Navigating neurodivergence: A scoping review to guide health professions educators

To create inclusive learning environments where neurodivergent students can learn and thrive, educators must appreciate their unique perspectives and experiences. This is particularly crucial in health professions courses, where students may face additional pressures as they undertake placements in clinical environments where neurodivergence is misrepresented or misunderstood. A comprehensive review of the existing literature is necessary to identify the available data to guide educators and pinpoint areas that warrant further exploration.

Scoping review methodology, informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute approach, was used to guide a search of four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINHAL, ERIC and PsycINFO), considering sources of primary data and analysis published up to June 2024. The retrieved literature was screened based on the inclusion criteria. Bibliographic data was extracted, and the included papers (n = 69) were reviewed and the themes charted using a framework approach.

Analysis of the included literature indicated some clear trends over time, with earlier papers predominantly focussing on dyslexia or framing neurodiverg as a form of disability. More recently there has been an increase in the number of papers specifically exploring the experiences of students identifying as neurodivergent, or the perspectives of educators. Narratives evident in the literature centred around relationships between a neurodivergent identity and a developing professional identity, challenges around disclosure, seeking effective accommodations in a stigmatising environment and the impact of educator perspectives.

Although the framing of neurodivergence has changed over time, a consistent finding is that neurodivergent students in health professions programmes are expected to conform to learning environments that exclude them and do not support their learning. Further evidence is required to inform recommendations for educators on how to provide safer learning environments which enable neurodivergent students to thrive.