Hidden Struggles
Situating Neurodiversity in Post-Secondary Education
Building bridges to education and careers for all
Canadian post-secondary institutions (PSIs) have a responsibility to provide inclusive opportunities for all learners. But they don’t yet have the knowledge and evidence-based strategies needed to address the current challenges neurodiverse students face.
Signal49 Research, on behalf of the Future Skills Centre, is extending our previous research on neurodiversity in the workplace through a new study on neurodiversity in post-secondary education (PSE).
This research will be the first Canadian study to apply a mixed-methods approach to investigating neuroinclusive practices and policies in PSE. Participants will include diverse neurodivergent post-secondary student voices and the perspectives of leadership and administrators working in disability and accessibility services at PSIs across Canada.
Insights from this project will:
- explore challenges neurodivergent students encounter while participating in PSE and the supports and processes that enhance their inclusion;
- examine obstacles PSIs currently face in the provision of inclusive and accessible learning for neurodivergent students;
- define evidence-based recommendations for developing neuroinclusive policies and practices within Canadian PSIs.
Understanding neurodiversity
Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the normal variations in how individuals learn, communicate, and experience the world around them.1
Neurodiversity includes both neurotypical individuals and those whose learning, communication, and social needs, preferences, and talents differ from the typical population. Neurodivergent identities and diagnoses include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, and other brain-based disorders.
Neurodivergence is not synonymous with disability. But schools and learning environments have been developed for neurotypical students, so neurodivergent learners often require accommodations and individualized supports to thrive. As such, many neurodivergent individuals also identify as a person with a disability.
Around 20 per cent of Canadians report their neurodivergence as a disability.2
Situating neurodiversity in the current PSE landscape
The number of neurodivergent students enrolling in PSE continues to grow, yet the graduation rates of neurodivergent students lag in comparison with neurotypical students.
Canadian PSIs have devoted significant resources to establishing policies and practices in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to make PSE more accessible for everyone. Despite this work, neurodiversity remains poorly understood and continues to be largely invisible within EDI frameworks and initiatives.
Diverse perspectives are needed
A growing body of research is helping us understand the challenges neurodivergent students face. To date, research in this area has been small-scale studies in a specified type of post-secondary institution (e.g., colleges) or for a certain group of neurodivergent students (e.g., autistic students). While these smaller-scale studies have provided important insights, there’s a lot we don’t yet know:
- How does institution type impact student experience?
- What challenges do neurodivergent students encounter in PSE?
- What supports or systems can make a positive impact for students?
- What challenges do PSIs face in providing inclusive education for neurodivergent students?
Filling in the gaps: Informing neuroinclusive learning environments
Our work will provide Canadian PSIs with evidenced-based recommendations for developing neuroinclusive policies and practices.
We will start by conducting a national survey of neurodivergent students’ experiences across diverse institution types (universities, colleges, polytechnics).
Based on our findings from the survey, we will conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with diverse stakeholders, including neurodivergent students and PSI accessibility services leadership and administration.
An inclusive PSE system is an essential step for increasing pathways to the workplace and career progression opportunities for all Canadians.
Learn more
Interested in learning more about innovation to support neuroinclusive workplaces?
Listen to the Future Skills Centre’s podcast on Neurodiversity (season 3, episode 4).
Interested in learning more about Signal49 Research’s neurodiversity research?
Contact Dr. Jennifer Fane, Lead Research Associate, at [email protected].
- Singer, Judy, “Why Can’t You Be Normal for Once in Your Life? From a ‘Problem With No Name’ to the Emergence of a New Category of Difference,” in Disability Discourse, eds. Corker Mairian and Sally French (Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999): 59–67.
- Statistics Canada, “New Data on Disability in Canada, 2022,” December 1, 2023.
