A Teacher's Perspective on Neurodiversity Week

In 2022, we were invited to submit an article for publication in the online journal published by the NSW Department Of Education, Scan. The purpose of the article was for us to share our motivations and experiences of having Neurodiversity Week as an annual event since 2022.

The audience for this article is primarily people who work in education, but we are interested in sharing our thinking with a wide audience, so you are welcome to read the copy on this page, or click on one of the links below to download a copy.

The article Celebrating Neurodiversity at Smith’s Hill High School can be found on pages 28 to 34 of Volume 43, No. 2. of Scan. 

If you would like to download an accessible copy of the Scan issue, click here (8.11 MB).

If you are interested in reading more about how other people are developing inclusive and supportive ways of working with neurodivergent people, you could also read the following articles that also appear in this issue of Scan:

• “Neuro-affirming approaches to supporting autistic students” by Katie Koullas, CEO of Yellow Ladybugs. Pages 18-21. 

• “Nurturing allyship among peers of neurodivergent learners – practical tips from I CAN” by Chris Varney, Founder and CEO, I CAN Network. Pages 22-27. 

We are proud of the progress that we have made at our school in terms of working towards a more neurodiversity affirming culture for students, staff, and the families of our students; but there is so much more progress that we want to make in working towards this goal. If you are a student at Smith's you are always welcome to talk to us (or email) about this topic, start with Mr Jones in the Library or staff in the Learning Hub. 

Neurodiversity Week is only possible through the efforts of many people. Thank you to our students who have engaged with these ideas, joined in when activities are offered, and most importantly, shared appreciation and provided feedback on how we can improve future events. Thank you to the teachers and staff who have volunteered time and ideas; and thank you to the parents, carers and community who have reached out and encouraged us along the way.