Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom - by Kara Dymond (Paperback)

About the Book

"This thoughtful guide breaks down the learning process. It's brimming with practical tips, brain-based strategies, and illustrative examples that teachers can implement in the classroom. Stories of real teachers and neurodivergent students help educators envision how to apply neurodiversity-affirming approaches"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The world expects the impossible from teachers, with so many young people in our care - all with unique needs. How do we help everyone to thrive?

Imagine a classroom where there is no 'normal' - where all brains are expected and welcomed. Students are taught about neurodiversity, metacognition, and self-advocacy alongside the curriculum and are encouraged to identify their own needs. Learning tools are taught and available to everyone!
This thoughtful guide breaks down the learning process. It's brimming with practical tips, brain-based strategies, and illustrative examples that teachers can implement in the classroom. Stories of real teachers and neurodivergent students help educators envision how to apply neurodiversity-affirming approaches.

This book invites a compassionate lens for teachers and students alike. It's the how-to of forging partnerships with students - our best resources in collaboratively problem-solving pressing classroom concerns and invisible learning needs. Everyone benefits when we plan with accessibility in mind!

Review Quotes

This inviting, experience-based guide offers practical strategies for effective teaching. It supports educators with the why, what, and how-to's for building inclusive communities and meaningful learning. A must-have resource for committed educational practitioners.--Susan Baglieri, Ed.D., Professor, Montclair State University, Author of Undoing Ableism

Read this book - it's a game-changer! It's a brilliant, compassionate, and practical guide to neurodiversity-affirming teaching that offers insightful strategies and real-life examples, empowering educators to co-create an inclusive classroom where all learners thrive.--Shelley Murphy, Professor of Teacher Education, OISE/University of Toronto and Author of Fostering Mindfulness.

Teachers have many questions about neurodiversity in the classroom, and this book will provide the answers they seek. The author provides clear and concise explanations, drawing on her extensive experience and thorough knowledge of the research and theoretical models of neurodiversity. Although written primarily for teachers, I know that parents and psychologists will also greatly benefit from the advice.--Professor Tony Attwood, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Professor at Griffith University, Queensland.

This valuable book is bursting with practical tools, research-informed strategies, and vivid examples that empower educators to enable all of their students to thrive. Dr. Kara Dymond's expertise, dedication, and compassion shine through. She demonstrates how to provide access to rich curricula and learning experiences for all learners and how to partner with students to support their success.--Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Teaching and Teacher Education Emeritus, Stanford University and President of the Learning Policy Institute

Beyond a host of useful practices, Kara offers a whole new way of thinking. This is what we need. A paradigm shift coupled with practical tools that help us embrace the complex reality of learner variability. I recommend this book to educators at all levels.--Lincoln Smith, K-12 educator, Researcher, and Teacher Educator (with ADHD)

As a neurodivergent person (Autistic, ADHD, and then some), this is the kind of book I wish my own teachers had access to. As a psychologist, I would wish for every teacher to read this as a part of their own curriculum.
Kara proposes a student focused classroom; One that inspires students to want to be there, to learn about themselves as well as the subjects, and to embrace their differences as a group.
It's a learning environment I would want for everyone, regardless of neurotype.

--Maja Toudal, Autistic Psychologist, Speaker, and Author.

A career-changing read for teachers! Dymond offers an inclusive perspective on learning that will transform the way educators teach-not just neurodivergent students, but all students. Creative, engaging, and practical, this book is a must-read!--Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D. psychologist and Internationally known writer, speaker, consultant and clinician

A MUST READ for all teachers! As a teacher with over 30 years of classroom experience, I found this book pack full of evidence-based, practical, easy-to-understand ideas that would be beneficial to all the students in your classroom!--Dr. Andrea Liendo, Classroom Teacher for over 30 years, Canada

This book is exactly what educators need right now. For teachers working to create neurodiversity-affirming classrooms, Dr. Dymond offers the support our community has been asking for-compassionate, research-informed strategies that can be used right away. I know this will live in many classrooms, post-its and all.--Elana Shapiro, PhD, Educator, Sessional Lecturer, and Faculty Advisor, University of Toronto

A page turner. I could not put the book down. So many interesting and practical ideas for creating a neurodiversity-affirming classroom. All teachers should get their hands on a copy of this wonderful read. Can't wait to share with my staff.--Antonella De Roma, Elementary School Principal

Kara Dymond's feel for neurodiversity is unmatched. This book beautifully integrates her decades of intense study, immense pedagogical creativity, and deep compassion for learners. In a world of artificial intelligence, Dymond's leadership on how to affirm and fully develop human intelligence is essential. This is exactly what educators should be reading right now.--Dr. Laurie Faith, Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream), OISE/University of Toronto, Author of Executive Function Skills in the Classroom: Overcoming Barriers, Building Strategies

About the Author

Kara Dymond, OCT, Ph.D, is a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD advocate, author, educator, presenter, and award-winning teacher educator from Canada. Kara is an experienced teacher whose work supporting autistic students inspired her books, Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom and The Autism Lens. At the University of Toronto, Kara researches Universal Design for Learning and teaches graduate courses on accessible and inclusive education, neurodiversity, learning differences, and mental health. She regularly presents to teachers, caregivers, and organizations on neurodiversity-affirming spaces, allyship, and accessibility needs. Kara co-hosts the Autistic Tidbits & Tangents podcast with Canadian autistic advocate Bruce Petherick and Maja Toudal, an autistic psychologist from Denmark. Kara is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a Governor General Award for service for her dedication to improving the lives of autistic people and their communities across Canada.