City hosted the Bar Standards Board conference at which Dr Sarah Hopp shared an introduction to neurodiversity and ADHD.
By Mr Shamim Quadir (Senior Communications Officer), Published (Updated )
On Thursday 6 June, City hosted the Bar Training Annual Conference 2024, of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and at which Dr Sarah Hopp shared an introduction to neurodiversity and ADHD.
Dr Hopp is the Student Disability and Neurodiversity Manager and Co-chair of the Wellbeing, Accessibility, Neurodiversity and Disability Network (WAND) at City, University of London. She has 27 years of experience as a specialist SEND leader, assessor and teacher for students with a wide range of complex needs including ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia and mental wellbeing difficulties, and has also been a mainstream subject and pastoral teacher in a range of roles.
Neurodivergent students often report feeling misunderstood by those around them and the societies they live in. This often induces social and emotional anxiety, which can manifest itself in poor processing, miscommunication, a failure to attend lectures/tutorials and to complete work.
Furthermore, information that is widely circulated in the media, although written with good intention, may misinform and reinforce stereotypes about neurological differences such as ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia and Dyslexia.
Dr Hopp argues that a working relationship of trust between the tutor/lecturer and student based on an accurate understanding of the complexities of neurological differences forms the corner stone of a student’s academic success and holistic flourishing. Comprehension of how that student experiences the world is required for support and working relationships to be optimised.
Her talk at the conference introduced delegates to approaches to enhance working relationships between tutors and lecturers and their neurodivergent students, and between the university and its employees, including by raising awareness of the complexities of some of the most common neurological differences to dispel stereotypes.