Tips for Understanding Learning Differences

Do you know a student who struggles to keep up in class, needs extra time to respond, or has difficulty completing tasks efficiently? Processing speed challenges can impact reading, writing, math, and even social interactions. Here are some strategies to help: ✅ Reduce Time Pressure – Allow extra time for tasks, tests, and responses to reduce anxiety and frustration. ✅ Break Tasks into Steps – Chunk information into manageable parts and provide clear, sequential instructions. ✅ Use Visual Supports – Graphic organizers, color coding, and step-by-step checklists help students organize their thoughts. ✅ Provide a Model – Show examples of completed work to help students understand expectations. ✅ Limit Distractions – A quiet, clutter-free workspace can help students focus and process information more efficiently. ✅ Encourage Verbal Processing – Let students talk through their ideas before writing to improve clarity and confidence. ✅ Incorporate Multisensory Techniques – Engaging multiple senses (like saying, tracing, and writing a word) can enhance learning and recall. ✅ Celebrate Progress – Acknowledge small successes to build confidence and motivation! 🌟 Every student processes information at their own pace—supporting them with patience and the right strategies can make all the difference! #SlowProcessing #EducationSupport #LearningStrategies #EveryLearnerCounts

🚀 𝟐𝐞 (𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞-𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥) 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬: 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝. How can a child be both highly gifted and struggle in school? 🤯 This is the paradox of 𝟐𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧—students who are exceptionally bright but also face challenges like 𝐴𝐷𝐻𝐷, 𝑑𝑦𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑎, 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑚, or other 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠. 📖 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧? 2e students excel in some areas but face significant challenges in others. Their strengths can mask their difficulties, and their struggles can overshadow their gifts—leading to misdiagnosis and frustration. 🔥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦? Schools and professionals often see only one side of the equation. 🧠 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: ❌ “She’s so smart—she just needs to focus.” ❌ “If he’s gifted, why does he need extra help?” ⚡ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: ❌ “He has ADHD—he can’t be that advanced.” ❌ “She struggles with writing, so she must not be gifted.” 💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡? 2e kids don’t fit into a single box. Their brilliance and challenges coexist, creating a complex learning profile that needs a specialized approach. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨 𝐖𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩? A 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨-𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 can identify a child’s full learning profile, pinpointing both strengths and challenges. Here are tailored tips for 2e kids: ➡️𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲:  Recognize both strengths and struggles. ➡️𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: Offer accommodations that address both needs. ➡️𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:: Build confidence by focusing on areas of strength. ➡️𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: Visual schedules and routines can help with organization. ➡️𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:  Techniques like deep breathing can help manage frustration. ➡️𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬:  Work with specialists who understand 2e students. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲? 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 2e kids don’t need to be “𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝”—they need to be fully understood. With the right support, they 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞.🌱✨ #TwiceExceptional #PsychoEducationalTesting #Neurodiversity #GiftedAndStruggling #UnlockPotential CC: Neurodiversity Belgium, Neurodiversity Education Academy, Staying Ahead of the Game LLC

Thanks to Professor Finola Farrant, Emma Owen, Marta Jaksa and Fawn Hunkins-Beckford for these ideas: There is a wealth of knowledge within the #neurodivergent community, and it makes sense that they are involved in shaping the learning experience. Experts by experience can supply significant education, both clinically and practically, and can support both neurodivergent and neurotypical people to craft academic environments that better cater to #diversity more equitably.  With an #inclusive staff cohort, you should have better understanding of, and more reasonable adjustments made for, neurodivergent students. There are also practical steps that can be taken to achieve a #neurodiverse-friendly university, such as: − Offering classes at alternative times or offering flexibility for those who may not be able to attend physical lectures. − Adopting a relaxed, pedagogical approach, which allows more breaks during teaching, the opportunity to stand up and walk around and sympathy to individual needs. − Understanding that some people learn better and are more comfortable if they have their eyes closed or are undertaking another activity (such as crocheting), as this keeps them “in the moment”. − The physical space of teaching should be neurodiverse aware in terms of lighting, sound and use of space, and the content and pace of teaching and university meetings should be mindful of the diversity of needs.  − There should be adequate support and training for staff, so they know what to do once a diagnosis has been shared. This includes adopting sympathetic responses to requests for more information that can reduce anxiety and confusion and being mindful of neurodiverse-appropriate language. Universities need to make sure they are no longer using outdated terms such as “low- or high-functioning”. − Reviewing assessments to ensure they are neurodivergent friendly or that alternative assessments are available. Allowing students to write their own assessment questions can help. There should be clarity in terms of assignment details, deadlines and expectations. − Materials should be prepared with the needs of neurodivergent people in mind in terms of background colour, reducing large blocks of text and the inclusion of keywords. This also means that different formats of study, including part-time or online programmes, should be available.  − To help navigate the student experience, individual support and/or a peer buddy can help students and staff navigate their studies/workplaces. #Universities shouldn’t rely on disclosure from individuals in order to meet their needs. Instead, by training staff to recognise that #neurodiversity can present itself in different ways and offering more diverse approaches towards learning and different methods of assessments, higher education institutions can become more neurodiverse friendly. #InclusiveEducation #DisabilitySupport #AutismSupport