Fostering inclusion and support for neurodivergent students and staff

The School of Health & Psychological Sciences (SHPS) at City St George’s, University of London hosted the “Neurodiversity in Training” event, a hybrid gathering aimed at fostering inclusion and support for neurodivergent students and staff, in late December. The event provided practical strategies for practice partners and university staff working with neurodivergent individuals in clinical and educational settings.

The session, which was introduced by Michelle Ellis, Associate Dean of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in SHPS, featured experts Dr Holly Kahya and Dr Helen Spicer-Cain as speakers. They spoke about the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing neuroaffirmative practices in alignment with its Disability Confident Employer status.

Raising awareness of neurodiversity

Michelle opened the event by highlighting the importance of supporting neurodivergent individuals in academia and healthcare placements. She underscored the event's timing, following Disability History Month, and its connection to the University's broader EDI efforts.

"We've got a real commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion at City St George’s, and this event has come as a result of a lot of experience we have had here at City St George’s at looking at neurodiversity issues for both students and staff. We recognise that a number of our students and staff are neurodivergent so today really builds on the work we are doing as an institution as a whole," said Michelle.

Data shared during the event revealed that approximately 7.3% of City St George's staff and 7% of its students have a known disability. In SHPS, where the percentages are slightly higher, a number of students have individualised support plans developed to address specific needs.

The speakers also emphasised that one in seven people in the UK is neurodivergent, making neurodiversity awareness critical for building truly inclusive environments.

Exploring neurodivergence

During the event, the speakers discussed neurodiversity and the key challenges faced by neurodivergent students in clinical placements.

Dr Spicer-Cain, a Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy at City St George’s, spoke about different models of disability and the neurodiversity paradigm, which builds on the social model of disability. She also explored the Double Empathy Problem, which refers to problems of understanding that are caused by mismatched neurotypes, and the concept of monotropism, which is an intense focus on specific interests that can both enhance learning and present challenges in multitasking (common in autism/ADHD). Finally, Dr Spicer-Cain addressed the sensory processing differences that neurodivergent individuals often have to navigate, such as heightened sensitivity to sound or light, which can lead to overstimulation.

“For a long time, there has been a kind of over-pathologisation of some aspects of being neurodivergent. Diagnostic labels can obscure the fact that neurodivergence is different in every neurodivergent person and for the same person at different stages of their life and in different environments,” said Dr Spicer-Cain.

Dr Holly Kahya, a Counselling Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at City St George’s, spoke holistically about the wider existence of neurodivergence, and the greater prevalence of mental health issues in neurodiverse individuals.

“When you're working with neurodivergent students and neurodivergent colleagues, I think it's really worth considering that there might be a lot going on outside of the picture as well, and that this is quite a vulnerable population,” added Dr Kahya.

Dr Kahya also spoke about the co-occurrence of neurodiversity and physical health issues, including Ehler-Danlos Syndrome in autism and chronic fatigue. Neurodivergent strengths were also highlighted, including creativity, curiosity and problem-solving.