With the constantly changing world, fast moving technology and a million apps floating around, keeping up with the way students learn is no longer a simple task. When catering to neurodivergent students and the various ways their brains like to work, this can become an even bigger challenge.

Disability officers probably wish they had a one stop solution (beyond themselves!) to support all learning styles and needs. Something which allows students to gain information, retain and use it when needed, boost productivity, decrease overwhelm and increase confidence, would reflect and do justice to the supportive role they play.

With so much out there, and students quite literally studying out of campuses remotely, inclusive technology for a technology-driven generation should be stepping up to the plate. Staff and students alike require a way to complement neurodiverse brains and the technological expectations of today to ensure the success of modern learning.

Despite the acceleration of change which technology has driven in the last couple of years, affecting how students study, the expertise of disability officers and various neurodiversity experts remains, and is in fact more important than ever. Imparting their knowledge has however become harder, especially when technology to counter radical learning, societal and lifestyle changes isn’t always available. So what new angles have arisen surrounding the fundamentals of assisting neurodiversity, and what’s out there to help staff continue to support students in new ways?

Sourcing and using information

With the World Wide Web growing by the minute, there is more information available on the internet now than there has ever been before, and it is only going to increase. Taking in infinite amounts of information can be extremely overwhelming, especially for those who might find it difficult to navigate their way through it, retain it and not be distracted.

The impact this is having on younger generations as a whole is pertinently reflected by the increasing amount of studies have which called the impact of social media platforms like Tik Tok, “a pandemic within a pandemic,” owing to the increase in the number of teenage girls experiencing uncontrollable tics due to its increased use over the pandemic. Researchers also found that by age 5, children who experienced screen time of two hours or more per day, were 7.7 times more likely to meet criteria for ADHD.

Disability Officers are always seeking to make the world a less complex place for their students to navigate, and in today’s world, that must include online environments considering these growing trends. Thankfully, although the prolific nature of online sources of information can overwhelm, there are ways to harness their rich reserves effectively.

For instance, learning techniques like mind mapping are considered highly effective in highlighting key points and making the remembering process easier for neurodivergent students thanks to their visual nature. This is by no means a new technique for gaining, storing and applying knowledge but with the introduction of mind mapping software such as Ayoa, which can be accessed on any device and linked to online resources, students can mind map their ever growing knowledge whenever they like.

Boost productivity

We all have seen the world take an unusual turn in the past couple of years. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, think and live. It also instilled the feeling of stagnation in many of our minds. Undoubtedly this was felt by students – excited to see the world and meet new people before finding themselves stuck inside.

Neurodivergent students in particular can tend to struggle with productivity if not given the right resources and insights to manage their time properly. Paired with recent events making it difficult to push yourself and get things done, Disability Officers are dedicating more time addressing the executive function skill of time management. Despite being a problem felt by many, often a turning point comes from helping students better understand themselves on an individual level.

Offering a creative spin on productivity, Ayoa’s flexible task boards allow students exactly that by giving them the opportunity to organise their to-dos in a way which makes sense to them, helping them get into their personal groove and set course on a motivational wave of achievement. With technology being at the forefront of everything students do, why not make sure that it assists their productivity too?

Decrease overwhelm

A path to boosting productivity can also be by reducing overwhelm and anxiety. Doing so allows the brain space to get on with what is actually needed. When Disability Officers assist with anxiety though, they in fact employ a double-edged source of positivity for their neurodivergent students. Not only is focus improved, but well-being is boosted too!

So how can Disability Officers reduce feelings of overwhelm for a generation of students who on top of studying demands also face waves of unnerving, unprecedented change? For starters, they should seek to provide them with tools which are designed to resolve their contemporary problems. In a survey carried out in 2020, 1 in 10 students reported frustrations about the technology they used being outdated.

It makes sense, given that the current generation of students have grown up with technology. They also know that upon graduation, technology will be imperative when they move into the world of work. Allowing students to hone their skills with technology which will be useful in their future, rather than wasting valuable time on dated tools, is another way to placate feelings of stress as they know that they’re developing relevant skills.

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Did you know?

Ayoa has been designed with neurodivergent students in mind with its educational templates, dedicated Dyslexia View, and more. Corporations around the globe are already recognising the importance of this by adopting Ayoa themselves in preparation of neurodivergent graduates.

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Increase confidence

As a Disability Officer, the role of supporting neurodiversity comes naturally. So too should promoting it. Historically, neurological differences have been framed by negative language resulting in some people still being unable to focus on the positive aspects of it. However, for many, the last couple of years offered a moment to pause, look inwardly and in fact come to discover the strengths which their neurodivergence gifts them.

As the world opens up again, it’s important for these moments of individual pride and celebration to be shared with others on a wider level. By finding ways for neurodivergent students to thrive alongside others, Disability Officers can ensure that their aim of instilling confidence in their students, and neurodiversity as a whole, can be gained.

Confidence can be developed by the support of Disability Officers, it can be nurtured over time to grow from within, but one of the quickest ways to bolster the confidence of a student is through peer validation. Finding the bravery to acquire this is never usually easy, especially when group work typically leads to neurodivergent students having to work in ways which don’t work for them.

Acknowledgement that everyone works differently though has informed the development of the Ayoa app. Positioned as a neuro-inclusive collaborative app, Ayoa offers neurodivergent students the opportunity to work with methods which align with their brains alongside their neurotypical peers at exactly the same time! With 1 in 7 people being neurodivergent, allowing everyone to work to their full potential, means that with Ayoa, a lot of neurodivergent students can be fast-tracked to gaining the confidence in themselves which they deserve.

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Insider Preview: the path to understanding what works best for you is always personal but often help from another perspective goes a long way. By September 2022 Ayoa is going to be loaded with templates delivered by neurodiversity experts to help students conquer every assignment!

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Education – a time for supporting minds, not moulding them

Although always portrayed as “a lot of work”, making the world more neuro-inclusive and nurturing neurodivergent individuals according to their requirements is now more attainable than ever thanks to advancements in technology.

As discussed, and as felt by everyone – our world is always changing. Similarly, the minds of neurodivergent students function in very different ways, meaning that Disability Officers are always faced with a new prospect to support. Sourcing support for neurodivergent students in our rapidly changing world therefore naturally hinges on flexible technology.

In other words, we need technology that doesn’t make neurodivergence look like a disability. The difference that this can make for this generation of students is felt constantly by Assistive Technology Trainer, Tracy Valliere Evans:

“Being an AT Trainer & experiencing a myriad of neurodivergent students, I watch the stress & then the wide-eyed ‘OMG’ moments when I illustrate to them how Ayoa works… I get to enjoy seeing their shoulders drop, morale rise, furrowed brows relax, a glint & a smile appear whilst going through Ayoa – I also get the ‘wow’ word at the end!!”

If you’re keen to discover more about how student expectations of technology are changing, and how Disability Officers can continue to pass on their knowledge in a way which has a positive impact on the learning and lives of the neurodivergent students of today, join our webinar on … alongside special guests Spellex.

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