Neurodiversity - Day 3

Accessible Teaching: Supporting Neurodivergent students

Accessible Teaching: Preparation, Delivery, Assessment and Placements

Accessible Teaching:Materials

Accessible Teaching: Useful Links

Neurodiversity Day 3

Assessment

• Communicate Assessment titles and dates in writing at the start of trimester
• Ensure all forms of assessment are accessible
• Consider how reasonable adjustments will be applied
• Ensure assessment guidance includes clear instructions for all tasks
• Be prepared to discount eye contact, body language, and pace in presentations

Placements

• Familiarise yourself with the Placement Planning Process
• Be aware of Students' RAPs that recommend following the process
• Module handbooks clearly state expectations, learning outcomes, and information about how placement will be assessed

Teaching Preparation

• Be familiar with your students' Recommended Adjustments Pages
• Ensure all module materials are in accessible format
• Provide slides and hand-outs at least 24 hours in advance
• Highlight essential texts in course resource lists

Teaching Delivery

• Make your expectations, boundaries, and learning outcomes clear
• Provide clear, concise, and unambiguous instructions
• Provide support for group work with guidance on rules and roles
• Be aware of how neuro-diversity-related difficulties impact presentation skills

Accessible Materials

• Program and Module Handbooks should be available in electronic format and accessible for users of assistive technology

• Word versions of PDF documents should always be provided

• Ensure appropriate features are applied:

- Documents should have a minimum font size of 12, a sans serif font, and clear font colour- PowerPoints should have a minimum font size of 26, and be saved as a .ppt file type - Videos should be captioned with audio transcribed - Images should all be of high quality, have alt tags, and meaningful descriptions

Useful links Accessible Teaching ChecklistLearning & Teaching HubDisability Service Best Practice GuidanceDisability Service Guidance for Accessible MaterialsAssistive TechnologyInclusive Placement Guide Placement Planning ProcessMake an accessible PowerPoint Create an accessible Word document

Best Practice - General Tips

• Include provision of breaks
• Allow students to stand up and walk around
• Give sympathetic consideration to individual needs
• Be aware students may use strategies to stay focused
• Be mindful of the impact of lighting, sound and space in the physical environment
• Be familiar with current guidance on inclusive language
• Be Aware that neurodivergent students may have had previous negative experiences
• Sympathetically consider extension requests
• Avoid ambiguous communication and respond sympathetically to requests for clarification
• Provide examples where possible as they can help guide students on what is required
• Provide individual support to help students navigate their studies

Celebrating Neurodiversity in Higher Education

! Be familiar with your students' Recommended Adjustments Pages ! Ensure all module materials are in accessible format ! Provide Slides and handouts at least 24 hours in advance ! Identify Essential texts in course resource lists.

! Make your expectations, boundaries and learning outcomes clear ! Provide clear, concise, and unambiguous instructions. ! Provide support for group work with guidance on rules and roles ! Be aware of how neuro-diversity-related difficulties impact presentation skills