Teresa Hooper, PhD
Faculty Consultant
Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
University of Tennessee Knoxville

An underlying principle of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) teaches that “what is necessary for one student is almost always beneficial for all.” This is especially true with neurodivergent students— they often have the same educational and personal needs as their neurotypical peers, but the consequences are much more obvious when those needs aren’t met. 

This session will introduce participants to the concept of “executive functioning” (EF), a series of interconnected cognitive processes involved in decision-making, planning, and accomplishing tasks. EF is one of the few common threads across most kinds of neurodivergence, and it is also a major organizational factor in the UDL Guidelines. The session outline some of the most common EF-supportive practices and how they can be used to remove barriers to learning.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the second session, participants will be able to:

1. List the domains of executive functioning
2. Explain executive functioning’s importance to supporting neurodivergent students
3. Revise a classroom practice based on neurodivergent students’ needs