How Mixed Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Groups Learn From Each Other

Walk into Oak on any given day and you’ll see this:

One child is quietly drawing every tiny detail of a tree.

Another is talking a mile a minute about Minecraft.

Someone else is pacing while thinking, or using headphones when the room gets loud.

Different brains. Same community.

At Oak, that mix isn’t a problem to fix. It’s part of what makes the group work. When we talk about neurodiversity, we’re talking about a way of describing differences in how people’s brains work, not who they are at their core. Children are children first—neurodiversity is just one more category we can use to understand and support them. [1][2][3]

1. What do we mean by “neurodivergent”?

In simple terms:

• Children who are neurodivergent include children with autism, ADHD, learning differences, and other ways of processing the world.
• Children who are neurotypical are those whose brains roughly match what school and society usually expect.

Both groups bring strengths and challenges. For example, recent studies with adults with autism and adults with ADHD show that many strongly identify with strengths like:

• deep focus on topics they love,
• creativity and original ideas,
• humour, spontaneity, and curiosity. [1][2][4]

The key message from this research is clear: when people use their strengths on purpose, they tend to report better well-being, confidence, and quality of life. [1] [2]

That lines up beautifully with Oak’s philosophy of seeing each learner as capable and unique, not as a list of “deficits.”

2. How mixed groups help children with neurodevelopmental differences

In a big, traditional classroom, children with autism, ADHD, or other neurodevelopmental differences can feel like they’re “the odd one out.”

In a small Oak group—often 6:1 or close—things feel different:

• There’s room to pace, fidget, doodle, or ask lots of questions.
• Teachers actually have time to learn a child’s patterns: “She needs a quiet start.” “He does better if he knows what’s coming next.”
• Hands-on, creative, and nature-based activities mean kids aren’t only judged on how still and quiet they can be.

Research on strengths-based programs for adolescents with autism shows that when their interests and abilities are treated as assets, they tend to show better self-esteem, sense of belonging, and social confidence over time. [3]

Newer “neuroinclusive school” models also suggest we should adapt the environment—lighting, noise, routines, expectations—so children with neurodevelopmental differences can join in more comfortably, instead of constantly asking them to “just try harder.”[5]

That’s very Oak: adjust the space and plan, not the child’s personality.

3. How mixed groups help neurotypical children

Here’s the lovely twist: this isn’t just good for children with neurodevelopmental differences. It’s good for everyone.

In mixed groups, neurotypical children get daily practice in:

• Empathy – learning that loud isn’t fun for everybody and that some children need headphones or breaks.
• Flexibility – changing game rules so a friend who hates running can still join; using visuals so everyone can follow.
• Appreciation of difference – noticing that the “quiet kid” has incredible ideas, or that the child who finds writing hard can build the best structures.

Studies on strengths in people with autism show that people with and without autism actually share many strengths—things like kindness, persistence, and curiosity—but may express them differently. [1] When children grow up seeing that up close, “different” starts to feel normal, not scary.

They learn, early on, that:

“My way isn’t the only way—and my friend’s brain does cool things mine doesn’t.”

That’s a pretty powerful life skill.

4. How Oak puts “different, not less” into everyday practice

None of this is theoretical at Oak—it’s in the daily details. For example:

• Small classes mean teachers can tweak activities: giving movement breaks, offering quieter roles in group games, or using visual schedules.
• Nature time (walks, forts, and sit-spots under trees) gives children who find social situations intense a calmer backdrop to connect side-by-side, not always face-to-face.
• Creative options (art, music, building, drama) let children show who they are in ways that don’t depend on speed, handwriting, or being good at “whole-class talking.”

Research on neuroinclusive schools suggests that when environments are calmer, more predictable, and genuinely celebrate neurodiversity, both children with neurodevelopmental differences and neurotypical children show better participation and well-being. [5]

That’s really what Oak is aiming for:

• not a “special” space for some children and a “regular” space for others,
• but one shared space where different kinds of minds can actually learn from each other.

5. For families wondering, “Will my child fit here?”

If your child has autism, ADHD, or another neurodevelopmental difference, you might be thinking:

“Will they be accepted for who they are, not constantly asked to mask?”

If your child is neurotypical, you might wonder:

“Will they still be challenged and supported in this kind of mixed group?”

The picture coming out of strengths-based and neuroinclusive research is hopeful: when we focus on what children can do, adapt environments thoughtfully, and bring different kinds of minds together, everyone wins. [1][2][3][5]

At Oak, that looks like:

• kids who flap, pace, or info-dump being seen as part of the group,
• kids who are more typical learning to be better listeners, helpers, and friends.
• and all of them getting the message:

“You don’t have to be the same to belong here.”

Different, not less—and better together.

References

1. Taylor, E. C., Livingston, L. A., Clutterbuck, R. A., Callan, M. J., & Shah, P. (2023). Psychological strengths and well-being: Strengths use predicts quality of life, well-being, and mental health in autism. Autism, 27(6), 1826–1839. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221146440
2. Hargitai, L. D., et al. (2025). The role of psychological strengths in positive life outcomes in adults with ADHD. Frontiers in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1398079
3. Lee, E. A. L., Scott, M., Black, M. H., D’Arcy, E., Tan, T., Sheehy, L., Bölte, S., & Girdler, S. (2024). “He sees his autism as a strength, not a deficit now”: A repeated cross-sectional study investigating the impact of strengths-based programs on autistic adolescents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(5), 1656–1671. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05881-9
4. SciTechDaily. (2025, October 7). ADHD isn’t just a deficit: New study reveals powerful psychological strengths. Summary of Hargitai et al. (2025). Retrieved from SciTechDaily website.

Rajotte, E., Grandisson, M., Couture, M. M., Desmarais, C., Chrétien-Vincent, M., Godin, J., & Thomas, N. (2025). A neuroinclusive school model: Focus on the school, not on the child. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 18(2), 281–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2024.2341643