The last few years have seen a growing awareness of neurodiversity in the classroom. This shift has taken us away from blanket ‘extra-time’ provisions for anyone presenting with symptoms of neurodiversity, towards more individualised support that takes into account the specific needs of each student. Trainee teachers have a better understanding of the subtleties of each student's needs. The stigma around your brain not operating in the same way as mine is slowly being stamped out.
New generation of educators
But representation also needs visibility. Although teachers are getting better at understanding neurodiversity in others, we are often reluctant to identify it in ourselves. Phoebe Hunt, my former student, is ready to change that; ‘If I try to work the way the world expects me to, I get very tired and sad very quickly.’ She is taking part in the Musicians of Change PGCEi, from Music Masters, that featured earlier this year in MT (March 2023). With the support of Orchestras for All, Phoebe is part of a generation of educators who are ready to apply their own experiences of neurodiversity to their classroom practice.
Phoebe was first diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in her GCSE year, 2019. ‘I went from being an A* student to nearly failing – due to the pressure of exams building up’, she admits. It's generally understood that there are three kinds, or ‘presentations’, of ADHD: the Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation, the Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, and then the Combined Presentation, where symptoms or criteria from the other two combine. In addition, people with ADHD may struggle to organise their thoughts or control their impulses, and when such executive functioning skills are impaired, a person is said to have ‘executive dysfunction’ or ‘executive function deficit’. The way people with ADHD approach time-management, multi-tasking, organisation and emotional control therefore differs, and in the run-up to an exam or other stressful situation, this can easily manifest as procrastination, stress and more heightened anxiety than a neurotypical brain might experience.
Course correction
Phoebe initially wanted to study to become a vet, but realised that the coursework would not be compatible with her ADHD. She chose to pursue her love of music and studied Music with Music Theatre at the University of Chichester Conservatoire. Much of her first year of the course she describes as: ‘finding out how to work with my ADHD brain. The first year was at the end of the pandemic. We were still in blended learning – everyone was muddling through to some extent.’
In the second year, Phoebe received support through the Manchester-based specialists who helped diagnose her condition. ‘It really helped me to self-analyse my approach. I was also lucky that a lot of the course was based on practical work.’
Even with the coaching, university still had its challenges. With 10 contact hours per week in the second year, Phoebe describes the experience as ‘exhausting as the third year, where contact time went up to 20 hours’ due to her ADHD. The key, she says, is ‘to accept that your work [pattern] will be different to everyone else's. Know what's worth stressing about, and what isn't. Sometimes it's better just to submit something than submit nothing at all.’
Phoebe's third year saw the launch of the single-honours Musical Theatre (Music) degree course reimagined by a new course leader, Meredith Braun, with abstract elements tied more closely to the practical elements. Song analysis and audition skills, for example, become intertwined disciplines. As a result of the cross-disciplinary approach, students (particularly neurodiverse individuals) are able to develop executive function skills, through taking opportunities to plan, organise and problem-solve. Phoebe describes this approach to the course as ‘giving me the freedom to find my own approaches’ to managing ADHD.
Career correction
Another part of her ADHD identity that Phoebe came to terms with is Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria – in which the ability to regulate your emotional responses to rejection can be non-standard. Musical Theatre, an occupation with rejection at the heart of its experience, is a hard enough landscape to navigate at the best of times. ‘It wouldn't be healthy for me to go into a career with that level of rejection’, she admits. ‘I know rejection is part of life, but putting myself in a position where I get it all the time is just silly!’
Having carved her own path through the education landscape, Phoebe turned to teaching – perhaps naturally so. Having learned the flute through the Greater Manchester Music Hub, she is focussed on ‘making sure disadvantaged kids get taught properly’. On the PGCEi course, Music Masters will guide Phoebe through the formalities of becoming a teacher, while Orchestras for All, who provide Phoebe with a mentor for the year and arrange placements, and Birmingham City University lend further support.
Having had access to a range of different opportunities and experiences, Phoebe brings a wealth of experience to her teaching practice. ‘Work with yourself – don't try to change the world’ shows a maturity beyond her years. ‘Understanding your own needs is the first step on this journey. No two brains work the same way, and while there may be a lot of commonality between my experience of ADHD and yours, there will also be many discrete aspects. The second step is asking for help. The process of self-analysis and reflection is often easier from an outside perspective.’
Final observations
Routines are frequently cited as important in managing neurodiverse individuals. Having a regular study area, set times for practice, and breaking the process down into familiar tasks and set schedules can help manage the undesired aspects of neurodiversity. In a group music situation, on the other hand, the ability to respond to change, to unexpected stimuli or just to the unexpected, is paramount. And the ADHD brain can be uniquely adept at responding to the unexpected.
This is why having teachers who are open about their own experience of neurodiversity is so important. Understanding that the way you approach a challenge is not the same as a second person's way also requires considerable courage.
Part of the journey for any neurodivergent person is understanding their difference. Neuro-nontypicals have a first-hand understanding of the challenges than other neurodivergent students face. This understanding can make them invaluable allies in the classroom, as they can help to create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment for all. Having teachers take agency over their own neurodiversity creates a sense of visibility. Visibility lets students know that they are safe to explore how they can best grow and learn.
Musicians of Change (PGCEi). Music Masters offer fully-funded bursaries for students who are from underrepresented backgrounds. They also partner with organisations such as Black Lives in Music and Orchestras for All to offer free places through those organisations, working with their mentors to ensure that students get the necessary expertise. Once on the course, students receive tailored one-on-one academic support and mentoring. musicmasters.org.uk/pgcei
Links and further reading
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Dawson, P., and Guare, R., 2010. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention. Guilford Press (NY)
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Dawson, P., and Guare, R., 2012. Coaching Students with Executive Skills Deficits. Guilford Press (NY)
