As a Paraeducator, Here's How I Use Technology to Help Neurodivergent Students Gain Agency

Key points:

technology is a big part of my students' lives. They use computers to watch videos, log into learning management systems, collaborate in class chats, and discover how to use the latest innovation: artificial intelligence.

Using technology can give students a better experience and prepare them for the technology-based worlds of college and careers. However, as a paraeducator, I see how the most basic uses of technology in the classroom 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 affects neurodivergent students, we can continue to better help them.

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 had difficulty concentrating in class and I wanted a discreet way to redirect them during those times. I told them I was going to start using classroom.cloud manage the devices we used in class and observe what they did. At first I encountered a lot of resistance. They felt it was an invasion of their privacy. When I explained to them what I was doing, why it was necessary, and that their activity was only visible during school hours, they began to change their minds. It wasn't easy; it took time. But over time they started to like how it worked and how it helped them. For some, their grades even improved.

Here are a few more ways I have 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 there's a lot going on: Students have to listen to each other, pick up on social cues, process the conversation quickly, and decide how to respond. A neurodivergent student who struggles with any of these might disengage or do the opposite and participate in a way that creates stress within the group. This is compounded online, so I use a private chat tool on Classroom.Cloud to help my students with group work. I pressure them to talk.

I also have students who need to know when to share work with others. They may love drawing so much that they always take on those parts of the project, so I encourage them to let other students do it or work together. When I chat with students, it helps them be more collaborative and learn more about the 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 understanding what they are learning. Before we started using the technology, we had to have a conversation out loud. That discussion could draw the attention of other students (making my students feel self-conscious) or it could be disruptive. Now we can message each other in a private chat without interrupting anyone.

Transitions
Transitions are difficult for neurodiverse studentsespecially for children with ADHD or autism. Going from learning one subject to another or one activity to another uses a lot of energy. We could quickly move from showing something on the screen to asking students to reflect on the information in writing. Using software to monitor devices can ease those transitions. I use it to gently remind them to stay focused when they wander, or I can suggest strategies for how they can move forward. In extreme cases, I can take over your computers and completely disable distractions like personal emails or social media.

classroom agency
I sometimes worry that the interventions I use with neurodivergent students will make them more dependent on me, so I take steps to make sure that doesn't happen by 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 next to them. That physical separation allows them to be more independent and at the same time allows me to offer them support when necessary.

These are just a few of the ways technology can be used to support neurodivergent students. I know there are more strategies that other paraeducators use. Additionally, there is no one answer that works for all students, and sometimes it is a combination of strategies that works best. After the pandemic, one of my students was falling behind. We used Classroom.Cloud with some of the strategies described here and were able to help that student get back on track to graduation. It is encouraging to realize that by making some changes, neurodivergent students can get the help they need.