Neurodiversity & Special Needs

At Engaged Minds, we celebrate all kinds of brains! Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to myriad brain types. Neurodivergent brains are unique and differently wired from the “neurotypical” brain type that the mainstream cultural and educational environment is designed for. Neurodiversity includes students with academic giftedness, specific learning disabilities, developmental delays, autism, anxiety, PTSD, and intellectual disabilities. Often neurodivergent students are “twice exceptional” and may have multiple descriptors such as an academically gifted, autistic child with ADHD.

At Engaged Minds, we strive to be a welcoming environment for both neurodivergent and neurotypical students. Because our sessions feature sequential, multi-sensory instruction and focus on highlighting student strengths and building foundational skills, our tutoring sessions are able to serve many students with special needs. 

There is no one size fits formula for supporting neurodivergent students. The following are accommodations that we select from in supporting students with special needs, as it fits their learning profile:

  • Individualized instruction tailored to each student’s learning style

  • Visually oriented instruction

  • Scaffolded and simplified language use

  • Structured and familiar lesson sequence

  • Instruction tailored to connect to student interests

  • Incorporating student choice wherever possible

  • Scheduled breaks for movement and/or high interest activities as needed

If your child has special needs, a consultation and initial assessment will help determine if we are a good fit for your child.

Executive Functioning

Schools report that many students are experiencing difficulty with executive functioning. Executive functioning refers to the “command center” of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, focus, organization, working memory, time management, and task completion. It is an essential area of the brain to develop, in terms of supporting academic and interpersonal success.

Executive functioning work can be built into any academic subject area. For instance, a student struggling in math can be prompted on how to break a multi-step word problem in parts and organize their work on the page so that there is a record of their thinking. This record allows the student to effectively review their work for accuracy and explain their thinking to others. In writing, graphic organizers and checklists are used to help students plan and revise their work. When reading chapter books, students stop and jot their thinking on post-it notes that can be referenced during book clubs, supporting memory and organization.

For students who would benefit from focused executive functioning work, we recommend sessions that feature Project Based Learning. Project Based Learning involves students identifying a question or an area of interest, researching it, writing about it, and creating something tangible to teach others about their topic of interest. This involves organization, planning, envisioning, and time management in a way that is motivating and engaging. Emphasis is placed upon experimentation, trial and error, and perseverance when an idea isn’t successful the first time. This growth-mindset oriented approach builds emotional resilience and regulation. Once executive functioning skills are learned within the context of project work, the skills can be used across academic disciplines. Visit our “Why Project Based Learning?” page linked here to learn more about Project Based Learning.

Attention Deficit

Many of our students have the diagnosis of ADHD in addition to other learning differences. One-on-one tutoring is the ideal setting for students with ADHD to engage in remediation and learning. With one-on-one coaching, students can be redirected as soon as their attention wanders, so that we make the best use of our time together. 

Students with ADHD are given agency to determine what supports they need to be successful. If they need scheduled movement breaks, we use them. If they need fidgets as a tool to focus, they are provided. If students work best standing instead of sitting, they are encouraged to stand. Through getting to know each student, and collaborating with parents, schools, and outside providers, we find the pathways that these children learn best.

When a students’ attention deficit is not well managed through medication and/or behavioral strategies, progress is often slower, but does occur. We encourage students with ADHD to receive support from outside professionals to find ways to improve their focus. We are eager to work with these professionals to incorporate the tools that work best for each child.

Emotional Support

One question we often get from families is how we work with kids who have become resistant to academic work, at home or at school. Understandably, these students may have become tearful or disengaged when asked to work on a subject that has been historically difficult for them. At times, students start tutoring feeling discouraged or frustrated with a subject area and may have low self-esteem with areas of learning that they have not been successful with in the past.

Engaged Minds focuses on student strengths, confidence, and individual progress. Often, students are discouraged because the work they are doing in the classroom isn’t right on their level. They are often lacking a foundational skill necessary to have success with the grade level work. Through careful assessment and observation, we are able to determine where these gaps are, and create content that is right on students’ level, providing the remediation they need to be successful in the long term. We pace instruction so that it is appropriate for each student and so, in time, as they are ready, they catch up to grade level benchmarks.

Engaged Minds tutors are supportive and encouraging. We get to know each student so we know what their interests are and how they learn best. Math story problems are made more engaging by featuring students’ favorite activities and hobbies. Artistic, visually oriented students are given opportunities to be creative and incorporate drawing into their learning. Tailoring instruction to students’ needs and interests can make all the difference!

If a student becomes frustrated or discouraged during a session, the tutor is emotionally supportive. Breaks are offered to regroup and the opportunity is provided to explore what the student is thinking and feeling. Tutors are able to pivot on the spot and redesign an activity, using student feedback, to make it more enjoyable for them. Strategies used are shared with parents so that we can work in partnership to encourage and support your child.

With these measures in place, students who are initially resistant, after a session or two, typically report that they enjoy tutoring. In time, their self-esteem and overall confidence improves.

Memory Aids

We often hear families report that students have been exposed to academic content, but they quickly forget what they have been shown. Perhaps they forget how to spell high frequency words, which direction b and d face, or the steps involved in multi-digit subtraction. 

Our focus on foundational skills and multi-sensory instruction aids memory. As students move through grades in school, academic content increases in complexity. By backing up and remediating gaps in understanding, students are able to rebuild their learning foundation. When they understand why and how a skill works, they remember it.

Research on orthographic mapping shows that simultaneous multi-sensory instruction is a fantastic memory aid. When students learn a new letter, such as i, they trace it in the sand with their finger while saying, “i, itch, /i/.” This is followed by making a gesture of scratching an itch. In this example, the student is saying, seeing, and touching the letter and sound so that it is deeply embedded in their memory. Repeated practice is provided, until the new knowledge becomes automatic.


We celebrate all kinds of brains!

The use of visual timers help with task completion and time management.

Some students benefit from using a fidget tool to improve concentration.

We support students emotionally by creating content that is right on their level that they will be successful with.

Students use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic tools to learn new letters and sounds.