From silence to leadership: A reflective analysis of social communication barriers and inclusive practice in higher education

Abstract

This reflective analysis will explore the overlooked impact of hidden social communication barriers on learner involvement, academic identity, and inclusive teaching practice within higher education. Drawing from the author's personal history of growing up with these undiagnosed communication barriers, especially when it came to expressing emotions, forming peer connections, and the navigation of adolescent social environments. This paper will look to examine how these early struggles continue to impact learners when it comes to engagement and well-being in university settings. These issues are commonly related to primary or secondary education; such challenges persist into higher education, where students are anticipated to contribute actively in seminars, collaborate in group projects, and work with increasing academic independence, which can be quite challenging. For such learners with hidden communication barriers, these expectations can result in learners being excluded, leading to anxiety, especially within educational institutions that privilege verbal fluency and extroverted forms of participation. Relevant literature on social communication disorders, the SEND Code of Practice, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the reflection links lived experience with inclusive pedagogical strategies in higher education contexts. The author discusses how these insights have allowed them to inform their current practice as a senior educator and academic leader in the higher education institution while offering approaches such as trauma-informed teaching, diversified assessment methods, and learner-centred curriculum design, which can ensure that learners struggling with these are identified and given adequate support. By linking this personal narrative within evidence-informed frameworks, this article will contribute to ongoing discussions around the importance of inclusive teaching and learning in higher education, and it promotes greater awareness of the “invisible” barriers that can affect student participation, identity, and achievement.