Supporting neurodiversity and disability inclusion in school communities

Libby Finn

Hello and thanks for joining us today. My name is Libby Finn and I'm the Be You Clinical Lead for New South Wales and the ACT. I'm a registered psychologist and I've worked for 17 years as a school counsellor across K-12. A number of the schools I worked in had support units for students with reading and language disorders when those still existed, mild-moderate intellectual disabilities and autism. I also worked in a school for specific purposes for students with internalizing mental health disorders and many of those students had other diagnoses such as ADHD, high-functioning autism, and learning difficulties. I have also spent some time working as a psychologist in an aspect school. I've been with the Be You team for the past 18 months supporting schools to implement whole school mental health and wellbeing initiatives as well as providing postvention support for schools impacted by suicide.

With me today is Annette Bulling. Annette has previously worked as an educator, counsellor, policy advisor, trainer, and education consultant in Australia and overseas. Annette is currently the State and Territory manager for the headspace Be You New South Wales/ACT team. Through her work with the department of education in South Australia she has led many initiatives regarding the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. She's passionate about providing flexible learning opportunities to promote lifelong learning, wellbeing, and resilience for young people from diverse backgrounds and identities. I’ll now hand over to Annette to do the Acknowledgment of Country.

Annette Bulling

Thanks Libby. I’d like to acknowledge that we're meeting on the Land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to Elders past and present. As a conference with national reach I’d also like to Acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waterways and community. The last two days we've had people joining us from all over the country so it'd be wonderful if people could share their own Acknowledgement by putting the name of the Country there on in the chat.

Libby Finn

So, today's session is titled ‘Neurodiversity and the importance of inclusion’. We will have a look at what we aim to cover today in the session outline on the next slide. So firstly, we’ll define neurodiversity and look at the impact it can have, in particular poorer mental health outcomes when neurodiverse individuals try to function in an environment that is set up for neurotypical people. Often, they do this by masking their differences in an attempt to appear more neurotypical which is: exhausting, effects their self-worth, and leads to anxiety, depression, and burnout. We’ll explore the importance of inclusion and how this process provides a sense of belonging and connection and removes barriers allowing neurodiverse learners to be their true self and achieve their best.

Secondly, we’ll look at the ways to support neurodiversity in the classroom through the use of universal design for learning or UDL. We will unpack some specific ideas to implement in the classroom that follow UDL principles that can not only support neurodiverse learners but benefit all learners. Thirdly we will explore a range of organisations and services that can support educators with advice, training, and resources to further support university in the classroom. We’ll go through a case study which explores an educator’s use of inclusive practises to support a student with autism, and finally we’ll have a look at some of the Be You resources that support inclusive practise.

So, what do we mean by ‘neurodiversity’? So, everyone has a differently wired brain and their own unique way of thinking, interacting, and experiencing the world. The term neuro diversity was first coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in the late 1990s to represent the different ways in which people do anything: from thinking, moving, and behaving, to visualising, communicating, and processing information. It is not a single condition, it includes everyone and encompasses a large number of people who may diverge from the mean.

Neurodiversity emphasises that everyone's mind works differently - people have different interests, motivation, skills, and strengths, and these differences should be recognised, understood, respected and celebrated just like any other human variation such as gender, race, or sexual orientation. So, while everyone is unique most people are neurotypical - their brains process information in a relatively similar way. And people who process information differently may be neurodivergent. These differences however may mean that neurodivergent people find some things challenging that others find easy and vice versa. Approximately fifteen to twenty percent of population has a neurological difference. And instead of labelling people with deficits or disorders, when we use the term neurodiversity, we take a balanced view of an individual’s unique strengths and challenges.

Many challenges that neurodivergent people face are more to do with the environment and the systems they’re placed in often designed by a majority population. In 2018 Siena Castellon founded Neurodiversity Celebration Week because she wanted to change the way that learning differences are perceived. Sienna is autistic and has ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia and she found as a teenager that people often focused on the challenges of the neurological diversity. She wanted to change the narrative and create a balanced view which focuses equally on the talents and strengths of neuro diversity. Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which occurs in March every year, is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences and aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent; while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate difference and empower every individual.

Annette Bulling

Some of the different ways of thinking, learning, interacting, and perceiving the world have been given labels such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, autism spectrum conditions (ASC), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia.  This is not an exhaustive list some people with Tourette's, OCD, and intellectual disability also identify as neurodiverse. I'm just going to provide now a very brief overview of some of the conditions that are listed including some of the challenges a person with this condition might face as well as their strengths.

So, starting with ADHD: according to the DSM-5 about 4% of the population have ADHD. ADHD affects a person's ability to focus and can cause inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. On the other hand, people with ADHD tend to think out of the box and can be some of the most creative members of a group bringing energy and new approaches.

Next, we’re going to have a very brief look at autism, about 2% of the population is autistic. Autism can affect how a person perceive the world and interacts and socializes with others making it challenging for them to pick up social cues and interpret them. Autistic people can be sensitive to light, noise, touch, and smells which can sometimes cause them distress. However, people on the autism spectrum can be highly logical, good at absorbing and remembering facts, show attention to detail, and can be excellent at recognising patterns.

About 10% of the population are dyslexic. Dyslexia can cause challenges with processing information quickly, organisation, sequencing, spoken language, and motor skills. However dyslexic people can be very good at creative thinking, problem solving, and verbal communication. About 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic.

Dyspraxia is also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD) about 6% of the population are dyspraxic. Dyspraxia affects physical coordination and can affect fine motor skills such as handwriting, tying up shoes, and doing up buttons. It can also affect gross motor skills such as being able to catch and kick a ball, run, and ride a bike so it can mean they struggle with sports. However, dyspraxic people are creative, determined, and good at developing their own strategies to overcome difficulties.

Dyscalculia - about 5% of the population have dyscalculia. Dyscalculia affects the ability to acquire and use mathematical skills. For some it affects how they see numbers for others it might make symbols difficult to read. They may have trouble understanding finances, data, and using numbers in everyday life. People with dyscalculia often have strength such as intuition and strong strategic thinking. They can be very creative and have a love of words.

Libby Finn

So, any trait can be an advantage for some people if they have the opportunity to make use of it in a functional way. However, for some people, having neurodivergent traits can create challenges especially when placed in settings where there are social expectations to think and behave like a neurotypical person. As mentioned earlier this can lead to difficulties, including mental health challenges. There is extensive evidence of greater rates of depression, anxiety co-occurring with autism and ADHD for example. Nearly 3 in 10 children diagnosed with ADHD have an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, the lack of support and resources for neurodiverse students can create issues such as behaviours of concern, absconding, depression, mental health problems, and school refusal. And what we mean by behaviours of concern - are behaviours of such intensity, frequency, or duration that the physical safety of that, of the person or others are placed in serious jeopardy. There are also behaviours, these are also behaviours which are likely to limit their participation within the community. So, for neurodiverse young people difficulties with communication, frustration, avoidance, sensory difficulties and a host of other factors can result in such behaviours of concern. And this really highlights the need to support our neurodiverse students.

Annette Bulling

So, the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 lists a number of definitions of disability. One of which is stated as: a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction. This definition would cover many disorders under the neurodiversity umbrella which means educators have a legal obligation to support these students. So, all educators and education providers in Australia have obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 to support students with disability. And these obligations include: making reasonable adjustments, which allows students with disabilities to participate and learn on the same basis as students without disability. They also include preventing harassment and victimisation of students with disability and consulting regularly with students and their parents and caregivers to develop reasonable adjustments and address concerns as they arise.

Libby Finn

So, what is inclusion? Inclusion is not just about children with disabilities being with their typically developing peers. It's about ensuring that every learner is able to access and participate' fully in the education setting. Inclusion happens when all students are viewed as being capable learners and viewed as being able to contribute. So, the educators view of the student is important, inclusion isn't about fixing or changing the child so that they fit in, it's about actually changing what we do as educators so that all children are able to participate. So, it's more about us than the child in many ways.

Inclusion happens when the focus is on the whole environment and not just on the individual child. Inclusion also happens when diversity is acknowledged, respected, and viewed as an opportunity for growth and learning. All educators need to be able to identify inclusion barriers and learn about ways they can overcome them. Inclusion happens when people are encouraged to do things independently and when children are supported to contribute. When they're enabled to make their own choices and participate in the same things as their peers. And really importantly when children feel safe and valued. Because this sense of safety really should come first because everything else is going to flow from that.

Professor Nicole Rinehart the founder of AllPlay Learn program says, ‘inclusion is good for everyone’. She further says that, ‘research shows that having children and young people of all abilities together in the same learning community helps with acceptance and recognition, with the result that it helps develop a stronger sense of belonging for everyone.’ Ultimately our society and quality of life improve if we're fully inclusive. When young people are not part of an inclusive environment, they can experience higher levels of distress and exclusion and are less likely to remain engaged with education, to seek or engage with support, or have positive regard for relationships at school.

Annette Bulling

Historically people with disability were often described in ways that discriminate and demeaned them. Expressions such as ‘victim’ or ‘sufferer’ suggest that they’re unhappy about their lives or that they wish they were ‘normal’. Under the social model of disability societal barriers are considered to be the obstacles to the person's participation not their impairment. For example, a flight of stairs for a wheelchair user is a social barrier and can be overcome by the installation of ramps or lifts. The social model of disability rejects the medical model which sees disability as an individual deficit or deviation from the norm. Neurodiversity is aligned with the social model of disability, a belief that disability stems from a society that doesn't appropriately accommodate varying needs. Impairment should not be a barrier to inclusion or access and an individual does not need to be ‘normal’ to enjoy the full range of human experience. So by challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences we can embrace uniqueness.

One of the ways we can challenge stereotypes and misconceptions is through the use of inclusive language because language is influential. Government and non-government institutions predominantly use person first language when referring to people with a disability to remind us that people with a disability are a person first and to avoid unnecessary focus on a person's impairment. However, person first language and identity first language are both used in Australia, so people with disability often have strong preferences for one term or the other so as stated in the quick guide to inclusive language which is on the right of the slide the best approach to inclusive language is to always ask the child, young person, or family their preferred language. Many people with disabilities prefer identity-first language which positions disability as an identity category. For example, I am an autistic person, like I am an Australian person, or I am a bisexual person. As mentioned earlier in the presentation some specific communities such as autistic communities may not define themselves as disabled as they see differences as part of neurodiversity which is the natural variation in how people's brains work and not something that’s abnormal.

Libby Finn

So the following suggestions are a useful place to start in increasing your skills and knowledge of inclusive practises. So, understand what you're working towards. Know that you're not expected to have all the answers when it comes to inclusive practises, and you don't need to be an expert. When it comes to inclusion every community and every child is different so even educators who are experienced in this space are always learning. Acknowledge that you're feeling uncertain and that this may be new for you because that will give you the permission, the space, and the opportunity to learn more; whether that's via a family partnership, a colleague, a speech pathologist or from a professional development resource. Your image of a child or young person with a developmental delay or disability affects how you as their educator talk, listen, and relate to the child and then this can influence how child or their peers, the families of the peers, and other educators will relate to them too. So instead of using language to describe a child or young person by their restrictions describe what they do instead and acknowledge that everyone has unique strengths, interests, and abilities regardless of the presence or absence of a disability or developmental delay. Have high expectations: while a child or a young person with neurodiversity might learn or achieve in a way that's not the dominant way, or it may take longer, or require different resources to support participation have the same expectations of them. Support their participation by tailoring tasks to their strengths and abilities. Sending a message to a child or young person that they're, and their peers, that you as their educator believe they can do it is one of the strongest messages in inclusion that you can adopt.

And learn what you can do - the strategies you choose to use as an educator will vary widely depending on a range of factors including your knowledge of the child's disability or delay, your relationship with the child, their family and extended support group, which can include their health professionals. The child's strengths and abilities in the education setting where you work. For example, while using visual aids in addition to spoken language - sorry - while using visual aids in addition to spoken instructions may support some children and young people, providing more time and more opportunities to practise may be more useful for others; there’s just no one-size-fits-all approach.

Annette Bulling

So, I’d like to take a moment to invite you all to take part in a poll. We want you all to be reflecting and thinking about the implications of today's conversation about inclusion, when considering the statement which resonates with you the most. So, what we're asking you to do is to choose from those statements that you can see on the slide, which of the statements resonates most when considering the term inclusion. So is it: supports and collaborates with families, is it supports individuals to participate, is it adopting many ways of being and doing within your environment, recognising and embracing differences, have something else? So, tell us in the chat which of those is really jumping out at you in terms of the resonating from everything that we've talked about so far. So, we’ll just give you a minute just to plugin some answers, some responses.

Okay so we're going to go on now and then we’ll come back to have a look at what you've come up with in that poll, so over to you Libby.

Libby Finn

Thanks, right so the next session of the presentation we're going to have a look at some of the practical ways we can support neurodiverse students in the classroom for the use of universal design for learning (UDL). So universal design for learning outlines a set of principles that gives all children and young people equal opportunities to learn. It is a framework based on the idea that we all learn in different ways and therefore need different ways to access information and to demonstrate what we know. The typical or average child does not exist. Children and young people have different interests and motivations for wanting to learn or discover things and the way that they do this best is diverse too. For some reading might be the best way to get information while for others hearing, or seeing information is more effective. As well the way a child or young person feels most comfortable and competent at demonstrating what they've learned will vary.

The principles of UDL encourage educators to support learning in different ways: provide choice and options to assess learning and consider how to sustain children and young people's motivation and engagement. It’s important to understand that while the UDL framework may be particularly helpful for a child or young person with neurodiversity, um, it's a framework designed with every learner in mind - it's helpful for all children and young people. And UDL is based on three main principles.

So, the first principle is: providing multiple means of engagement. So, students are engaged and motivated to learn in different ways, some find it easier to engage and stay motivated when they're working on an activity as part of a group, while the opposite maybe true for others. Noise, movement and spontaneous changes in routine can affect engagement, for some students it's highly engaging while others find it disruptive, engaging, and even upsetting - so no single strategy is going to work for every student. So, this principle offers educators the flexibility to provide multiple options allowing in children and young people choice and autonomy in how they engage.

The second principle is: providing multiple means of representation. So, this means offering learning experiences in more than one format. So, for example some students might find it easier to grasp information from a textbook while others find information easier to comprehend when it's presented visually, orally, or in a hands-on format. Some students will benefit from using a combination of formats when it comes to understanding new concepts.

And the third principle is about providing multiple means of action and expression. So, this is really about how students demonstrate their learning. While pen and paper tests might suit some learner’s verbal presentations, podcasts, or visual representation will better suit others. So, we can see on this slide that the three principles of UDL are across the top row and underneath each principal are a list of strategies.

So firstly, under the principle of engagement we have the strategy of recruiting interest. So, educators can recruit interest by making information accessible by developing content that is relevant, timely, and appealing, and offers a variety, on how skills and knowledge are developed. So, some specifics of ideas for this might include giving students as much choice and autonomy as possible maybe not in what they're learning but how they learn. So, for example you might offer alternative seating such as bean bags, a therapy ball, wobble cushions, or standing desk as these sorts of seating arrangements can support students need for movement or bodily sensations which really can help some students maintain focus. Another example might be providing a menu of choices for a topic or text that students can select from. Another example might be the use of a break card that students can use to request a break because this can often prevent behaviour escalation by giving students a means of communication when maybe they can't express themselves because they may be too overwhelmed to communicate verbally. Another guideline to recruit interest and engagement is to maximise relevance to real life. So, ways to achieve this might be using a strategy called familiar people, places, and things where a teacher incorporates content that is already known to the student. So, either through previous teaching or students’ personal background knowledge. So, what you might do is use a graphic organiser where the topic is in the centre and then we list everything we know about that topic and then we might start to list everything we want to know about that topic; and students can have multiple choices to go off and research. So, they might want to go off and read something or listen to something, or watch a video. The final guideline listed under engagement is to try to minimise distractions and threats. So, one way you might want to do this is to take brain breaks which are intentional breaks during instruction and learning which only may be a few minutes long where students might complete, a physical, a mental, or a breathing exercise. This could be done individually, such as stretching, deep breathing, or with a partner like playing a game of rock paper scissors, as a whole class by participating in a little song or a short dance routine.

So now we’re moving on to the principle of representation. So again, that main strategy’s about providing multiple options for the way students perceive content. So, guidelines to achieve this include customising the display: so this my involve allowing students to use a touchscreen device where they can change font size, text types, or the contrasting colours on a page. Another guideline is to provide alternatives to auditory information so that might be through the use of speech to text, or voice recognition software, or providing visual diagrams or charts, sign language for example. Another example might be to provide transcripts of auditory information that's presented. Then we provide alternative to visual information which is another important guideline and might involve the use of text-to-speech technology, audiobooks or the teacher reading aloud to students.

The guideline of clarifying vocabulary and symbols might involve things such as using a maths dictionary or using, a dictionary or thesauruses, developing a glossary of terms that are relevant to the topic you’re learning or even using word attack reminders for new words students come across.

And illustrating concepts via multimedia might involve the use of text, speech, drawing, comics storyboards, videos, music, visual arts, and a lot of interactive software can incorporate this multimedia simultaneously using sort of text, video, sound and graphics and animation all at once which is really appealing to some students.

The guide of activating or supplying background information, which is another one of our tips, is about involving strategies such as brainstorming, using graphic organisers, concept maps and other visuals to show those connections.

Finally, the third principle is action and expression. And that main strategy is about providing various options for students to demonstrate what they know. So ways to achieve this is through the access of tools and assistive technologies such as speech-to-text, text-to-speech, word predictive software, and communication boards. Again using - by using multimedia could be allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge through text, through a speech, through drawing, through a storyboard design, or making a video, and some students might like to write their responses, or some might like to make a PowerPoint or a podcast for example.

And the use of multiple tools for construction and composition would involve the use of those things such as spell checkers, grammar checks, word prediction software, calculators, sentence starters, story webs and things like virtual, or concrete maths manipulatives and web applications. And finally the type of strategies that can support students who struggle with executive function and what we mean by that are things like planning, focusing their attention, remembering instructions, or multitasking are things such as: creating to-do list, repeating the instructions to students, pairing auditory and visual instructions together, graphic organisers, pneumonics, having open-book exams, asking the student to repeat back the instructions to you, scaffolding a task, using transcripts or feedback rubrics among many other kinds of things.

Now for more information and support with practical strategies for UDL you can go to the website UDLguidelines.cast.org, which a link in the chat will be put into the chat box and there are many other websites that provided examples. Another one I found really helpful was goalbook.com so hopefully they will be put in the chat.

Annette Bulling

So, in the following slides we're going to have a look at a few organisations that provide educators with practical information and resources to support neurodiverse students. So, the Autism Hub was established in October 2015 as part of the Department of Education advancing education and action plan for education in Queensland. And the Autism Hub provide evidence-based information, support, and advice to assist schools to actively include, retain, and engage students with autism.

Positive Partnerships is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the helping children with autism program and is delivered by Autism Spectrum Australia or Aspect, they work in partnership with families, educators, and communities to strengthen positive outcomes for young people on the autism spectrum. They deliver high-quality professional learning and resources through workshops, webinars, and online modules and they’re for parents, carers, and school staff.

The Raising Children Network is funded by the Australian Government to provide free, reliable, up-to-date and independent information to families and professionals. In particular there are two sections with a number of resources on supporting children with disability and children with autism.

The AllPlay Learn website has been developed by Deakin University in collaboration with the Victorian Department of Education and Training. AllPlay Learn provide professional learning courses, resources, and information for primary and secondary teachers to support students with learning difficulties and disabilities in the classroom.

So the Australian Government Department of Education have on their website links to a number of resources to support students with disabilities and these include ‘Understanding Learning Difficulties: A Practical Guide’ booklet, the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on school students with disability, and the Planning for Personalised Learning and Support which is a national resource.

So, the ‘Understanding Learning Difficulties’ guide was developed by Auspeld and provides a wide range of strategies for use in the classroom. The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data portal has some resources for teachers such as podcasts on classroom and adjustments for various disabilities and illustrations of practise. And the ‘Planning for personalised learning and support’ resource provides guidance around how to create personalised learning and support plans.

Emerging Minds develops mental health policy, interventions, in person and online training programs, and resources in response to the needs of professionals, children, and their families. Their resources are freely available, they have a number of resources on disability including a 1-hour online course on understanding child mental health and disability.

SPELD New South Wales office support assistance and advice on adjustments for specific learning difficulties as well as in school professional learning on understanding and responding to reading difficulties and writing difficulties including dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Libby Finn

Okay we're going to have a look at a case study now and the way that a classroom teacher supports a student with autism. So, this is Ashwin’s story. Ashwin is a 13-year-old boy, he loves football and watching his favourite team on the weekends. Ashwin who has a diagnosis of autism can become overwhelmed in the classroom when the noise levels rise. Ashwin's classroom teacher Mr Mansouri met with Ashwin and his mother Anna to discuss some strategies to help with the sensory overwhelm which impacts on Ashwin's learning and engagement. This discussion with Ashwin's family included ideas to support him for when he begins to detect that noise levels are becoming uncomfortable for him. So Anna suggested using Ashwin's interest in football as a potential strategy given that he also collects football cards. So Mr Mansouri and Ashwin agreed that when Ashwin was beginning to feel overwhelmed he would put a football card on his desk as a visual indicator that he needs a sensory break, and so that Ashwin doesn't feel singled out Mr Mansouri and Ashwin discussed that Ashwin could pick a card related to a player from Mr Mansouri’s favourite team to make it a bit of a shared joke with Mr Mansouri and the whole class.

So, upon seeing the card Mr Mansouri would ask Ashwin to get some jobs done for him which would allow Ashwin to remove himself from the space for a brief break.

So, from this case study we can see that Mr Mansouri has followed a number of the principles and inclusive practise. He has collaborated with Ashwin's mother for ideas about how to support him, he’s incorporated Ashwin’s interest in football in the calming strategy that was developed, and he included the use of a visual. Mr Mansouri has also provided Ashwin with the choice about which football card he wishes to use, one from his team or one from Mr Mansouri’s team and finally the strategy that Mr Mansouri has put in place to provide Ashwin with a break is something that gives him a sense of responsibility, shows him respect, and maintains his self-esteem. It's also something that most class members are likely to do, as in like do jobs for Mr Mansouri at some point in time, so Ashwin is not being asked to do anything different from his peers that might actually single him out.

Annette Bulling

So, we’re now going to have a look at some Be You supports and resources that can support educators to develop inclusive practises in the classroom and to support working with students with additional support needs. So, there are a few resources that are available on our website, this is of course not an exhaustive list of resources and it's important to know that if you are a participating Be You school you can connect with your Be You consultant who’ll be able to help you to navigate the website and locate helpful resources. They can also work with your school’s action team to create an action plan for inclusion in your school. So, the information in the Disability Inclusion Guide can be used to continue learning from today so that you can have team discussions, plan actions, or reflect on practise in your learning community. The guide is organised into sections that cover key inclusion topics such as useful strategies, real life stories, reflections, helpful resources, educators’ insights, and tip sheets.

Be You fact sheets help you explore and gain knowledge on mental health and well-being topics and it enables you to share the information ideas with your learning community. The featured fact sheet on the slide is called Recommending Additional Support which helps to guide educators about having conversations with families about accessing additional support and making referrals to services.

Be You hold regular sessions and events including national Spotlight events and In Focus webinars. The In Focus webinars are recorded and remain available on the Be You website. So, one in particular that would be relevant to today’s session is the ‘Supporting children with complex needs’ webinar, so we suggest you look that one up.

And finally, Be You have professional learning that consists of 16 content modules grouped under 5 domains. The ‘Include’ module under the ‘Mentally Healthy Communities’ domain is focused on embracing diversity within the community.

Libby Finn

So, we encourage you to continue to engage with Be You, learn more and keep up-to-date. If your learning community isn't yet implementing the Be You whole learning community approach we encourage you, register online and get started with support from a Be You Consultant. If you're looking for resources to support you with a specific need, such as disability inclusion, visit beyou.edu.au and finally keep up to date with Be You resources, events, tools and tips on Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter, also subscribe to the Be You YouTube channel and receive updates on new videos from Be You.

So, let's keep the conversations and planning for inclusivity happening with our colleagues and students. Utilise the Be You resources and contact your Be You Consultant. Maybe plan to celebrate neurodiversity in your school community by getting involved in Neurodiversity Celebration Week next March; and on the neurodiversity week website there are videos for primary and secondary school students to help them understand more about neurodiversity.

So what will your next steps be to create an inclusive classroom environment and support students with neurodiversity? What action will you take after this session? Please feel free to share your next steps in the chat box or with your own teams back in your schools.

And that brings us to the end of our presentation. I’d like to thank my colleague Annette Bulling for co-facilitating today’s session and for everyone who participated today. Take care everyone.

Annette Bulling

Thank you.

End of transcript.