1. Project title: Your Neurodiverse Classmate
2. Duration (all stages including the initiation and closure)

9 weeks

1. Initiation: online meeting
2. Planning: online meeting Mon 13.10.
3. Execution:

(a)     Digging up for information in scientific databases – 3 weeks

(b)     Summarizing gathered information – 1 week

(c)     Creating poster – 2 weeks

4. Control – 1 week
5. Closing       

3. What specific problem or need in your community or environment did you select to work on?

We decided to create a material (a poster?) dealing with challenging or unusual behaviour of neurodivergent people in a classroom. The target audience are the classmates of neurodivergent people. The original poster will be in English, due to a foreign nationality of 2 of the team. At the same time we will create a Czech version for less advanced students.

4. Who will directly benefit from your project (who is your target audience/stakeholder)?

The whole school community should benefit from our project, namely neurodivergent people, their classmates, teachers, and indirectly families of all involved.

5. OBJECTIVE = What will you do to answer this need/solve the problem (= what is the solution you will offer)?

We will offer an insight into the difficult situation or a challenging behaviour and suggest an approach that should help deal with it.

6. HOW will you do it (solve that problem)? = What project will you create? (study, poster, prototype of a product, lecture, artwork, … ) = what is the DELIVERABLE(s)

The deliverable of this project should be a poster and feedback.

7. What are the main tasks you need to do to complete the project? (think about the stages of the project – do you need to do some research, interviews, create a prototype, test it, gather feedback,….)
   1. Make a list of possible situations
   2. Research the possible causes and solutions
   3. Create short texts to explain the situations and offer solutions
   4. Create a poster including all (Canva)
   5. Create a questionnaire for feedback (Forms)
   6. Pilot a trial run in a class
   7. Get feedback

8. Preliminary budget & resources needed

Only if we agree on printing.

9. Indicate the group members and the group manager (these can change throughout the semester, but it is highly advised to have a “group manager” role).

Group manager – Gábi

Research – Cigdem

Putting together possible situations – Lucie, Alpcan

Creating texts – Gabi

Creating the poster – Alpcan

Feedback – Gabi

Piloting – Lucie, Gabi

10. Short summary of the project (150 words)

We decided to create a visual material (a poster) dealing with challenging or unusual behaviour of neurodivergent people in a classroom and offering explanation and outline of a possible solution to their classmates. The goal is to improve relationships in the classroom and create a safe space for all. Neurotypical people are often baffled by the neurodivergent behaviour and the way of thinking. The poster should describe common situations that can occur. There will be pictures accompanied by short and simple texts.   The original poster will be in English, due to a foreign nationality of 2 of the team. Nevertheless, at the same time we will create a Czech version for less advanced or younger students.

11. How the project aligns with the goals of the course

The project requires cooperation within a team, where the role will be clearly set as well as the timeline of the project. There will be a deliverable (the poster) that would be beneficial for society, because there is a lot of children with neurodivergent issues at schools and many children are not always sure how to behave properly with them.

-OUTLINE-

Autism:

1. Eye contact
   1. avoidance
   2. excessive
2. Repetitive behaviour – “Stimming”
3. Meltdowns
4. Demand avoidance
5. Inappropriate laughing
6. Obsessive interests
7. Day-dreaming
8. Rigid routines
9. Need for predictability
10. No small talk
11. Unusual body language 
12. Sensory overload
13. Trouble with social cues

ADHD

1. Attention
   1. short attention span
   2. hyperfocus
2. Hyperactivity

Dyslexia

1. Slow and awkward reading
2. Poor spelling

Dysgraphia

Slow writing speed and difficulty with keeping up with written assignments)

Poor letter formation and legibility