At STEMful, we aim to foster an inclusive environment where all children can develop a love of science, technology, engineering, and math. Our hands-on experiments help kids learn by doing. But because not every child responds to sensory stimuli in the same way, we know some of our participants may face some challenges.
Read on to learn about our approach to accommodating neurodivergent learners and how parents and caregivers can help us provide the best experience for their children.
What Does “Neurodivergent” Mean?
The word “neurodivergent” is fairly new and comes from the related “neurodiversity,” coined in the late 1990s by then undergraduate sociology student Judy Singer. The word refers to the way all brains behave differently from one another, and may diverge from what is considered neurotypical, or “normal,” by society at large.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Singer states that the term was intended to be inclusive: “As a word, ‘neurodiversity’ describes the whole of humanity.”1 Because there is no consensus about how a “normal” brain works and no two brains are the same (even in identical twins!),2 “neurodivergent” is a nonmedical umbrella term that includes people with diagnoses such as autism, ADHD, or social anxiety, but also broadly applies to anyone with sensory issues or learning differences.3 And because neurodiversity refers to the way an individual’s brain develops, there is no treatment for or prevention of a neurodivergent mind, though any related diagnoses may be managed or treated if they cause difficulty for the person.4
Examples of Neurodiversity
Some common experiences for people who identify as neurodivergent may include:
- Stress in loud environments
- Difficulty with tactile sensations (may be upset by sticky, gooey, or rough materials and substances)
- Challenges understanding nonverbal cues (reading others’ body language or facial expressions)
Neurodivergent Learners and STEM
Stereotypes of neurodivergent minds in STEM—such as the aloof genius who lacks social grace (see Sherlock Holmes) or the chaotic, absent-minded professor who can solve complex problems but is late for every appointment—abound in pop culture, but the reality is more nuanced. In fact, research shows that people with some learning challenges may not get the accommodations they need in an academic or professional setting.
For women and people of color, many conditions such as ADHD go undiagnosed until much later in life, which may negatively affect learning outcomes for those groups.5 Given the challenges neurodivergent thinkers face, you might assume that such minds are rare. However, according to a report in the British Medical Bulletin, as much as 20% of the world’s population may be neurodivergent.6
While people who exhibit neurodivergent traits certainly face challenges, research supports that their minds have strengths that their neurotypical peers may not. For example, a person with dyslexia has trouble reading but may be adept at visual reasoning, and a person with autism spectrum disorder may have superior attention to detail.7 To help neurodivergent minds excel, accommodating them in the classroom and beyond is essential.
How Does STEMful Support Neurodivergent Learners?
Our team maintains an environment that empowers any child to not just spark their STEM curiosity, but thrive emotionally and socially while doing so. Every group of learners is neurodiverse, whether we are serving a single-day camp or our regular after-school program. Therefore, continually ensuring that every individual is being accommodated is essential, and it’s a process that starts even before day one.
When a child is signed up for one of STEMful’s programs, we provide caregivers a brief onboarding questionnaire about the child. Providing any and all background information, which may include learning challenges or sensitivities, sets us up for success. It also helps us to communicate any follow-up questions in advance and strategize together as clearly and effectively as possible.
With this advance notice, our trained staff will work with our young participants to help them enjoy their time at one of our school break camps or after-school programs. Once the child starts at STEMful, we work to achieve continuity for any accommodations the child may need between home and the learning environment. Some of the solutions we’ve successfully employed at STEMful to help our learners include:
- Supplying a fidget toy for a child who becomes overstimulated easily
- Inviting a child’s behavioral therapist to accompany the learner in the classroom
- Providing a laminated visual Velcro “clip art” guide for a child to clearly define which activity happens next, in which room, and at what time
- Designing a structure for “free play” times with constantly rotating activity choice stations so young scientists can guide their own “learning laboratory” experiences
With communication from caregivers and the dedication and flexibility from our teaching team, any child can be a superstar scientist here at STEMful! If your child has learning challenges or a sensory processing disorder and you have further questions, please reach out to our team so that we can discuss our approach. All information you provide is confidential.
Ready to sign your child up? Check out our current offerings here, and sprout your child’s love of STEM in our fun, creative, inclusive environment.
- John Harris, “The Mother of Neurodiversity: How Judy Singer Changed the World,” The Guardian, July 5, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/05/the-mother-of-neurodiversity-how-judy-singer-changed-the-world; and “Neurodivergent,” Merriam-Webster, accessed March 10, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurodivergent.
- Eric Kandel, “Identical Twins not Identical Brains,” DNA Learning Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, accessed March 10, 2025, https://dnalc.cshl.edu/view/1200-Identical-Twins-Not-Identical-Brains.html.
- “Neurodiversity,” National Library of Medicine, NIH, accessed March 10, 2025, https://www.nnlm.gov/reading-club/topic/331.
- “Neurodivergent,” Cleveland Clinic, last reviewed June 2, 2022, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent.
- Krystal Vasquez, “The Challenge of Being Neurodivergent in STEM,” Chemical & Engineering News, December 16, 2024, https://cen.acs.org/careers/diversity/challenge-being-neurodivergent-STEM/102/i39.
- Nancy Doyle, “Neurodiversity at Work: A Biopsychosocial Model and the Impact on Working Adults,” British Medical Bulletin 135, no. 1 (September 2020): 108–25, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaa021.
- Karen N. Nix, Cheryl D. Seals, and Kimberly D. DeLoach, “Neurodiverse Minds in STEM: A Literature Review Exploring the Link Between Representation and School Adaptation,” in Mental Health and School Adjustment: Contextual, Psychological Variables and Performance in School Environments, Arantzazu Rodríguez-Fernández, Iker Izar-de-la-Fuente, and Katherine Meltzoff, eds. (IntechOpen, 2025), doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1007854.