Non-neurodivergent Students’ Perspectives on Neurodivergent Students in a High School Setting

Abstract

This study examines how non-neurodivergent high school students perceive the treatment of their neurodivergent peers and how they believe students can help create a more inclusive school environment. Fifteen non-neurodivergent male high school students were interviewed about their understanding of neurodivergence, opinions on inclusion, perspectives on peer interactions, and suggestions on how to improve belonging and social participation using a qualitative interview method. Analysis through thematic coding identified three main themes from participants’ interview responses. The first theme was that students have varying degrees of knowledge about what it means to be neurodivergent. The second theme is that students tend to describe their experiences of exclusion as subtle and rooted in stereotypes about identity, personality, academic performance, and social status. Finally, the third theme demonstrated that students understood inclusion through daily actions such as participating with peers in classroom activities, clubs, making friends, sending out invites for social occasions, and attending school-sponsored events. Altogether, the results indicate that both school-wide policies and practices and student-to-student behaviors are necessary for true inclusion. While schools can create structures that promote inclusion, students also play an important role in recognizing differences, questioning assumptions, and practicing inclusion in ordinary high school settings. Inclusion should therefore be understood as an active practice rather than just a passive belief.