10 Steps to a Neurodivergent-Friendly Classroom
On sale
21st October 2026
Price: £15.99
Ten simple steps. Countless positive impacts. Supporting neurodivergent students in schools has never been more urgent, nor more challenging. Amid rising need, limited resources, and shifting policy expectations, educators are under increasing pressure to create inclusive classrooms that are both effective and sustainable. This practical guide is designed to meet that challenge head-on.
Drawing on thousands of hours of training delivered to teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders, education expert Pooky Knightsmith distils the core principles of a neurodivergent friendly classroom into ten clear, actionable steps. Aligned with current education policy, including the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme and the move towards needs-led support, this guide equips staff at every level to strengthen understanding, embed inclusive routines, and create learning environments where all pupils can thrive.
Each step offers immediately usable strategies, including “try this in the moment” boxes, classroom worksheets, and whole school team reflections. Written in Pooky’s trademark warm, accessible style, this is a highly practical resource for anyone looking to make your classroom calmer, more predictable, and more responsive for neurodivergent students.
Drawing on thousands of hours of training delivered to teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders, education expert Pooky Knightsmith distils the core principles of a neurodivergent friendly classroom into ten clear, actionable steps. Aligned with current education policy, including the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme and the move towards needs-led support, this guide equips staff at every level to strengthen understanding, embed inclusive routines, and create learning environments where all pupils can thrive.
Each step offers immediately usable strategies, including “try this in the moment” boxes, classroom worksheets, and whole school team reflections. Written in Pooky’s trademark warm, accessible style, this is a highly practical resource for anyone looking to make your classroom calmer, more predictable, and more responsive for neurodivergent students.
Reviews
Pooky's ten steps are practical, principled, and long overdue. This is the book I'll be recommending to every school we work with.
This book reflects everything I value in supporting neurodivergent children. It combines practical wisdom with deep compassion and understanding. It is full of thoughtful, achievable ideas that will help neurodivergent children flourish.
This book is a standout resource for educators at every stage and is loaded with trademark Dr Pooky goodness!
It combines clear, research-informed guidance with practical, classroom-ready strategies that actually work and can be adapted to all classroom situations. The structure is intuitive, the examples are authentic, and the tools are easy to implement without overwhelming your planning time. As professionals who work day in day out with all flavours of SEN, we especially value how it centres student thinking and provides flexible routines. This is the book to keep within arm's reach.
Grounding theory in everyday practice is always the hard part, and this book actually does it. Pooky's ten steps aren't aspirational, they're the small, achievable shifts that make a real difference for neurodivergent pupils in a busy classroom.
Pooky's deeply insightful guidance is teaching gold dust. Practical and reflective, it blends reasonable adjustments seamlessly with your teaching style. A book you will return to many times for many different children.
Written in her friendly style, Pooky turns big concepts into clear and practical steps that can be used by any teacher to thoughtfully understand and support neurodivergent young people in a meaningful way.