What Makes a Brain Neurodivergent?
What Makes a Brain Neurodivergent?
I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about how we learn — not just the mechanics of revision or study routines, but what it really means to learn when your brain doesn’t work like everyone else’s. That’s where the idea of neurodiversity comes in.
Neurodiversity is simply the idea that there's no one “normal” way to think, learn, or process the world. It includes things like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and more. And the more we understand about how different brains work, the better we can support the learners who are often left behind by traditional systems.
What does it mean to be neurodivergent?
If you're neurodivergent (and I am), you might think differently, feel things more intensely, struggle with organisation or focus, or experience the world in ways others don’t always understand. None of this is wrong. It’s just different.
Roughly 15-20% of people are neurodivergent — so this isn’t some rare exception. It’s a huge part of the population. Yet most classrooms and revision advice are still built with a neurotypical brain in mind.
For example, someone with ADHD may struggle to sit still and concentrate — not because they’re lazy or undisciplined, but because their brain is interest-based, not importance-based. A student with dyslexia may be highly articulate but find written revision a slow and painful process. When we label that as a problem instead of recognising it as a different learning pathway, we miss the opportunity to do better.
See this MDPI study on the importance of inclusive learning
How neurodivergent brains learn differently
The way we teach and revise often assumes that learning is about sitting still, listening quietly, and remembering a long list of facts. But the science tells us something else.
Neurodivergent students are more likely to experience “cognitive overload,” especially when instructions are vague or when the learning environment is overstimulating. Their working memory may get overloaded faster, or their attention might bounce if the content isn’t engaging enough. This isn’t a lack of intelligence. It’s a different brain doing its best to navigate a system that wasn’t built for it.
There is no one right way to learn
Here’s what I know from both research and lived experience: when we stop trying to “fix” how neurodivergent learners think, and instead start working with how they think, incredible things happen.
Some neurodivergent students thrive with visual supports. Others remember everything if they can say it out loud or teach it to someone else. Tools like retrieval practice (which is simply testing what you know from memory) are far more effective than re-reading notes — and they work even better when used with images, colour coding, or movement.
Read more on our blog on retrieval practice on neurodivergent-friendly strategies
Practical ways to support learning differences
If you’re a parent, teacher, or student trying to figure out how to make learning feel more possible, here are a few things that help:
Use different formats — mix visuals, audio, speech, and writing.
Create a routine that reduces the number of decisions in the day.
Break tasks into small, manageable steps and tick them off.
Use timers, fidget tools, headphones — whatever works, without shame.
Celebrate the strengths that come with thinking differently.
It’s not about making it easy — it’s about making it possible
Supporting a neurodivergent brain isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s about clearing the path.
And the truth is, we all benefit when learning becomes more flexible, more creative, and more compassionate. What helps one student focus, process, or feel safe often helps many others too — even if they don’t have a diagnosis.
So whether you're a student who’s always felt “too much” or “not enough,” or a parent wondering how best to support your child — you’re not alone. There’s science behind what you’re experiencing. And there are better ways to learn.
In the next blog post, I’ll be talking about the science behind how we learn — what the brain needs to encode, store, and recall information, and why things like emotion and interest are more powerful than we give them credit for.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “I wish someone had told me this sooner” — I’m right there with you.
