A Note to School Leaders: Rethinking school-wide events through a neurodiversity-affirming lens
As another school year approaches, and is already underway in many parts of the country, it feels like the perfect time to challenge us all as educational professionals and community members to take an intentional moment to consider how we are promoting a sense of belonging for all students and their families…
As a former teacher, school counselor, and coach, I loved helping to plan the events that promoted school spirit and positive culture across the community. Today, knowing what I’ve learned about neurodiversity-affirming practices, as well as the impact of a sense of belonging on student wellbeing, I wish I could go back to all of the events that I helped to plan that were actually detrimental to the most vulnerable students.
I cringe at my own memories of students with disabilities being marched into gyms with noise cancelling headphones on or hands over ears to protect themselves from the overwhelming noise, and then enduring the entire event with visible discomfort, all in an effort to promote (forced) inclusion. It’s no wonder that these same students often became dysregulated and overwhelmed after these events!
Looking back, I would have done things quite differently. Since going back isn’t a possibility, allow me to share some guidance that my current personal and professional work has helped me to uncover…
Most school-wide events are meant to build community and belonging. They’re often designed to be loud, high-energy, and full of excitement with cheering, music, and big-group activities. For many students, that’s fun and welcoming. But for neurodivergent students and many others with sensory sensitivities, it can feel overwhelming, dysregulating, or even hostile to their nervous systems.
The intention of these events is to create a sense of belonging. Yet when they are unintentionally designed without neurodiversity-affirming practices in mind, some students are inevitably excluded. Or worse, forced to endure something that is hostile to their nervous systems, and encouraged to mask their discomfort for the benefit of those who aren’t bothered. An added tax placed on the shoulders of those who are…
Do you see how this doesn’t quite live up to the goals we’re shooting for? And while it is certainly never intentional, the impact is just as important to consider.
Inclusion isn’t about lowering expectations or dampening excitement. It’s about offering flexibility: parallel options, quieter spaces, or structured alternatives that still deliver the same connection and essential information. Being disability or neurodiversity-affirming means offering alternatives so that belonging isn’t conditional on tolerating environments that may feel unsafe or inaccessible.
Truly embracing a culture of inclusion requires us to view everything from the lens of disability, and then intentionally pausing to ask:
Whose nervous systems are supported here?
How might this event impact each and every student?
Who might be unintentionally left out?
Are we looking through the lens of inclusion, including all aspects of a student’s identity?
How can we design flexible or alternate options so every student can participate meaningfully?
As educators, leaders, and community members, we have the opportunity and responsibility to ensure our “welcome” really welcomes everyone.
When school communities commit to this shift in mindset, we send a powerful message: all students are valued members of the community from day one.
In my professional opinion, there’s nothing more important.
