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Before the Test Begins: Supporting Neurodivergent Learning Styles with Care and Curiosity

The test hasn’t started yet.
But if you look closely, you can already tell who’s holding their breath.

One student taps their pencil in a steady rhythm—faster than usual.

Another rereads the directions, again and again, not because they don’t understand… but because they’re trying to quiet the noise in their mind.

Someone else stares at the first question, frozen—not from lack of knowledge, but from too many thoughts arriving at once.

And then there are the students who look “fine.”
Quiet. Compliant. Still.

We often assume those are the ones who are ready.

But readiness—especially for neurodivergent learners—is rarely something we can see at a glance.

More Than a Test

During testing season, we ask students to demonstrate what they know.

But for many learners who have neurodivergent needs—students with ADHD, autism, processing differences, anxiety, and other exceptional ways of learning—we are also asking them to:

  • regulate a heightened or dysregulated nervous system
  • filter sensory input (lights, sounds, movement, proximity)
  • sustain attention in ways that may not align with how their brain naturally works
  • manage internal pressure, perfectionism, or fear of getting it wrong

That’s a lot to carry before the first question is even answered.

And when the load is too heavy, it’s not that the learning isn’t there—it’s that access to it becomes disrupted.

Some Have Plans. Many Do Not.

Some neurodivergent learners have IEPs or 504 plans that formally outline supports like extended time, small group settings, read-aloud accommodations, etc.

These supports matter—and they are essential.

But many neurodivergent students remain unidentified, under-identified, or situationally supported.

They may mask their struggles, compensate quietly, appear capable… until the environment demands more than their nervous system can hold.

The absence of a formal plan does not mean the absence of need.
It simply means we are called to notice differently.

A Curious, Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens

Trauma-responsive, resilience-focused educators approach neurodivergence not as a deficit—but as a difference.

They begin with curiosity:

  • How does this student’s brain process, respond, and engage with the world?
  • What conditions help them feel regulated enough to access their thinking?
  • When have I seen them at their best—and what made that possible?

Because neurodivergent learners don’t need to be “fixed” to perform.
They need environments that reduce unnecessary barriers so their strengths can show up.

Strengths Offer Clues

Every neurodivergent learner has patterns of strength.

A student might:

  • think deeply but need more processing time
  • generate creative solutions but struggle with rigid formats
  • focus intensely on areas of interest but fatigue quickly under sustained demand
  • regulate more effectively with movement, rhythm, or sensory tools

These are not contradictions.
They are maps.
And when we pay attention, they guide us toward supports that are both respectful and effective.

Designing for Access—Before It’s Needed

What if we didn’t wait for a student to struggle before offering support?
What if testing environments were proactively designed with neurodiversity in mind?

That might look like:

  • offering flexible seating or alternative spaces when possible
  • reducing sensory load (lighting, noise, visual clutter)
  • previewing expectations and structure ahead of time
  • normalizing the use of tools like fidgets or headphones
  • building in brief, intentional pauses
  • checking in: “What would help you feel ready to start?”

These are not advantages.
They are access points.
And when they are normalized, they benefit more students than we might expect.

Regulation Before Demonstration

A core principle of trauma-informed, resilience-focused practice is simple:

A regulated brain is a thinking brain.

If a student is overwhelmed, anxious, or dysregulated, their ability to:

  • retrieve information
  • problem-solve
  • sustain attention

…is compromised.

This is especially true for neurodivergent learners, whose nervous systems may be more sensitive to stress or environmental demands.

So the question becomes:

Are we assessing knowledge—or capacity under stress?

Partnership Deepens Understanding

Families often hold invaluable insight into how their neurodivergent child experiences the world.

They may know:

  • what sensory inputs overwhelm or soothe
  • what routines build predictability
  • what language helps their child feel safe and capable

A simple, strengths-based question can open meaningful dialogue:

“When does your child feel most successful and regulated during learning?”

Within schools, collaboration matters just as much.
When educators, specialists, and support staff share observations, we move from isolated moments to a more complete understanding of the learner.

A Quiet Reframe

What if testing season wasn’t just about measuring outcomes—but about examining access?

What if we asked:

  • Who can show what they know in this environment?
  • Who cannot—and why?
  • What small shifts might change that?

Because when neurodivergent students underperform, it is often not a reflection of their ability—but a reflection of the conditions surrounding them.

Back to the Room

The test begins.
Some students settle in quickly.
Others take a breath first.

This time, there are subtle shifts:

  • a quieter option available
  • a familiar routine previewed ahead of time
  • a student who knows they can pause without penalty

No announcements.
No spotlight.

Just an environment that quietly communicates:

You are allowed to access this in a way that works for your brain.

What We Carry Forward

Not every neurodivergent learner will have a formal plan.
Not every need will be visible.

But every learner benefits from:

  • feeling safe enough to think
  • having their differences understood—not judged
  • being supported in ways that honor how they learn

When we lead with curiosity, design with flexibility, and ground our practice in safety and strengths—

We don’t just support neurodivergent learners during testing season.
We create spaces where they can actually show us what they know.
And that changes everything.

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Poetry as a Regulator: Honoring National Poetry Month Through SEL and Resilience

some feelings don’t come in full sentences
they arrive in pieces—
a clenched jaw
a buzzing mind
a quiet that feels too loud
and sometimes the way through
isn’t explanation—
it’s expression

April invites us into National Poetry Month—but poetry, especially for young people, is more than a literacy activity. It’s a regulatory tool. A bridge. A way to move what’s held inside to somewhere safer, softer, and more manageable.

Because when we really step back, whether we’re talking about social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, or resilience—we’re all aiming for the same thing:

Helping young people feel safe enough, connected enough, and skilled enough to navigate their inner world… even when it’s hard.

Poetry lives right in the middle of that work.

One Aligned Approach to Supporting the Whole Child

When a student is overwhelmed, shut down, or reactive, it’s easy to think in terms of strategies or frameworks. But underneath it all, the need is deeply human:

  • Help me understand what I’m feeling.
  • Help me manage what feels too big.
  • Help me feel like I belong here.
  • Help me find my voice

This is where the alignment becomes clear.

What we often name as self-awareness is also a young person discovering their identity and voice.

What we call self-management is their growing ability to regulate and feel capable.

What we build through relationships and social awareness is a deep sense of belonging.

And when students are given space to express and reflect, they step into independence and contribution—knowing their voice matters and can impact others.

At the same time, a trauma-informed lens reminds us:

None of this happens without safety, choice, and trust.

These aren’t separate initiatives.

They are different languages describing the same goal:

Supporting regulation, connection, and resilience in ways that honor the whole child.

Where Poetry Fits

Poetry meets students exactly where they are—especially when traditional language falls short.

Because in moments of stress, the brain doesn’t always organize thoughts into neat sentences. Words can feel inaccessible. Conversations can feel overwhelming.

Poetry softens the entry point.

It allows:

  • a single word instead of a full explanation
  • an image instead of a direct disclosure
  • rhythm instead of pressure

A student doesn’t have to say, “I feel overwhelmed and anxious.”

They can write:

“My thoughts are loud like thunder I can’t turn off.”

That shift matters.

It creates just enough distance to feel safe—while still allowing expression. And that expression is what begins to regulate the nervous system.

Expression as Regulation

When students write, they are not just creating—they are processing.

They are:

  • naming internal experiences (building awareness)
  • releasing emotional energy (supporting regulation)
  • organizing thoughts (creating coherence)
  • making meaning (building resilience)

And when that expression is witnessed—by a peer, a teacher, a caregiver—it reinforces something even deeper:

I am seen. I belong. My voice matters.

That is the intersection of skill-building, identity development, and relational safety—all at once.

A Practice Rooted in Safety and Choice

For poetry to truly serve as a regulator, it must feel safe.

This means:

  • offering choice (write, draw, speak, or keep it private)
  • removing pressure (no “right way” to do it)
  • avoiding forced sharing
  • honoring all forms of expression

This is how we stay aligned with a trauma-informed approach—where voice is invited, not demanded.

And it’s also how we build genuine independence:

students choosing how and when to express what’s inside them.

What This Can Look Like

This doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful.

In classrooms, youth programs, or at home, it might look like:

  • a simple prompt: “Today I feel like…”
  • describing emotions through imagery: “My mood is the weather today…”
  • 2–3 minutes of quiet writing to start or end the day
  • optional sharing, or simply being witnessed without commentary

Over time, these small moments build something much bigger:

Students who can pause.

Students who can name what’s happening inside them.

Students who have somewhere to put their feelings—without acting them out.

Why It Matters

When we integrate our approaches—rather than silo them—we create environments where young people don’t just learn skills…

They experience themselves differently.

They begin to feel:

  • more connected
  • more capable
  • more understood
  • more in control of their responses

Poetry becomes one of the quiet tools that helps make that possible.

Not because it solves everything—

but because it creates space.

Space to feel.

Space to process.

Space to begin again.

you don’t need perfect words

just a place to put what you’re carrying

and sometimes—

that place

is a poem


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Lead with Confidence—Earn Your Trauma Certification Now

Starr’s Trauma and Resilience Specialist Certification is a comprehensive program that advances the expertise of professionals who work with children across settings. Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialists acquire knowledge and practical tools to effectively foster resilience and healing in children who experience stress and trauma. A curious mindset is essential for trauma-informed and resilience-focused care. Participants learn to observe children through a lens of curiosity, wondering not only about adverse experiences but also about strengths and resources.

Focusing on brain development, science, and research about the nervous system provides a greater understanding of how new resilience-building interactions and experiences – not fear or punishment – resolve challenging symptoms, reactions, and behavior in children.  Certification supports confidence and motivates professionals to implement strength-based best practices to reduce challenging behavior, decrease anxiety, aggression, and rule-breaking behavior, increase academic performance, and enhance overall well-being.

“This makes so much sense. Yes, we have to address the child’s pain before behavior will ever improve. I can’t believe I never learned these concepts before taking this certification.”
– Elementary educator

There are three distinct Trauma and Resilience Specialist Certifications for competence and proficiency in particular fields: Clinical, Education, and Early Childhood. Clinical professionals such as social workers, counselors, and therapists master the SITCAP® model, a sensory-based approach to working with traumatized youth. Educators learn detailed and concrete actions to create supportive and restorative classrooms and school climates. Early childhood professionals like preschool teachers, childcare specialists, early childhood center directors, and staff learn how to make every interaction with children an opportunity to provide protective factors to promote optimal development.

“I feel so much more confident now. I know I am an excellent practitioner, but I have been desperate for concrete tools to use with the children in my practice.”
– Social Worker

Certification provides professional credibility and recognition for those who desire to learn and participate in a solution to address the national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. Your role in this is significant and impactful. Starr’s theory of change states that when trauma-informed, resilience-focused adults work within trauma-informed, resilience-focused systems, the overall well-being of all children will increase.

Check out our Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialist Certification and get 20% off during our Back to School Sale!

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How Co-Regulation Supports Early Childhood Growth

Summary:

  • Engaging strategies like “Rainbow Breathing” and “Be a Tree” can help preschoolers learn self-awareness and regulation.
  • Co-regulation is crucial for early childhood development, as it helps children manage emotions and behaviors.
  • Predictable and nurturing caregiving helps children learn self-regulation, while inconsistent caregiving can hinder this development.

Importance of Co-Regulation

Experiences in early life set the stage for a child’s ability to notice and regulate emotions and behavior. During early childhood, children’s brains continue to develop rapidly, which is closely linked to their capacity for self-awareness and regulation. Infants and toddlers who receive predictable, consistent, and nurturing caregiving develop brain connections and memories that help them recognize their needs and how they are met. This fosters trust in their caregivers, as their experiences demonstrate that someone will help them meet their needs. As they become preschoolers, children begin to connect how they have been cared for with what they can do to meet their needs themselves. Conversely, those who experience unpredictable or inconsistent caregiving might recognize their needs but struggle to start meeting them independently. They might display behaviors to attract adult attention or attempt to meet their needs but fall short.

Role of Co-Regulation

Co-regulation is essential for all ages, especially during early childhood. It involves regulating alongside the child rather than expecting them to manage their needs and emotions independently. In co-regulation, adults help children notice overwhelming emotions, bodily sensations, and needs and then work together to manage these experiences. For example, an adult might say, “Oh, you are feeling really angry; maybe that is why your hands and legs feel like they need to move. Let’s walk down the hall so they can move.” Alternatively, an adult might kneel to the child’s level and help them pick up fallen blocks, taking intentional deep breaths for the child to observe.

Engaging Strategies for Self-Awareness and Regulation

Let’s explore some engaging strategies for self-awareness and regulation that you can share with preschoolers. The effectiveness of these strategies lies in their interactive engagement between a calm, caring adult and the child. Children need to see, hear, and feel the strategy in action. They must first witness the strategy, then learn and practice it repetitively to integrate it into their memory for future use.

  • Rainbow Breathing
    Do you know the colors of the rainbow? If you do, tell me some of them. If you don’t, I can start for you. Each time we name a color, we will take a deep breath in and then a deep breath out. For example, if we start with red, we breathe in red (deep breath through the nose) and then breathe out red (exhale through the mouth). Repeat with all the colors.
  • Be a Tree
    Let’s pretend we are trees. Stand up very straight, as if your body is the trunk of a tree. Feel your feet on the ground and imagine roots growing down from them. Now, stretch your arms out wide and then up high and out wide again. These are your tree branches. Wiggle your fingers, which are the leaves on the branches. For your face, blink your eyes, wiggle your nose, and smile. These can be apples or acorns on your tree. Feel your feet, legs, and body strong like a tree trunk and your arms stretching like branches. Wiggle your fingers, blink your eyes, wiggle your nose, and smile once more. Look at you, a calm, confident, and beautiful tree!

Benefits of Breathwork and Movement

Breathwork and movement are quick ways to regulate emotions. Both naturally calm the body’s nervous system, making them beneficial for children. If a child is tired or reluctant to participate, these techniques can also help with engagement.

Read more: 5 Reasons for Teachers to Co-Regulate Emotions.

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5 Reasons for Teachers to Co-Regulate Emotions

5 Reasons for Teachers to Co-Regulate Emotions (and How to Start from Day One)

We cannot expect children who are already stressed and activated to be able to regulate on their own. They need our help. When you help a child regulate, rather than expecting them to regulate on their own, it is called co-regulation. Adults underestimate how much children and adolescents require adult support and guidance to manage their feelings when they are worried, angry, hurt or scared. When adults provide the correct strategies for regulating emotion, the results can mean the world to a child’s success.

  • Improved attitudes towards self, school, and others
  • Enhanced positive pro-social behavior
  • Reduced misbehavior and aggression
  • Reduced emotional distress
  • Improved academic performance

How can I help my students co-regulate emotions?

Be with a child when they are feeling out of control emotionally and/or behaviorally. Your demeanor is important. The less words you use at this time, the better. Simply let the child know you understand they are feeling overwhelmed and you are there to help them until they feel more in control of their emotions and behavior.

Start by teaching breathwork and movement activities to children and then practice them on a regular basis. Encourage them to practice the activities on their own or with the help of their parent/caregiver. The goal is for them to easily engage in breathing or movement changes when they need help regulating their emotions or behaviors. The more they practice, the easier it will become for them to call upon these resources during uncomfortable or overwhelming situations.

The calmer you remain, the more the child will begin to calm down.  Model how to regulate by taking a deep breath, walking slowly, or distracting the child with play or drawing. Practice this often. It takes many co-regulation experiences for some children to learn how to do so on their own.

https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm?pdf=14945

 

Start teaching breathwork and movement activities to children and then practice them on a regular basis. The goal is for them to easily engage in breathing or movement changes when they need help regulating their emotions or behaviors. The more they practice, the easier it will become for them to call upon these resources during uncomfortable or overwhelming situations. Learn more and download our free co-regulation activity below.

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