students, sensory processing disorders, maybe a smattering of PDA, can come with a mix of relief (“Ah, this explains why nothing about that strategy worked”) and overwhelm (“Okay… now what do I do?”).

You want to support your students, but suddenly you’re expected to understand sensory profiles, executive function, regulation zones, stimming, masking, and individual learning plans — often while managing twenty-something other children and a curriculum that never slows down.

So if you’ve ever thought, “I have no idea what I’m doing,” you’re in very good company.

Here’s the truth: teaching neurodivergent students doesn’t require you to be an instant expert — it requires curiosity, compassion, and flexibility. And ongoing professional development.

When you’re looking for help or clarity, lean on reputable sources. Allied health professionals like Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Speech Pathologists can provide real insight into a child’s sensory and emotional world — not just their “behaviour.” If your school works with a good OT, make friends with them. They’ll change the way you see your classroom.

And then there’s the internet — both a blessing and a minefield. Social media is full of lived experience voices, and there’s genuine gold in those spaces. But not all advice is created equal. Be cautious of accounts that frame ND student behaviours as problems to “fix” or teach masking as success. Look for educators and creators who value neuroaffirming practice — who focus on support, safety, and belonging.

One of the richest goldmines of information you’ll ever have access to is a child’s parent or carer. They know their child better than any assessment ever could. They’ve seen the patterns, the triggers, the strategies that work (and the ones that definitely don’t). Parents of neurodivergent children are often finely tuned observers — not because they chose to be, but because they’ve had to be. When you listen to them, you gain insight into the child’s sensory needs, motivators, and regulation cues in real time. Collaborating with parents is about joining forces with someone who’s been collecting data on this child since day one.

So take a breath. You don’t need to have it all figured out today. The goal isn’t to become the expert on neurodivergence — it’s to become the teacher who listens, adjusts, and makes space for every kind of brain to thrive. And you’re already doing that, just by reading this.