Neurodiversity: A Framework for Teaching and Learning, Markos, Summer 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S74
Instructor:	Hannah Markos
Location:	In-person and Online
Dates and Times:	July 7 - Aug 25, 2026. Tuesday afternoons from 3pm - 4:30pm on July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28, August 4, and August 18 (no class on August 11).
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	Set by and payable to VT-HEC

Course Description

This course will offer an introduction to the neurodiversity movement, including its origins, history, evolution, key concepts, and vocabulary, as well as the intersection between neurodiversity and trauma. Participants will have an opportunity to use their new learning to inform teaching practices both in service to students receiving special education and in honoring the neurodiversity inherently present in all spaces where students learn. Participants will engage in small and large group work with an emphasis on active learning, and will reflect on their new learning and application of course concepts to their existing professional practice.

Audience: Educators or other professionals working with or in support of students (PreK - 12 and beyond) with an earned Bachelor’s degree

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals: Participants will gain a foundational understanding of the Neurodiversity movement, models of disability, appropriate use of key vocabulary, and the application of these concepts in their work.

Course Objectives:

Understand and discuss the history of the Neurodiversity movement, major conversations/issues within the NDI movement, and preferred foundational language/terminology
Understand and discuss models of disability; critically examine programs/practices/interventions through this lens; discuss “double empathy problem” and ways to reframe possible biases around social/communication deficits when appropriate
Think critically about types of intervention/evidence based practice available and make decisions about the most appropriate options, emphasizing the autonomy/agency/authentic identity of each student

Required Readings/Resources

Costs for required readings/resources may not be included in the course tuition. Please contact VT-HEC for more information.

Required readings and texts will be provided by the course instructor via the VT-HEC course Canvas site, and will include:

Text list includes some slightly older texts because they are a) foundational in the field or b) actively referenced and utilized as anchor texts within the neurodiversity affirming discourse

Manalili, Marie Adrienne R. (2021) "Ableist Ideologies Stifle Neurodiversity and Hinder Inclusive Education," Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6.
DOI: 10.9707/2833-1508.1072

den Houting, J., Higgins, J., Isaacs, K., Mahony, J., & Pellicano, E. (2021). ‘I’m not just a guinea pig’: Academic and community perceptions of participatory autism research. Autism, 25(1), 148–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320951696

Gernsbacher, M. A., & Yergeau, M. R. (2019). Empirical failures of the claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 7(1), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1037/arc0000067

Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (n.d.). For whose benefit?: Evidence, ethics, and effectiveness of autism interventions. https://autisticadvocacy.org/policy/briefs/intervention-ethics/

Stones, E. (2023). Cross-neurotype communication competence. In M. S. Jeffress, J. M. Cypher, J. Ferris, & J. A. Scott-Pollock (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Communication (pp. 45–65). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14447-9_4

Other Suggested Readings/Texts:

The instructor will provide additional readings and materials and post them in VT-HEC Canvas.

For additional course information

Hannah Markos

(802) 498-3350

For additional registration information

VT-HEC Team

This course requires registration with the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) first. Click on the Register Now button below.