20% of the world’s population has at least one neurodivergent condition.

For the students sitting in our classrooms, that means 1 in every 5 students' brains processes information differently from their peers. We know a sense of belonging improved outcomes for learners and all students benefit from learning with their peers. However, up until now there has been limited person-centered research that focused not on reducing non-normative behaviors but instead on improving educational experiences and fostering environments where neurodivergent learners can thrive.

SMART is committed to delivering outcomes for students around the world and is invested in understanding how we can better serve all neurotypes in the classroom. We partnered with the University of Melbourne to explore how digital technologies can best be utilized within primary and secondary school classrooms to create conditions for inclusive engagement, representation, and action and expressions for neurodivergent students. The result of this study is 36 high-impact recommendations on the effective use of digital technologies to remove barriers for neurodivergent students.

Examining existing research showed that most of the approaches to managing neurodivergent students in the classroom were behavior-based and neurodivergent learners are rarely asked for their feedback on the tech-based interventions they are receiving. In direct response to this, we conducted an exploratory case study in 6 Australian schools that looks at learning differences through a strength-based lens and incorporates student feedback from both neurodivergent students and their neurotypical peers.