Welcome to the Neuro-AFFIRMing School Community
Weekly research and insights for the neurodivergent educator community and the school leaders and staff who support them.
Hi! My name is Dr. Jennifer Osborne, and I am a neurodivergent educator and school leader. I wrote a dissertation about the experiences of neurodivergent educators in U.S. schools.
I am ready to share what I have learned, along with research and insights as the community continues to evolve. Join me!
Why Join the Community
After years of doing this research behind the scenes, I am excited to share ideas and insights that will bridge the gap between research and practice.
This community is for neurodivergent educators, but it is also for anyone in a school looking to create a space where everyone belongs.
This is a community where we can all learn and take action together.
First, I will start with a foundational series that uncovers “the hidden faculty” before introducing a framework that guides school leaders in creating neuro-affirming schools for educators (you know, those adults in the building doing the hard work).
We will then dive into the nitty-gritty of research and the latest in the field in a set of thematic series that will largely be determined by you, the community.
I have a lot to share, but it will be shaped by what the community wants to learn.
Each week, I will drop a newsletter into this space and your inbox. We will tackle one theme at a time through a three-part lens:
The System- or, whew, what is happening here
The Shift- or, lock in, research and reframing for neuro-inclusion
The Solution- or, hey, what do we do next?
Why Neurodivergent Educators?
Throughout my dissertation work and interviews with participants, I was continuously surprised, and slightly appalled, that there was such little research on the neurodivergent educator community.
At many points while writing my dissertation, I wanted to scream from the rooftops, “We are here! We are doing amazing things in schools! Why doesn’t anyone see us?”
I happened into this field quite accidentally. I was researching a paper for a class about supporting students with disabilities and came across a few articles about teachers with disabilities.
After going down the rabbit hole of the little research that existed about teachers with disabilities, I discovered a literature review by Neca et al. (2020) that analyzed 53 articles (that’s not many!) uncovering themes and insights about their:
career/life trajectories
strengths and challenges in the classroom
professional training
pedagogical perspectives
Then, I distinctly remember saying to my husband, what about neurodivergent teachers? If 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent, surely there must be more of us in schools than we realize? How come no one is talking about neurodivergent teachers?
This was back in 2022, and the only research I could find were a few studies about autistic teachers and this book about learning from autistic teachers. To top it off, most of the studies I read were from non-U.S. countries.
While research was emerging, there was still a dearth of information about neurodivergent educators as a population deserving of acknowledgement and acceptance.
My dissertation was born!
Why Me?
I have been an educator since 2005, entering the classroom at the ripe old age of 22, attempting to convince the 9th and 11th graders in my English class that I was in fact 30 and very experienced at teaching (Ha! 30 used to feel old).
I learned a lot and found ways to fit in, but there were times when I felt disconnected both from my peers and the system.
In the end, I decided I needed a challenge and wanted to travel, so I took a job at an international school in South Korea to do some adventuring.
This was a pivotal move in my career, resulting in a decade of teaching at international schools across Asia. I loved exploring new countries and learning new systems at different schools.
Turns out, my brain never shut off, and I craved adventure and constant cultural stimulation.
I didn’t consider myself neurodivergent at the time, but I always did feel disconnected in the school environments where I taught. I would often find “my people” and stay in my circle.
I took a job as a learning support teacher and quickly realized that I thought like my students. Their struggles and challenges were my struggles and challenges.
Wait a second. How did my brain work? Why do I feel like they do?
Over the years, I grew less afraid of stepping outside of the box and taking on leadership opportunities, mostly because I was hyper-organized and detail-oriented with a an ability to hyperfocus on tasks for hours at a time…and frankly, thought I could do leadership better.
I began to embrace my “quirks” as a leadership strength.
Entering school leadership, I realized that not everyone has a race car brain that never stops or a compulsive need for everything to be perfect, logical, systematic, and meaningful.
I got in trouble for advocating too hard for students and for forgetting to turn my filter on.
However, I know I am a good educator. I know how to break down information for students to understand. I am an advocate for students that learn differently and can differentiate material naturally and quickly.
What I eventually realized is that there were lots of teachers like me, and we were doing damn good work.
So here I am. Naturally, I had to do all the research before I felt comfortable speaking out and advocating for neurodivergent educators.
But I have learned and applied, and I am excited to bring together a community that contains a multitude of gifts that transform our schools.
It’s not always easy. There are certainly plenty of challenges with having a brain that works differently, but if being an educator is the right fit and the right calling (and it’s not always the right fit despite being neurodivergent or not), then we deserve to be recognized for what we bring to the table.
If you ar a neurodivergent educator, I see you.
And if you are not a neurodivergent educator, I see you too. Thanks for being here.
First, we will kick off with the series, “The Hidden Faculty: Wait, What Is a Neurodivergent Educator?” This series will cover:
The Hidden Faculty : We Are Around Here Somewhere
The Hidden Faculty: The Cost of Fitting In (And Staying Invisible)
The Hidden Faculty: Why They Need Us
Hit the subscribe button and let’s learn together!
References:
Neca, P., Borges, M.L., Pinto, P.C. (2020). Teachers with disabilities: A literature review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-19. DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1776779
Osborne, J. (2025). Exploring the experiences of neurodivergent educators in schools. [Doctoral dissertation, Texas Tech]. TTU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/items/f55ce04d-b6f0-4bc3-ae65-321332b640a6