Neurodiversity in Education: A Yokohama and Kobe JALT Joint Event

Speaker 1: Alex Burke 

Teaching all of the students - unlocking the potential of the neurodiverse students 

hidden in your language classroom 

This workshop will give an introduction to what neurodiversity means, some hands-on experiences to understand what it’s like to be a neurodiverse person, hear some first-hand accounts, and then the chance to talk and share about how you might use this in your classrooms.

Alexandra Burke has taught every level of the Japanese public education system from kindergarten to university since 2005, including thousands of hours of team and solo teaching. Burke has closely observed classroom interactions, and talked with students about what helps or blocks their autonomy and confidence. Based on a wide reading of international best practices on neurodiversity and inclusion, in collaboration with Japanese colleagues, she has trialed a number of culturally appropriate changes to methods and classroom management. Her professional background is how government…