Conference Program

In the contemporary educational landscape, neurodiversity is increasingly recognized not as a set of deficits to be cured, but as the natural variation in how human beings think, feel, move, perceive, and communicate. This paradigm shift demands that future educators move beyond a purely diagnostic lens toward a social justice perspective that values cognitive differences.

This contribution explores how undergraduate students in Education Sciences at Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Ferrara, as well as graduate students at the University of Bologna, perceive and internalize neurodiversity. Viewing neurodiversity as a broad spectrum of human communication and thought, we aim to reveal the core attitudes that influence how future educators will practice inclusion in their professional practice. To capture the essence of these perceptions, this study employs a phenomenological methodology, focusing on participants’ lived experiences. Phenomenology allows us to move past abstract theories and delve into the subjective meanings students assign to their encounters with neurodiversity.

The research design is structured in two distinct phases:

1. Individual Reflection: students are first asked to engage in an introspective exercise, documenting personal encounters with neurodiversity in school, family, or professional settings. They are encouraged to record significant moments, whether positive or challenging.
2. Collaborative Storytelling: participants then form small groups to share their reflections and co-construct a narrative artifact (a story, presentation, or multimedia product). These stories, which may be real, imagined, or a hybrid of both, serve as collective representations of what they deem essential to communicate about neurodiversity from their future educator standpoint.

The resulting artifacts are analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns of meaning, metaphors, and tensions that characterize the students' understanding of diverse cognitive profiles.

The primary goal of this research is to unearth the implicit perceptions of future educators regarding neurodiversity. We hope to achieve the following outcomes:

1. Understanding student perspectives: we want to see whether students still view neurodiversity as a medical problem to be solved or as a natural human difference to be valued. We also aim to understand the emotions—such as anxiety, empathy, or confidence—that arise when they face these differences.
2. Improving professional training: by identifying where students feel confused or harbor unconscious biases, we can design better university courses. This will help us provide future educators with the specific tools and support they need to work effectively in inclusive environments.
3. Enhancing reflective practice: demonstrate how narrative and phenomenological tools can be integrated into university curricula to foster self-awareness and ethical responsibility.

Ultimately, this study seeks to inform the design of transformative training programs. By analyzing the stories students tell, we can better prepare them to build educational environments where neurodivergent individuals are not just "included," but are truly understood and valued for their unique ways of being in the world.