Special Education Resources

Sunday Mornings & Neurodivergent anxiety doesn’t respond to “just calm down.” It responds to regulation, validation — and the right tools. Sunday mornings can be unexpectedly hard for neurodivergent nervous systems. The structure of the week drops away. The brain finally pauses… and anxiety often steps in. • For ADHD, autistic, dyslexic and dyspraxic adults, anxiety isn’t a mindset issue. • It’s a nervous-system regulation issue. • From a neuroscience perspective:  – the salience network stays on high alert  – the amygdala flags uncertainty as threat  – transitions (even busy → rest) can increase anxiety rather than ease it • This is where DBT skills and AI tools can work beautifully together. • DBT supports the body first:  – grounding before reasoning  – slowing emotional flooding  – creating safety before problem-solving • AI can support regulation by:  – externalising racing thoughts  – holding information when working memory drops  – gently prompting DBT skills when the brain goes blank • Tools I often see helping neurodivergent adults include:  – ChatGPT → brain-dumping, reframing anxious loops, prompting TIPP or Wise Mind  – Pi → calm, compassionate reflection when anxiety feels high  – NotebookLM / Copilot → organising thoughts and reducing cognitive overload Used well, AI isn’t about replacing human connection. • It’s about reducing cognitive load when the nervous system is already overwhelmed. • And DBT reminds us: • You don’t regulate by “thinking better.” • You regulate by supporting the brain and body together. • If your anxiety feels louder at weekends, you’re not failing. • Your nervous system may simply be asking for containment, not criticism. • Gentle invitation: • If this resonates and you’d like support applying these tools in real life — • I offer neurodiversity-affirming, DBT-informed coaching for adults. • You’re very welcome to:  – DM me here  – email me  – or message me on WhatsApp • No pressure — just a conversation to see what support might help you best. #Neurodiversity #ADHD #AutisticAdults #Dyslexia #Dyspraxia #DBTSkills #NeurodivergentAnxiety #AIForWellbeing #NervousSystem #TraumaInformed #InclusiveWellbeing

This is a great insights paper published by myfuture for anyone who supports young people on the autism spectrum. Young people on the autism spectrum face unique barriers in the education to employment transition. The rate of participation in work among autistic individuals of working age is considerably poorer than for non-autistic individuals and those living with disability. But with the right support, they can thrive! ✨ This report highlights five evidence-based principles to help educators and supporters guide young people on the autism spectrum toward meaningful futures: ⭐Encouraging big dreams ⭐Starting transition planning early ⭐Adolescent-centred planning ⭐Focus on the big picture about work ⭐Having a supportive champion Tools like myWAY Employability and inclusionED offer practical, strength-based resources to make career planning more effective and inclusive. I will add the link to the insights paper - Career planning for students on the autism spectrum in the comments below, as well as the links to the myWAY Employability and inclusionED websites in the comments below 👇 if anyone is interested in exploring these resources. #inclusiveeducationandemploment @autismspectrum @careerdevelopment

How AI can assist Neurodivergent individuals: Neurodiversity celebrates the vast range of human cognition. Technology—especially AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)—can play a pivotal role in creating more inclusive environments. 🚀 1. Streamlining communication 📱💬 Some people face communication challenges. AI-powered tools can offer much-needed support: Text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools simplify communication by reducing the effort needed to read or write. 📖🎧 Conversational AI provides a platform for practicing social interactions, building confidence, and reducing anxiety in real-life situations. Transcriptions from meetings Live captioning and signing 🗣️🤝 2. Enhancing organisation and focus 🧠📅 AI can help: Task management apps assist with organising daily tasks and breaking them into manageable steps. 🔄✅ AI-driven scheduling tools with visual aids help with planning and task execution. They can summarise and organise ideas into sections and provide headings 🗓️🔔 3. Supporting learning and literacy 📝🎓 AI-driven platforms offer real-time spelling, grammar, and readability feedback, improving clarity and confidence. 🖋️📚 AI-powered math tools break down complex equations into simple, step-by-step explanations, reducing math anxiety. ➕📐 4. Encouraging sensory modulation 🎧🌈 Noise-cancelling apps and customisable soundscapes reduce sensory overload. 🌿🎶 AI-driven wearables can track and provide feedback on body movements, improving coordination. Provide a means of practising training in virtual environments in own time🏃♀️🤖 AI holds immense potential for assisting neurodivergent individuals, offering tools that accommodate diverse ways of thinking and learning. These technologies aren't just about accessibility—they're about empowerment. 💪🌈 What do you use that has helped you in your work? I am certainly using these tools to speed up processes that used to take me hours to complete. #AI #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #Accessibility #TechnologyForGood

Celebrating Assistive Technology Assistive technology has been a game-changer for neurodivergent individuals like myself, helping us unlock our full potential in work, education, and everyday life. It’s empowering to see how tech can make such a difference, providing support and levelling the playing field. Here are ten amazing FREE assistive tech tools that can be a real boost for neurodivergent people: ➡️ Microsoft Immersive Reader – Great for improving reading comprehension with features like text-to-speech and highlighting. ➡️ Natural Reader – A free text-to-speech tool that reads any text out loud. ➡️ Google Keep – Simple note-taking with voice commands and reminders, perfect for organising thoughts. ➡️ Beeline Reader – Helps with reading focus by using colour gradients to guide your eyes along the text. ➡️ Trello – A visual task management tool, ideal for keeping organised and staying on track. ➡️ Grammarly – Not just for grammar! It helps with clarity and making sure you’re getting your point across clearly. ➡️ Todoist – A simple task manager for organising your day in a stress-free way. ➡️ MindMeister – A mind-mapping tool that’s brilliant for visual thinkers. Forest App – Helps with time management and focus by encouraging you to stay off your phone while you work. ➡️ Google Docs Voice Typing – A speech-to-text feature lets you dictate your thoughts without typing. Let’s celebrate the tools that make our lives easier! Do you have a favourite assistive tech? Drop it in the comments below! ⬇️ #AssistiveTech #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #TechForGood #NeurodivergentSupport Grammarly Google Trello NaturalReader Microsoft Todoist

Resilience is one of those words that gives me the ick. It pops up everywhere including in schools, universities, workplaces, as if it’s the magic answer to every challenge. Resilience certainly has its place, but, as the author of this article argues, “...this obsession with using resilience as the cure all is quietly doing damage – particularly to neurodivergent students, and risks perpetuating a culture that conflates survival with success.” Claire Inglis does a brilliant job of pointing out how higher education often puts the burden on neurodivergent students to adapt, instead of fixing the systems that create barriers in the first place. The alternative? Equity by design, not by exception. In practice, this can look like: 📍 Curriculum design: providing lecture recordings and transcripts, clear assessment instructions in various formats, working with diverse content, using plain and inclusive language, and giving students options in how they demonstrate learning (essays, presentations, projects). 📍 Learning environments: creating quiet zones and sensory-friendly spaces, designing timetables that avoid excessive back-to-back classes, and ensuring communication is consistent, clear and accessible. 📍 Support services: providing co-located or “one-stop” service hubs where students can access academic, wellbeing, and accessibility support without navigating multiple systems, and offering training for frontline staff so students don’t need to repeatedly “justify” their needs. 📍 Extra-curricular activities: making events financially accessible, offering hybrid or online participation alongside in-person options, providing a variety of offerings which cater to diverse interests, ensuring venues and campus spaces are physically accessible, and training staff and student leaders to welcome and include all students. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gj_rhTuU

Scaffolding techniques are vital for supporting students with learning disabilities, as they provide structured, personalized pathways to understanding while honoring each learner’s unique needs. For students with dyslexia, tools like phonemic awareness activities, color-coded texts, and audio books can reinforce decoding and comprehension, allowing them to engage with content without being hindered by reading challenges. Those with dyscalculia benefit from hands-on manipulatives, visual models, and real-life math applications that make abstract concepts more concrete and accessible. Students with dysgraphia thrive when given graphic organizers, typing options, and chunked writing tasks that reduce cognitive overload and promote expression. For learners with ADHD, scaffolding might include clear routines, visual schedules, movement breaks, and task segmentation to maintain focus and reduce impulsivity. Meanwhile, students with auditory processing disorders need multimodal instruction such as written directions, visual supports, and opportunities for repetition to fully grasp spoken information. These scaffolds not only enhance student confidence and independence but also help teachers create inclusive environments where every learner can flourish. #AccessibleEducation

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.” – Lalah Delia What if an AI that "chats with your pet" could actually help an autistic or ADHD individual recognize their own subtle shift into overwhelm before it happens? This is the power of a core self-discovery. A core challenge for many neurodivergent individuals is self-awareness—recognizing the physiological signs of sensory overload or a concentration crash. The support animal is a brilliant early warning system, but the individual often doesn't understand why the animal is reacting. GLEE Labs' Generative AI bridge works as an interoception mirror. Consider Riley with their cat, Whiskers. Caregivers use the tool to log subtle observations about Whiskers’ reactions—a quiet retreat, a specific purr—right after a shift in Riley’s inner state. The AI helps them spot hidden patterns, creating a dedicated, reliable lexicon. This powerful feedback loop allows Riley to visually connect their mood to their environment, making the abstract concept of emotional regulation concrete and measurable. This is "People powering AI": using technology to build a customized feedback mechanism for greater self-understanding. By empowering the individual to track their own reactions through their loyal companion, we empower them to reassess the situation and intervene earlier. Health and EdTech innovators: How do we turn this insight into a scalable self-regulation tool? Find the demo link and organizations we support in the comments. GLEE Labs 💡 "AI powered by people" 🤖🧑💻 “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” – Meryl Streep #Neurodiversity #SelfAwareness #AIforGood #EdTech #EmotionalIntelligence #LalahDelia

Supporting Students with ADHD: Executive Function (EF) Strategies That Work An Educational Psychologist's Perspective Students with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) often experience challenges with executive functioning (EF)-the set of cognitive processes that help us manage time, plan, initiate tasks, regulate emotions, and sustain attention. From an EP’s standpoint, supporting these students isn’t about fixing deficits, but about creating environments and strategies that scaffold their success. What Are the EF Challenges in ADHD? Many children with ADHD struggle with: * Working memory (holding and manipulating information) * Task initiation and completion * Inhibition and self-control * Emotional regulation * Time management and organisation Effective EF Strategies EPs Recommend: 1. Externalise the Invisible Students with ADHD benefit when abstract expectations (like time, organisation, and memory) are made visible: * Use visual schedules, timers, and color-coded planners * Break tasks into clear, short steps * Offer reminder systems (e.g., cue cards, checklists) EP Tip: Visual prompts help shift the burden of EF from internal (demanding) to external (supportive). 2. Build in Structure and Routine Predictability reduces cognitive load. EPs help schools develop: * Consistent classroom routines * Clear transitions between tasks or subjects 3. Teach EF Skills Explicitly Don’t assume children know how to plan or stay organised- teach these as skills, just like reading: * Model task breakdowns * Scaffold planning (e.g., “What do we do first?”) * Use graphic organisers for assignments 4. Use Motivators and Timely Feedback * Use immediate, meaningful reinforcement * Offer choice and novelty to maintain engagement * Use “beat the clock” games EP Insight: ADHD is a disorder of performance, not knowledge-students often know what to do, but struggle to do it consistently without the right supports. 5. Promote Self-Regulation * Teach strategies like ‘stop–think–act,’ emotional labeling, and short movement breaks * Offer calm spaces and sensory tools when needed * Co-regulate through adult modeling and prompts EPs in Action 👩🏻💻 In consultation with schools, EPs: * Help teachers recognise EF-based barriers * Support personalised interventions (e.g., IEP targets, classroom accommodations) * Work directly with students to build metacognitive skills * Provide training for school staff on ADHD-informed practice From an EP’s lens, supporting students with ADHD means understanding their unique brain wiring and building responsive environments, not expecting them to fit a rigid mold. When EF challenges are acknowledged and supported, these students thrive with creativity, energy, and resilience. #EducationalPsychology #ADHD #ExecutiveFunctioning #LearningSupport #TeachingStrategies #InclusiveEducation #ClassroomSupport #NeurodiversityInEducation #EvidenceBasedPractice #BPS #AEP #HCPC #EducationMatters #ProfessionalLearning

A blend is usually best. My approach to designing class sessions centers on designing for the learning, not the learner. Though this may be an unpopular instructional philosophy, I find it yields strong, lasting gains. Of course, learners must have adequate prior knowledge, which you can ensure through thoughtful placement and pre-training. This approach combines direct instruction with emotional, cognitive, and reinforcement strategies to maximize learning and retention. Each phase—from preparation to reinforcement—uses proven methods that reduce anxiety, build confidence, and sustain motivation while grounding knowledge in ways that lead to deeper understanding and real-world application. Direct instruction methods (such as Rosenshine and Gagné) offer a structured framework to capture attention, clarify objectives, and reduce initial anxiety. Emotional engagement—connecting material on a personal level—makes learning memorable and supports long-term retention. Reinforcement strategies like spaced repetition, interleaving, and retrieval practice transform new information into long-term memory. These methods help learners revisit and reinforce what they know, making retention easier and confidence stronger, with automaticity as the ultimate goal. Grounding learning in multiple contexts enhances recall and transfer. Teaching concepts across varied situations allows learners to apply knowledge beyond the classroom. Using multimedia principles also reduces cognitive load, supporting efficient encoding and schema-building for faster recall. Active engagement remains critical to meaningful learning. Learners need to “do” something significant with the information provided. Starting with concrete tasks and moving to abstract concepts strengthens understanding. Progressing from simple questions to complex, experience-rooted problems allows learners to apply their knowledge creatively. Reflection provides crucial insights. Requiring reflection in multiple forms—whether writing, discussion, or visual work—deepens understanding and broadens perspectives. Feedback, feedforward, and feedback cycles offer constructive guidance, equipping learners for future challenges and connecting immediate understanding with long-term growth. As learners build skills, gradually reduce guidance to foster independence. When ready, they practice in more unpredictable or “chaotic” scenarios, which strengthens their ability to apply knowledge under pressure. Controlled chaos builds resilience and adaptability—then we can apply more discovery-based methods. Apply: ✅Direct instruction ✅Emotional engagement ✅Reinforcement strategies ✅Multiple contexts ✅Multimedia learning principles ✅Active, meaningful tasks ✅Reflection in varied forms ✅Concrete-to-abstract ✅Questions-to-Problems ✅Feedback cycles ✅Decreasing guidance ✅Practice in chaos ✅Discovery-based methods (advanced learners) Hope this is helpful :) #instructionaldesign #teachingandlearning

Classroom behavior is not a discipline problem. It is a leadership and environment challenge. As a kindergarten teacher, I often hear the same concern from educators worldwide: “Some students use inappropriate language and resolve conflicts with aggression. Nothing seems to work.” Here is the truth many overlook: Children do not wake up choosing negative behavior. They repeat what they see, hear, and experience. Real change happens when we shift from punishment to behavior coaching. What consistently works in my classroom: ✔ Clear, visible classroom norms reinforced daily ✔ Addressing the behavior, not labeling the child ✔ Teaching replacement language for emotions and conflict ✔ Assigning leadership roles to high-energy students ✔ Consistent collaboration between school and parents Behavior transformation takes time, structure, and emotional intelligence. But when adults stay calm, consistent, and aligned, children change. This is not just classroom management. This is early intervention, child development, and future workforce preparation. I am always open to connecting with educators, school leaders, HR professionals, and education specialists who believe in building strong foundations early. Let’s raise learners before we fix problems. #EducationLeadership #ChildDevelopment #ClassroomManagement #SocialEmotionalLearning #PositiveDiscipline #EarlyYearsEducation #TeacherLeadership #InclusiveEducation #HRInEducation #FutureSkills