Shaun

The final in my blog series is out educationexpress.uts.edu.au/blog/2025/05... #genai #neurodivergence #learningdesign #highereducation

Neurodivergence and GenAI, part 2: the art of procedural wayfinding - Education Express GenAI prompts can act as cognitive scaffolds for learners challenged by formal processes.

📣 New post: Neurodivergence and GenAI – Part 2: Procedural Wayfinding

👉 Read it here: educationexpress.uts.edu.au/blog/2025/05...
#Neurodiversity #GenAI #InclusiveDesign #ProceduralJustice #HigherEd #ServiceDesign #Accessibility #UTSEducation

Neurodivergence and GenAI, part 1: support, on our own terms - Education Express In the first part of a new series, Shaun Bell explores the opportunities and risks of GenAI tools supporting diverse learners.

educationexpress.uts.edu.au/blog/2025/05...

#neurodivergent #neurodiversity #genai #learningdesign

A final question, does access to such tools for people with lower support needs in any way support, enhance, or replace access to traditional supports, especially when we note all their inadequacies and inefficiencies as well? 6/6

While the risks are real (bias, privacy, overreach, the ecological impact of energy expenditure, and more…), I think there’s promise here—especially when neurodivergent people are involved not just as users, but as designers and decision-makers. 5/6

AI is also supporting some neurodivergent people in navigating daily life: breaking down tasks, managing routines, writing clearer emails, or scaffolding complex projects. The ability to externalise thinking and reduce mental load is a kind of cognitive unburdening. 4/6

Chatbots are being used by many with and without formal diagnosis to rehearse conversations, decode confusing social cues, or simply talk through a thought without fear of misunderstanding. The lack of stakes, tone policing, or pressure to “perform” makes these tools uniquely accessible. 3/6

Are these experiences being represented in discussions for and against? Two areas stand out for me: Communication without judgment, and execution function. 2/6

I’m not alone in the growing interest in how neurodivergent people are using AI on their own terms. Rather than tools being imposed in clinical or educational settings, we’re seeing more self-directed, creative, and pragmatic uses of AI that align with lived experience. 1/6

Physical copies of the book I contributed to are now available for purchase. You can also download the book for free utsepress.lib.uts.edu.au/site/books/e...

#learningdesign #inclusivepractices #Indigenouseducation #education