Key points:
Technology is a big part of my students’ days. They use computers to watch videos, log in to learning management systems, collaborate in class chats, and figure out how to use the latest innovation: artificial intelligence.
Using technology can give students a better experience and prepare them for the tech-based worlds of college and career. However, as a paraeducator, I see how the most basic uses of classroom technology can create barriers for my students–especially those who struggle with executive functions.
I work with my students to overcome these challenges. As I find strategies that are successful, I share them with teachers so they can use the approaches, too. As we all learn how technology impacts neurodivergent students, we can continue to provide students with better help.
I think it all starts with having open conversations with students. There was a time when I wanted to change the way I used technology for my students. Many of them were struggling to focus in class, and I wanted an unobtrusive way to redirect them in those moments. I told them I was going to start using classroom.cloud to manage the devices we used in class and to observe what they were doing. I got a lot of resistance at first. They felt it was an invasion of their privacy. When I explained what I was doing, why it was needed, and that only their activity during school hours was visible, they started to change their minds. It wasn’t easy–it did take time. But eventually, they started liking how it worked and how it helped them. For some, even their grades improved.
Here are a few more ways I’ve adapted technology for my neurodivergent students:
Group projects
Many students with neurodivergent conditions struggle to connect and communicate with other students. That makes group projects difficult because so much is happening–students have to listen to each other, pick up on social cues, process conversation quickly, and decide how to respond. A neurodivergent student who struggles with any of these might tune out or do the complete opposite and engage in a way that creates stress within the group. This is exacerbated online, so I use a private chat tool in classroom.cloud to support my students in group work. I push them to speak up.
I also have students who need to know when to share work with others. They might like drawing so much that they always take on those parts of the project, so I encourage them to let other students do it instead or have them work together. When I chat with students, it helps them be more collaborative and learn more about social dynamics in group work.
Checking for understanding
When students watch a video or read a long block of text online, they may need help to understand what they are learning. Before I started using technology, we’d have to have a conversation out loud. That discussion could draw the attention of other students–making my students feel self-conscious–or it might be disruptive. Now we can message each other back and forth in a private chat without interrupting anyone.
Transitions
Transitions are hard for neurodiverse students, especially for kids with ADHD or autism. Switching from learning one subject to another or one activity to another expends a lot of energy. We might move quickly from showing something on-screen to asking students to reflect on the information in writing. Using software to monitor devices can make those transitions easier. I use it to gently remind them to stay on task when they wander, or I can suggest strategies for how they can move forward. In extreme cases, I can take over their computers and turn off distractions like personal emails or social media altogether.
Classroom agency
I worry sometimes that the interventions I use with neurodivergent students make them more dependent on me, so I take steps to make sure that doesn’t happen with using something as simple as technology to put more physical distance between us and give them more agency. That means I don’t have to sit right next to them. That physical separation lets them be more independent while still allowing me to offer support when needed.
These are just a few of the ways technology can be used to support neurodivergent students. I know there are more strategies other paraeducators use. Plus, there isn’t one answer that will work for all students, and sometimes, it’s a combination of strategies that works best. After the pandemic, one of my students was falling behind. We used classroom.cloud with a few of the strategies described here and we were able to help that student get back on track to graduation. It’s encouraging to realize that by making a few changes neurodivergent students can get the help they need.
