Designing and evaluating a resource pack for teaching about neurodiversity in primary schools

Alyssa Alcorn (Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh)

The LEANS project is developing the first resource pack for UK primary schools to teach about neurodiversity, as an “umbrella” concept covering many neurodevelopmental differences, including those that are not formally diagnosed. The big-picture goal of LEANS is to increase pupil and teacher understanding of neurodiversity and its impact on school experience, and to promote inclusive actions and attitudes in the school community.

This talk gives an overview of the project so far, including our participatory design process with a group of educators, the structure and contents of the final resource pack, and our evaluation study (currently in progress) to assess whether LEANS is an effective and acceptable teaching tool.