Workshop neurodivergentie in de klas

• Mentorles
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 6

Workshop neurodivergency in the classroom

What is 'neurodivergency' (neurodivergentie)?
PS No worries if you have no idea (:

Do you teach neurodivergent students? What kind of neurodivergency do they have?

Do you approach neurodivergent students differently?

1. Yes, because they need that
2. Yes, because I need that
3. No, because I want to approach every student in the same way
4. No, because I do not know how

Today we chose to focus on:

• ADHD
• Autism
• Anxiety (not necessarily a 'neurodivergency')

Autism

ADHD

Anxiety

Enhances focus and motivation 

Conversational skills

Hyperfocus

Strong sense of justice

Eye for detail

Improves problem solving skills

Autism

ADHD

Anxiety

Impulsive 

Withdrawn behavior

Underperforming

Difficulty with figurative language

Easily distracted

Difficulty with unexpected situations

The first ones can be seen as 'protective factors' ('beschermende factoren')

'eye for detail'

'conversational skills'

'problem solving skills'

The second ones can be seen as 'risk factors' ('belemmerende factoren')

'easily distracted'

'impulsive'

'difficulty with unexpected situations'

>this will come back later

Anxiety disorders

In general no neurodivergency, because it is not something that you are 'born with' that will never go away
Different types of anxiety disorders:

• Agoraphobia: Fear of and avoidance of situations where escape would be difficult or where help may not be available during a panic attack.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive, persistent worry about various daily matters, accompanied by symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, concentration issues, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep problems.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Recurrent, persistent thoughts (obsessions) and/or compulsive actions (compulsions).
• Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks, with fear of having another one in between.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): Intense, persistent fear of and avoidance of situations where one might be critically evaluated by others. It can be specific (e.g., fear of public speaking) or generalized across situations.
• Separation Anxiety Disorder: Excessive fear of separation from attachment figures, not appropriate for the person’s developmental stage.
• Specific Phobia: Intense, persistent fear of and avoidance of a specific object or situation.

https://www.ggzstandaarden.nl/zorgstandaarden/angstklachten-en-angststoornissen/over-angstklachten-en-angststoornissen

Our point of view 

We believe in the challenges ánd opportunities of neurodivergency and as teachers/mentors want to take into account that there are neurodivergent students and help and guide them as good as we can. 

>but how do you do that? 

As a teacher, I am able to take the needs of neurodivergent students / student with extra needs into account

-2100

Can you specify/explain your answer for the previous question? Why do you/do not feel capable? You can give examples!

The most important thing to know when you want to be able to help a student improve, no matter if they have a neurodivergency or not: 

what do they need to be succesful at learning?

Stap 1 & 2: 'basisondersteuning & 'onderwijs op maat'

• onderwijsbehoeften van leerlingen signaleren 
• differentiëren op leerlingniveau (op vakinhoudelijk gebied, vakdidactisch gebied én pedagogisch gebied)
• onderwijs op maat (verrijking, verdieping, extra instructie, etc.)

Step 1 & 2: 'Basic support' & 'Tailored education'

• identifying students educational needs
• differentiating at the student level (in subject content, subject didactics, and pedagogical areas)
• tailored education (enrichment, deepening, additional instruction, etc.)

Educational needs (onderwijsbehoeften)

What does a child need to be succesful at learning? Wat heeft een kind nodig om succesful te kunnen leren?

Examples 

This student needs teachers that: 
>give extended instruction
>give them compliments for desired behavior
>structure transitions between activities and lessons well

Voorbeelden
Deze leerling heeft docenten nodig die:
>verlengde instructie bieden
>complimenten geven bij gewenst gedrag
>overgangen tussen activiteiten en lessen goed structureren

N. Pameijer, T. van Beukering & S. de Lange (2009). Handelingsgericht werken

Knowing the meaning of 'educational needs' and some general protective and risk factors for students with ADHD: what could be an educational need for a student with ADHD?

Formulating educational needs:

1. Always do this with the student. The students know themselves best!

2. Start with mapping out the 'protective factors' and 'risk factors'
For example (this is a student with ADHD): 
>'has good conversational skills' 

>'has great problem solving skills'
>'has difficulties with sudden changes' 
>'has difficulties with concentration'
3. From those factors, you formulate the needs for the student

For example (this is a student with ADHD): 
>'has good conversational skills' > student needs teachers+classmates who show interest in them and engage in conversation.

>'has great problem solving skills' > student needs teachers that create situations in which they can showcase their strengths (problem solving skills).

>'has difficulties with sudden changes' > student needs teachers that structure transitions between lesson activities well.
>'has difficulties with concentration' > student needs lesson activities that provide structure with a step-by-step plan

In the Plan of action, 'protective factors' can be filled in at 'what am I good at' and 'risk factors' at 'what do I still want to improve' when a students wants to work on that! 

If a risk factor is not part of something a student wants to improve at that moment, you do take that factor into account while filling in the educational needs. In the Plan of action, you put the educational needs here. 

Casus

Toby is een 14-jarige jongen die in groep 11 van het IMYC zit. Hij is geïnteresseerd in geschiedenis en natuurkunde, waar hij zich vaak in kan verdiepen en waar hij veel kennis over heeft. Hij is visueel ingesteld en gebruikt graag schema's, tekeningen en kleurcoderingen om informatie te ordenen. Dit helpt hem goed te begrijpen en te onthouden wat er geleerd wordt.

Toby heeft echter moeite met sociale interacties. Hij is vaak teruggetrokken en voelt zich ongemakkelijk in groepssituaties. Hij vindt het lastig om in gesprek te gaan met zijn medeleerlingen, wat soms zorgt voor isolatie in de klas. Daarnaast merkt hij dat hij zich onzeker voelt als er onverwachte veranderingen plaatsvinden, bijvoorbeeld wanneer de lesactiviteit plotseling verandert of als er geen duidelijke instructie wordt gegeven. Dit kan leiden tot frustratie en het verlies van focus.

Tijdens lessen waarin de instructie duidelijk en gestructureerd is, voelt Toby zich comfortabeler en kan hij zich beter concentreren. Hij werkt graag zelfstandig, vooral als de taak in kleinere, beheersbare stappen is opgedeeld. Maar wanneer de opdrachten te vaag zijn of er te veel afleiding is in de klas, raakt hij snel overprikkeld en heeft hij moeite om zijn werk af te maken. Toby heeft baat bij herhaling en gedetailleerde uitleg, waarin de tussenstappen duidelijk met hem worden besproken. 

Case (study)

Toby is a 14-year-old boy who is in 11th grade of the IMYC. He is interested in history and physics, subjects he often immerses himself in and has a lot of knowledge about. He is visually oriented and enjoys using diagrams, drawings, and color-coding to organize information. This helps him understand and remember what is being taught.

However, Toby struggles with social interactions. He is often withdrawn and feels uncomfortable in group situations. He finds it difficult to engage in conversations with his classmates, which sometimes leads to isolation in the classroom. Additionally, he notices that he feels uncertain when unexpected changes occur, such as when the lesson activity suddenly changes or when there are no clear instructions. This can lead to frustration and loss of focus.

During lessons where the instruction is clear and structured, Toby feels more comfortable and can focus better. He enjoys working independently, especially when tasks are broken down into smaller, manageable steps. But when assignments are too vague or there is too much distraction in the classroom, he becomes quickly overstimulated and struggles to complete his work. Toby benefits from repetition and detailed explanations, where the steps are clearly discussed with him.

Opdracht

1. Lees de casus aandachtig

2. Formuleer drie beschermende factoren

3. Formuleer drie belemmerende factoren

4. Kies 8 passende onderwijsbehoeften uit de lijst

Assignment

1. Read the case carefully.

2. Formulate three protective factors.

3. Formulate three risk/hindering factors.

4. Choose 8 appropriate educational needs from the list.

Bechermende factoren

1. Visueel ingesteld: Toby kan goed informatie begrijpen en onthouden door het gebruik van visuele hulpmiddelen zoals schema's, tekeningen en kleurcoderingen.
   
   
2. Kennis en interesse in vakken: hij heeft een sterke interesse en diepgaande kennis in geschiedenis en natuurkunde, wat hem motiveert en hem in staat stelt om zich goed te concentreren op onderwerpen die hem aanspreken.
   
   
3. Kan goed zaelfstandig werken: Toby werkt goed zelfstandig wanneer taken in kleinere, beheersbare stappen zijn opgedeeld.

Belemmerende factoren

1. Moeite met sociale interacties: Toby voelt zich ongemakkelijk in groepssituaties en vindt het moeilijk om met zijn medeleerlingen in gesprek te gaan, wat soms zorgt voor isolatie.
   
   
2. Gevoelig voor onverwachte veranderingen: Toby heeft moeite met veranderingen in lesactiviteiten en kan zich onzeker voelen als er geen duidelijke instructies zijn, wat zijn focus en motivatie negatief beïnvloedt.
   
   
3. Snel overprikkeld door afleiding en onduidelijkheid: in een drukke omgeving of bij onduidelijke opdrachten raakt Toby snel overprikkeld en verliest hij de focus, wat leidt tot moeite met het afmaken van taken.

Protective factors

1. Visually oriented: Toby understands and retains information well through visual aids such as diagrams, drawings, and color-coding.
   
   
2. Interest and knowledge in subjects: He has a strong interest and deep knowledge in history and physics, which motivates him and allows him to focus well on topics he finds engaging.
   
   
3. Works well independently: Toby performs well independently when tasks are broken down into smaller, manageable steps.

Risk factors

1. Difficulty with social interactions: Toby feels uncomfortable in group situations and finds it hard to engage in conversations with his classmates, which sometimes leads to isolation.
   
   
2. Sensitive to unexpected changes: Toby struggles with changes in lesson activities and can feel uncertain when there are no clear instructions, which negatively impacts his focus and motivation.
   
   
3. Easily overstimulated by distractions and uncertainty: In a busy environment or with unclear assignments, Toby quickly becomes overstimulated and loses focus, which leads to difficulty completing tasks.

Onderwijsbehoeften

• Een instructie nodig die kort en duidelijk is, zodat hij precies weet wat er van hem verwacht wordt.

• Opdrachten nodig die overzichtelijk en gestructureerd zijn, zodat hij zich niet overweldigd voelt.

• Opdrachten nodig die zijn visuele kant benutten, bijvoorbeeld door het gebruik van schema’s of kleurcoderingen.

• Feedback nodig die direct aangeeft of zijn oplossingsstrategie juist is, zodat hij snel kan bijsteken waar nodig.

• (Leer)activiteiten nodig die opgedeeld zijn in kleinere stappen of deelactiviteiten, zodat hij zich niet verloren voelt in een grote taak.

• Een leeromgeving nodig die rustig is, zodat hij zich kan concentreren zonder afleiding.
• Docenten nodig die duidelijke en gestructureerde instructie bieden, zodat hij zich veilig voelt en goed kan volgen.
• Opdrachten nodig die herhaling bevatten en gedetailleerde uitleg, zodat hij de tussenstappen begrijpt en kan uitvoeren.

Educational needs

• An instruction needed that is short and clear, so he knows exactly what is expected of him.
• Assignments needed that are clear and structured, so he doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
• Assignments needed that utilize his visual strengths, for example, through the use of diagrams or color-coding.
• Feedback needed that directly indicates whether his solution strategy is correct, so he can make adjustments quickly when needed.
• (Learning) activities needed that are broken down into smaller steps or sub-tasks, so he doesn’t feel lost in a large task.
• A learning environment needed that is calm, so he can focus without distractions.
• Teachers needed who provide clear and structured instructions, so he feels safe and can follow along effectively.
• Assignments needed that include repetition and detailed explanations, so he understands and can complete the steps.

Please note

Today we focussed on helping students to be successful at learning.

We sometimes have the tendency to help students by taking things away. For example: 

• A student does not have to do a presentation because of their axiety problem
• A student can do an assignment alone in stead of in a pair, because they have difficulties with working together
• A student does not have to do a certain assignment, because it is too difficult or too easy 

> Is this something you regognize? 

> Do you think it is good to take things away sometimes? 

How can you not 'take it away', but adjust instead?

1. A student does not have to do a presentation because of their axiety problem
2. A student can do an assignment alone in stead of in a pair, because they have difficulties with working together
3. A student does not have to do a certain assignment, because it is too difficult or too easy

Please note

We sometimes have the tendency to 'help' students by taking things away. For example: 

• A student does not have to do a presentation because of their axiety problem
• A student can do an assignment alone in stead of in a pair, because they have difficulties with working together
• A student does not have to do a certain assignment, because it is too difficult or too easy 

Please note that you are not helping by taking things away. By doing this you are taking away a learning opportunity! 

How can you not 'take it away', but adjust instead?

• A student can do the presentation for you and three students of their choosing as a start. During next period it will be 10 students! 
• Beforehand you ask the student who they want to pair up with
• You adjust the assignment, so it will be more or less challenging

Who has educational needs?

Every student

it is just that some students have more or have more specific or unique ones, especially students with neurodivergencies. 

How much did you enjoy the workshop?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

How much did you learn from the workshop?

😒🙁😐🙂😃