HELTA Workshop Report: “The Whats and Hows of Neurodiversity” with Rachael Harris

Understanding Neurodiversity in Clear, Practical Terms

On Saturday morning, 15 November 2025, HELTA members gathered at the BSVH (Louis Braille Center) for an in-person workshop that turned out to be one of the most energising and eye-opening sessions we’ve hosted in recent years. Rachael Harris – SEN coordinator, ELT teacher, published author, and long-time advocate for inclusive teaching – led us through “The Whats and Hows of Neurodiversity,” a topic many of us might have heard about, but had never explored in depth.

Rachael opened with a simple idea: neurodiversity refers to the normal range of differences in how people think, learn, and process the world. It is lifelong – not something that only concerns children or that anyone “grows out of.”

Through examples drawn from classroom practice, she unpacked terms like:

• ADHD – involving differences in attention regulation, impulse control, activity levels, and executive functioning.
• Dyslexia – affecting reading, writing, phonological processing, and working memory.
• Dyscalculia – affecting number sense, numerical reasoning, and the recognition or grouping of quantities and shapes.
• Dyspraxia (DCD) – affecting coordination, motor planning, and sequencing.
• Dysphasia – affecting understanding or producing spoken language.
• ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition) – involving differences in social communication, sensory processing, routine preference, and information processing.

Throughout, she emphasised the person rather than the label. In her words, saying “someone is dyslexic” defines the individual by the condition, whereas “a person has dyslexia” keeps the person at the centre. This distinction resonated strongly with participants and tied into broader discussions about identity and inclusion.

Everyday Cognition: The “Aha” Moments

Her discussion of everyday cognitive processes sparked several striking realisations.
One was her explanation that many traits commonly linked to dyslexia are actually rooted in challenges with executive functioning and working memory. Executive functioning refers to the mental skills we use to plan, organise, start and finish tasks, manage time, shift between activities, and regulate focus and impulses – all of which strongly affect language learning.

Another moment of clarity came when she illustrated why telling time can be unexpectedly difficult: for some learners with dyslexia, seeing 10:59 does not immediately register as “almost eleven,” because we tend to think in units of 100 rather than 60. She also showed how difficulties in grouping shapes – not only working with numbers – can be a sign of dyscalculia.

One insight that hit close to home was the mention that a noticeably high number of language teachers themselves have ADHD. Qualities that draw us into teaching – creativity, adaptability, rapid idea generation, constant movement – overlap strongly with ADHD traits.

Strategies That Support Everyone in the Classroom

Rachael’s practical tips were immediately usable and refreshingly universal. Instead of designing accommodations for individual learners, she encouraged us to build inclusive scaffolding into all lessons – supports that many learners may choose to use, while others may not.

Among the strategies she demonstrated were:

• Pre-task checklists – encouraging learners to create a short list of steps they complete before a listening or reading task. This develops routines that reduce cognitive overload.
• The Feynman Technique – asking learners to explain a concept “as if to a 10-year-old,” revealing whether they truly understand it.
• “Beat the Dip” routines – small, structured habits (like “Quick Wins,” “Make a Plan,” or “Tidy Your Desk”) that help students push through dips in motivation or executive functioning.
• Mood Boosters and Fast Finisher tasks – purposeful, calming activities that keep early finishers engaged and lower anxiety for those who need more time.
• Activities like building a marshmallow–spaghetti tower – collaborative tasks that highlight students’ problem-solving styles and strengths beyond traditional academic work.

Her core message was clear: when we teach students how to learn rather than what to learn, every learner benefits.

Books, Community, and a Morning Well Spent

A highlight of the morning was the generous support from Klett-Sprachen, who provided a wide range of books from DELTA Publishing’s Ideas in Action series as giveaways for participants. The selection included titles such as Activities for Mediation, Activities for Cooperative Learning, Activities for a Greener Mindset, Activities for Task-Based Learning, Activities for Social-Emotional Learning, and Activities for Inclusive Language Teaching.

Also among the giveaways were two titles authored by Rachael herself: her DELTA book Activities for Developing Learning Strategies and her accessible, practical guide 50 Ways to Include Learners with Dyslexia. As DELTA’s representative in Germany, Klett-Sprachen made it possible for us to offer all of these to participants.

The books were received with great enthusiasm, adding a celebratory touch to the morning – and giving us inspiring material to take directly into our teaching practice.

What made this Saturday morning truly worthwhile was the balance of clarity and practicality. Neurodiversity stopped being an abstract concept and became something recognisable in our classrooms, in our colleagues, and perhaps most importantly, in ourselves.

Participants left with concrete strategies, a renewed sense of curiosity, and the reassurance that inclusive teaching is both achievable and profoundly impactful.

HELTA extends heartfelt thanks to Rachael Harris for her expertise and energy and to all the members and guests who joined us.

We look forward to welcoming you to our next event!