Shifting to a neuro-affirming approach to classroom culture and norms requires curiosity. We can ask ourselves: are these things a reflection of neurotypical behavioural expectations?

Working as a class to embrace diversity and different brains is a powerful way to create an environment where all students feel safe and supported.

Class Culture and Rules

One aspect of the hidden curriculum which can be a significant challenge for autistic girls and gender diverse students is classroom culture, including expectations and norms around classroom behaviour and what learning looks like. Class rules can be especially challenging for neurodivergent young people who may have a different understanding of hierarchy and authority, and who can experience confusion and frustration when rules don’t make sense or are inconsistently applied22.

Views from Teacher, Practitioner and Autistic Adult

Teacher - Neuro-affirming teaching is about embracing the variety of strengths that all kinds of minds bring. It means including different modes of activities and allowing choice in topics and expression of learning, rather than being rigid in routines and expecting all students to learn in the same ways.

It means accepting that learning looks different for everyone and adapting your classroom management system to accept this.

Practitioner - Changing classroom culture starts with encouraging all students to recognise their own needs - for their brain, body and how they learn. Learning in a safe and supportive way doesn’t always look like quiet, compliant kids. Trust in yourself and in your ability, and that it is okay to have a room that looks a bit chaotic. If you have authentic relationships with your students, you will be able to gauge when things in your class need to be tweaked.

Autistic Adult - I have never responded well to authority and would often question teachers at school on the rules. I didn’t do this to be disrespectful, I just processed this differently and needed to understand ‘why’ the rules were in place and also see them enforced fairly.

By embracing neurodiversity and promoting neuro-affirming practices, we can create classrooms and homes that support our ladybugs in feeling safe, valued, and able to be themselves. This shift fosters environments where they can develop confidence, embrace their strengths, and feel empowered to thrive.

Neuro-affirming Tips and Strategies

  • Be proactive in creating an inclusive and neuro-affirming classroom culture, where there is whole-class acceptance of diverse ways of learning, communicating, moving, and being.
  • Ask yourself why your class rules are in place. Be ready to provide a logical reason or rationale that autistic students can understand and relate to. Engage all students, including autistic students in developing your class rules. Allow opportunities for the rules to be reviewed and discussed.
  • Consider what unwritten rules or systems are being applied in your classroom. Are these things really needed? If so, make them explicit.
  • Be clear, consistent and explicit in your classroom expectations. Avoid idioms, metaphors and figurative language. Say what you want to happen - e.g., If you say "your desk is very messy" autistic students may not pick up the implied meaning that you expect them to clean it up.
  • Understand that autistic girls are often motivated by a strong sense of social or personal justice. This may lead to them...

1. Moyse, R., & Porter, J. (2014). The experience of the hidden curriculum for autistic girls at mainstream primary schools. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 30(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2014.986915 Sproston, K, et al. (2022) For further reading see: Keywell, Creating inclusive classrooms –norms and acceptance, https://keywell.com.au/resources/articles/part-4-creating-inclusive-classrooms-norms-and-acceptance/