Dianne Zaccheo, MSW, LCSW  |  Family Therapist

Gift for Educators, Inc.  |  Autism Community Thrift Store  |  Melbourne, FL

A note before you begin A third-grade teacher once told me about a student she nearly gave up on. He couldn’t sit still, interrupted constantly, and seemed to resist every lesson she tried. One afternoon, exhausted and frustrated, she pulled him aside and asked him one simple question: what is the one thing in school that makes you feel smart? He looked up and said, when you let me draw the answers. The next day she handed him a sketchpad. By the end of the year he was her most engaged student. That teacher didn’t have a diagnosis, a behavioral plan, or a specialist on speed dial. She had curiosity, flexibility, and the willingness to ask. This guide is built on that same spirit. Every strategy here is tried and true, drawn from thirty years of working alongside educators, families, and neurodiverse learners across Brevard County and beyond.

Research shows that a significant percentage of school-age children have learning differences. In response to the needs expressed by teachers for strategies that actually work with these children, I compiled the following tips for both experienced and newer educators. They are tried and true methods for reaching neurodivergent learners — children with ADHD, autism, sensory differences, dyslexia, and related conditions.

Neurodivergent children may have difficulty with sustained attention, impulse control, and regulating activity levels. They may appear restless, fidget in their seats, play with objects, or find it hard to connect with peers. Like all children with learning differences, they do best when their teachers understand their unique needs and work to individualize their approach.

What follows is a practical guide organized around four areas: academic instruction, sensory awareness, behavior management, and social-emotional wellbeing. To use it effectively, I’d encourage you to start by evaluating each child’s individual needs through a multi-disciplinary team approach — considering both academic and behavioral needs through formal assessments and informal classroom observation. From there, select the strategies most appropriate to that child, combine them into a cohesive plan, and weave them into your whole-classroom activities.

Because no two neurodivergent children are alike, no single program or practice will be best for all. Always consult with colleagues and specialists. And remember: you don’t have to figure this out alone.

Understanding the child first

Before any strategy, there has to be understanding. One of the most useful frameworks I’ve encountered in thirty years of clinical practice is the work of Dr. Ross Greene, who makes a deceptively simple argument: kids do well if they can. When a child is exploding, shutting down, or refusing, it’s not because they won’t — it’s because in that moment they genuinely can’t. Something in their neurological wiring is making it hard. This one reframe changes everything about how you respond.

Why some children struggle: the idea of lagging skills

Explosive or dysregulated behavior is almost always the sign of a lagging skill, not bad character. The most common ones teachers encounter include:

• flexibility and adaptability when plans change unexpectedly
• frustration tolerance when tasks are hard or unclear
• problem solving in the moment under pressure
• recognizing how their behavior affects others
• managing transitions between activities or environments
• handling unpredictability in the school day

A practical tool: the three-basket approach

Greene organizes situations into three categories — a simple framework that helps teachers decide where to invest their energy and what to let go.

The first basket is for non-negotiables. This is reserved for safety issues only. Hold firm, stay calm, and keep this category very small. The second basket is where the real work happens. Collaborate with the child to find a solution you can both live with. This is where the most growth occurs. Try asking: what’s getting in the way for you? Let’s figure this out together. The third basket is for things you can let go of — for now. Strategically dropping low-stakes battles preserves your relationship and your energy for what truly matters.

A good rule of thumb before any difficult conversation with a neurodiverse student: ask why before you ask what consequence.

Academic instruction

Neurodivergent learners often have difficulty achieving academically, not because they lack intelligence — most have average to above-average IQs — but because the way material is presented doesn’t match how their brains work. Effective teachers monitor the child continuously and adapt their approach to meet each student where they are.

Setting students up to succeed in each lesson

1.  Begin every lesson by reviewing the previous content. Remind students what you covered, work through a few examples, and then introduce what’s new.

2.  State clearly what students will learn during each session — not just what they’ll do, but what they’ll understand by the end.

3.  Alongside academic expectations, explain how you expect students to behave during this particular activity.

4.  List all needed materials at the start of the lesson rather than leaving children to figure this out independently.

5.  Point students toward additional resources — for example, which textbook page to consult when they get stuck.

6.  Use audio-visual materials whenever possible. A display, manipulative, or an overhead projection helps visual learners stay connected to the lesson.

7.  Invite students who demonstrate strong understanding to share their thinking aloud with the class — this models the thinking process for everyone.

8.  When you ask a question, allow at least fifteen seconds before prompting further. Slower processing time is neurologically normal, not a sign of disengagement.

9.  Watch continuously for signs of frustration or confusion — a glazed expression, a slumping posture, a pencil being put down. These are communication.

10.  Teach students to self-correct by reviewing their own work, rather than simply marking answers wrong and moving on.

11.  Redirect students who lose focus quietly and briefly. A soft prompt or a learning partner check-in works far better than public correction.

12.  Monitor the overall noise level and provide gentle, calm corrective feedback when needed.

Helping children through transitions

Transitions are one of the most reliable triggers for dysregulation in neurodivergent learners. A little preparation goes a long way.

13.  Give five to ten minutes’ advance warning before a lesson ends. Unpredictability is hard for these children, and a heads-up makes a real difference.

14.  Preview what’s coming next before you transition, so students can mentally prepare.

15.  Check a sampling of completed work during each transition — this helps you gauge comprehension and plan your next lesson more accurately.

Reading comprehension

16.  Establish a daily silent reading time — what teachers sometimes call Drop Everything And Read, or DEAR. Post the sign visually rather than giving the instruction verbally each time.

17.  Try Follow-Along Reading — have the child read silently while listening to you or a peer read aloud. The two streams of input help with comprehension.

18.  Pair the child with a stronger reader for Partner Reading Activities, where they take turns reading and listening to one another.

19.  Ask the child to create a storyboard illustrating the sequence of events in a story — a wonderful tool for children who think in images.

20.  Schedule regular storytelling sessions where the child retells a story they’ve recently read, in their own words.

21.  Allow play-acting — let students embody characters from stories they’ve read. Movement and embodiment support memory.

22.  Keep a personal word bank or dictionary of new and challenging vocabulary. Many children take real pride in maintaining their own word collection.

23.  Use games to reinforce reading skills and sight vocabulary — competition and play reduce the anxiety that often accompanies reading tasks.

24.  Teach mnemonics for phonics and grammar rules that are hard to remember. A memorable phrase can outlast years of drilling.

25.  Teach word families to reinforce phonetic patterns — children who struggle with individual words often do much better when they can see the pattern.

Writing

26.  Establish clear, consistent classroom-wide standards for written work so that expectations are never ambiguous.

27.  Explicitly teach the major components of a story — plot, characters, setting, conflict, and resolution — rather than assuming children will absorb these organically.

28.  Create a classroom post office where students write, send, and receive letters. Real-world writing with a real audience is enormously motivating.

29.  Before a writing assignment, ask students to close their eyes while you read a passage aloud, then describe what they visualized. This activates the imagination before the pen hits the page.

30.  Require proofreading before submission, and give students a specific checklist of what to look for — not just “check your work.”

31.  Reinforce spelling through partner activities, color-coded letters, and cut-out manipulative letters. Children who struggle with spelling often learn better through touch and movement than through repetition.

Handwriting

32.  Provide small individual whiteboards or chalkboards for low-stakes handwriting practice — the ability to erase removes the fear of making mistakes.

33.  Offer paper with vertical lines to help children learn appropriate letter and word spacing.

34.  Allow dictation — some children’s ideas far outpace their ability to write them by hand. A recorder, a scribe, or a keyboard can open the door to their real thinking.

Mathematics

35.  Teach pattern recognition in computation — many neurodiverse learners have a natural gift for patterns when given the chance to see them.

36.  Use partner math activities and peer quizzing to reinforce computation in a low-pressure, social context.

37.  Bring in real-life money skills whenever you can — calculating change, reading a menu, comparing prices. Authentic contexts dramatically improve engagement.

38.  Support visual learners with manipulative, number lines, graph paper, and color-coded arithmetic symbols. These are legitimate cognitive tools, not shortcuts.

Sensory awareness in the classroom

Many neurodiverse learners — particularly those with autism and sensory processing differences — experience the classroom environment in ways that most of us never think about. Fluorescent lights, background noise, the texture of a chair, the smell of a marker: any of these can become overwhelming. A sensory-aware classroom isn’t a special accommodation; it’s simply good teaching.

Understanding what each child needs

Some children are sensory-seeking — they crave stimulation and movement to stay regulated. Others are sensory-avoiding — they are easily overwhelmed by input that most of us barely notice. Some are both, depending on the sense involved. Getting to know which profile fits a particular child tells you a great deal about how to structure their day.

The physical environment

39.  Use natural or warm lighting wherever possible. Fluorescent lights flicker at a frequency many neurodiverse children find genuinely distressing, even if they can’t articulate why.

40.  Offer cream-colored or pastel paper instead of bright white. Reducing glare is a simple change that can meaningfully improve focus for children with visual sensitivity.

41.  Create a designated calm-down space in your classroom — a beanbag, a canopy, or even a chair turned away from the class. Make it clear from the start that this is a tool, not a punishment.

42.  Be aware of background noise sensitivity. Some children are deeply distracted by sounds the rest of us have tuned out. Preferential seating away from doors, vents, or high-traffic areas can help considerably.

43.  Try soft classical music during independent work. Silence is not always the most productive state for sensory-seeking learners — a gentle auditory background can actually help them regulate.

Movement and regulation

44.  Build movement breaks into the school day, particularly between seated academic tasks. Two or three minutes of intentional physical activity can significantly improve focus in the lesson that follows.

45.  Offer flexible seating options — a standing desk, a wobble stool, or floor seating. Not every child learns best sitting still in a traditional chair, and insisting on it can create more dysregulation, not less.

46.  Incorporate brief brain break activities before high-demand cognitive tasks — stretching, jumping jacks, or a short walk around the room.

47.  Teach children to recognize when they need a break and how to ask for one appropriately. Self-advocacy is a skill that must be taught, not assumed.

Fidget tools and sensory supports

48.  Provide appropriate fidget tools for children who need tactile input to focus — stress balls, textured pencil grips, or an elastic band on the chair leg. Set clear, consistent guidelines for how they’re used.

49.  Consider allowing gum or crunchy snacks during independent work for children with oral sensory needs, where your school policy permits.

50.  Weighted lap pads can help children who benefit from deep pressure input to settle and regulate, particularly during sustained work periods.

51.  Allow movement seating — wobble cushions or balance discs — for children who genuinely cannot regulate when completely stationary.

Predictability as a sensory tool

52.  Post a visual daily schedule in a consistent, prominent place in the classroom. Refer to it explicitly at every transition.

53.  Prepare the child ahead of time for any change in the schedule, and keep reminding them until the change has happened. This isn’t nagging — it’s scaffolding.

54.  Use a visual timer so children can see time passing. The uncertainty of not knowing how long something will last is a significant source of anxiety for many neurodiverse learners.

55.  Collaborate with the child and their family to create a personal sensory toolkit — a portable set of tools they can access anywhere in the school when they feel overwhelmed.

Behavior management

Neurodivergent learners benefit from consistent, structured behavior support that helps them learn to manage themselves over time. The goal is always self-regulation — not compliance for its own sake.

What’s really happening during a meltdown

When a child reaches the point of explosion or shutdown, the part of their brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making has effectively gone offline. This is a neurological event, not a choice, and not a character flaw. The most important thing you can do in that moment is reduce demands, use fewer words, speak more slowly, and create physical safety. Reasoning, consequences, and problem-solving all belong to the conversation that happens after the child is calm — not during.

The most important thing to remember Never try to reason with a child in the middle of a meltdown. Fewer words, slower voice, more space. Save the real conversation for when they are calm.

Reinforcement and correction

56.  Praise children frequently and specifically. Saying I noticed how carefully you organized your desk this morning is far more powerful than a generic good job.

57.  Look for behavior to praise before a child is off task, not after. Catching them being good is one of the most underused tools in classroom management.

58.  Keep reprimands brief, calm, and directed at the behavior rather than the child. That behavior isn’t okay here tells the child far more than an emotional or personal reaction.

59.  Selectively ignore minor attention-seeking misbehavior. Consistent attention — even negative attention — can reinforce the very behavior you’re trying to reduce.

Solving problems together

The most durable behavioral change comes not from imposing consequences but from solving the underlying problem collaboratively with the child. This takes a little more time upfront but saves enormous energy later.

60.  Find a calm moment and approach the child with genuine curiosity: I’ve noticed you seem to struggle when we move to math. Can you help me understand what happens for you?

61.  Ask why before deciding on a consequence. Understanding the lagging skill behind the behavior almost always suggests a better response than punishment alone.

62.  When developing behavioral goals, do it with the child rather than for them. Cooperative goal-setting produces far higher buy-in.

63.  Look for the pattern in when and where difficulties arise — time of day, subject, peer dynamics, sensory environment. Patterns reveal the lagging skill.

Cues, signals, and proximity

64.  Establish simple, private visual cues with the child to redirect behavior without drawing the class’s attention — a hand signal, a card on the desk, or a quiet look.

65.  Use proximity. Simply moving toward where the child is sitting often regulates without a single word being spoken.

66.  Use private hand signals to communicate with the child during a lesson — for instance, a closed fist to indicate they know the answer, an open palm that they don’t.

67.  Use classroom lights or a soft bell to signal transitions or noise level, rather than verbal reminders that can feel like nagging to a dysregulated child.

Structured behavior systems

68.  Use behavioral contracts developed together with the child. Goals should be specific, achievable, and genuinely meaningful to them — not just to you.

69.  Token economy systems work well for many neurodiverse learners. Visual, tangible tracking of progress toward a reward is concrete and motivating in a way that verbal praise sometimes isn’t.

70.  Involve parents in reward systems wherever possible, so that positive behavior is reinforced consistently across home and school.

71.  Label the behavior, never the person. Avoid statements that invite a child to internalize a negative identity.

72.  Create a classroom culture where risk-taking and mistakes are part of learning, not cause for embarrassment.

When additional support is needed

73.  Conduct brief, impromptu problem-solving conversations where conflict arises, rather than waiting to address it later. Immediacy matters.

74.  Small social skills groups of four to six students, using role-play and scenario practice, can be enormously effective for children who struggle with peer interactions.

75.  Know your referral pathways. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, coaching, and family therapy can provide levels of support that classroom strategies alone cannot. Knowing when to refer is as important as knowing what to try first.

Recommended reading: 1-2-3 Magic by Thomas Phelan  |  The Explosive Child by Ross Greene

Classroom accommodations

Many neurodiverse learners benefit from straightforward accommodations that reduce distraction and optimize the learning environment. These are not special privileges — they are the adjustments that allow these children to access the learning that is already there.

The physical space

76.  Seat the child near your desk or the front of the room. Quiet, easy monitoring and reinforcement is more effective than having to cross the room.

77.  Seat the child near a positive peer role model. Natural, organic peer modeling is one of the most underutilized resources in the classroom.

78.  Use a visible timer at the start of each lesson so students can independently track how much time remains.

79.  Turn the classroom lights on and off as a non-verbal whole-class signal for transitions or when the noise level is too high.

80.  Use music intentionally to communicate what kind of activity is happening — quiet classical for focused work, something livelier for group activity.

How you deliver instruction

81.  After giving class-wide directions, follow up individually with children who need them without drawing attention to it.

82.  Write key directions on the board so the child can refer back to them independently, reducing the need to interrupt.

83.  Highlight or underline key words in worksheet instructions. Many neurodiverse learners get lost in language and miss what the task is actually asking.

84.  Teach children to use a pointer or bookmark to track text on a page. This simple physical anchor supports reading fluency.

85.  Use color-coded folders for different subjects. Organization is a genuine cognitive challenge for many of these children — visual systems do the organizing work for them.

86.  Teach note-taking and study skills explicitly. Do not assume they will develop on their own.

87.  Before any independent seat-work begins, teach the child how to clear their workspace. An uncluttered desk reduces cognitive load before the work even starts.

88.  Allow legitimate assistive tools — tape recorders, spell checkers, calculators, laptops. These are accommodations, not cheating.

Social-emotional wellbeing and self-concept

Of all the things I’ve learned in thirty years of working with neurodiverse children and their teachers, this is the one I return to most often: the child’s sense of themselves as a capable learner may be the single most important variable in their long-term success. Students with learning differences are disproportionately vulnerable to low self-concept, and school experiences — both positive and negative — have profound and lasting effects on how they see themselves.

Starting each day with connection

89.  Begin every day with a brief check-in ritual — a visual scale, a color card, or even a one-word go-round. Knowing how each child is arriving helps you calibrate everything that follows.

90.  Use emotion identification charts and feeling vocabulary tools to help children name what they’re experiencing before it becomes behavior. Many neurodiverse children are genuinely unaware of what they’re feeling until it explodes.

91.  Teach children to recognize their own early warning signs — a tight chest, clenched hands, a rising voice — and pair each sign with a coping strategy they can use independently.

92.  Build a classroom culture where feelings are acknowledged, not dismissed. I can see you’re frustrated — let’s figure this out together is infinitely more effective than calm down.

Building genuine self-confidence

93.  Praise specifically. You waited your turn for three full minutes today — that took real self-control is memorable. Good job is not.

94.  Hold high expectations. Research is consistent on this: lowering expectations to protect self-esteem actually undermines it over time. Challenge them, then support them.

95.  Actively help each child identify their own strengths. Neurodiverse learners often have exceptional abilities in specific areas — creativity, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, intense focus, deep empathy. Name these out loud. Often.

96.  Remind yourself — and communicate to the child — that different is not defective. The child is more normal than they are different. This belief, held genuinely, changes the relationship.

97.  Mark positively. Tick the correct answers, note what was done well, before addressing what needs work. The first thing a child’s eyes go to when a paper comes back shapes how they feel about themselves as a learner.

Peer relationships and belonging

98.  Address the social dynamics of your classroom proactively. Neurodiverse learners are disproportionately targeted for bullying. Don’t wait for it to happen — build a classroom culture that makes it less likely.

99.  Use structured peer buddy systems to build natural social connections for children who struggle with the unwritten rules of peer interaction.

100.  Teach social skills explicitly — in small groups of four to six students, using role-play and scenario practice. These skills don’t develop by osmosis for many neurodiverse learners.

101.  Design cooperative learning activities that position the neurodiverse child’s specific strengths as an asset to the group. Success in the eyes of peers is one of the most powerful things you can engineer.

Family as your partner

102.  Make contact with parents regularly — not only when there’s a problem. A positive phone call home changes a child’s evening and the next morning’s readiness to learn.

103.  Be prepared to learn from parents. They are the leading experts on their child. Involve them, listen to them, and treat them as genuine partners in the work.

104.  Know that when parents receive effective support and training, their children’s self-concept measurably improves. Recommending a parent support group or training program is a real clinical intervention, not a deflection.

A few more things that matter

105.  Repeat things. Repeat them again. And then repeat them once more. Repetition is not a failure of teaching — it is how these brains consolidate learning.

106.  For older students, shift your focus toward coping strategies and self-advocacy skills. The ability to articulate one’s own needs is a life skill that will serve them in every environment after school.

107.  Encourage every student to ask questions, and teach them how to do so. Curiosity is the bridge between where they are and where they can go.

What the research tells us about self-concept and learning differences

The desire for a positive sense of self affects a person’s feelings, actions, and aspirations throughout life. In childhood and adolescence, school experiences play an unusually powerful role in shaping those self-perceptions — and the effects can last decades. Students with learning differences are particularly vulnerable to low self-concept, and research consistently links that low self-concept with poorer academic achievement. The relationship runs in both directions: children who struggle academically tend to feel less capable, and children who feel less capable tend to struggle more.

Researchers have studied two broad approaches to improving self-concept in neurodiverse learners. The first — sometimes called the self-enhancement approach — focuses on directly changing students’ self-perceptions through techniques like cognitive therapy, targeting self-defeating thoughts and patterns of thinking. The second — the skill development approach — works from the premise that building genuine academic competence is itself the most powerful route to improved self-concept. Both approaches have been shown to work.

A meta-analysis of thirty-six interventions found that school-based programs can produce meaningful improvements in the self-perceptions of neurodiverse learners, even when those programs lasted less than twelve weeks. Group counseling approaches showed strong results across age groups. Academic interventions with collaborative structures and frequent peer feedback were particularly effective for middle-school students. And one finding I find especially compelling: children whose parents participated in a nine-week parent effectiveness training course showed improvement in their own self-concept — a reminder that the child is not the only variable we can work with.

The practical takeaway for teachers is this: help every student build a genuine, accurate sense of themselves as a capable learner, and hold your academic expectations high while you do it. Lowering the bar to protect self-esteem is, in the long run, the thing most likely to erode it.

Recommended reading for educators

These are the books I return to most often — both in my clinical practice and in the work I do supporting teachers across Brevard County. Each one will deepen your understanding in a different way.

On neurodiversity and how the brain works

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat  by Oliver Sacks

A collection of profound, beautifully written case studies about patients with unusual neurological conditions. Sacks treats every patient as a full human being, not a diagnosis. Essential for understanding how differently one brain can experience the world from another.

NeuroTribes  by Steve Silberman

A sweeping and compassionate history of autism that reframes neurodiversity as a natural part of human variation. Changes how you see the spectrum entirely.

Thinking in Pictures  by Temple Grandin

Written by the world’s most famous autistic scientist and advocate. Grandin describes in vivid detail how her mind works — essential reading for understanding the autism experience from the inside.

The Reason I Jump  by Naoki Higashida

Written by a nonverbal Japanese teenager with autism. Answers the questions neurotypical people always wonder about but never quite know how to ask. Deeply moving.

On ADHD

Driven to Distraction  by Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

The classic text on ADHD — warm, human, and still one of the best books on the subject decades after its publication. Both authors are themselves diagnosed with ADHD, which shows in every page.

On behavior and classroom management

The Explosive Child  by Ross Greene

The book that introduced the Collaborative Problem Solving model to the world. If you read only one book on managing difficult behavior in neurodiverse children, make it this one.

Lost at School  by Ross Greene

Greene’s companion volume written specifically for educators. Practical, direct, and immediately applicable in the classroom.

1-2-3 Magic  by Thomas Phelan

A clear, practical behavior management system for children ages two through twelve. Widely used by both teachers and parents.

On therapy, the therapeutic relationship, and the human side of this work

The Gift of Therapy  by Irvin Yalom

Wise, honest reflections from one of the great psychotherapists of our time on what actually helps people heal. Written for therapists, but deeply meaningful for any educator who cares about the whole child.

Useful websites and online resources

The following websites offer free tools, research, and practical guidance for educators working with neurodiverse learners. I have found each of them worth bookmarking.

Start here — our local resource hub

www.autismcommunitythrift.com  The Autism Community Thrift Store, home of Gift for Educators, Inc. Your local hub for neurodiversity resources, community programs, and educator support in Brevard County. 2006 Vernon Place, Downtown Melbourne, FL 32901.

Autism and neurodiversity

www.autismspeaks.org  Autism Speaks — Tools, research, and resources for educators and families across the spectrum.

www.autismsociety.org  Autism Society of America — Advocacy, education, and referral services nationwide.

www.autismfl.org  Autism Society of Florida — Florida-specific resources, provider directories, and family support programs.

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism  CDC autism resources — research-based information for educators and families.

www.therapistndc.org  Therapist Neurodiversity Collective — a directory of neurodiversity-affirming therapists across the country.

ADHD and learning differences

www.chadd.org  CHADD — the leading national organization for ADHD education and advocacy.

www.understood.org  Understood.org — practical, accessible support for families of children who learn and think differently.

www.additudemag.com  ADDitude Magazine — expert guidance for living and learning with ADHD.

www.ldonline.org  LD Online — comprehensive resources on learning disabilities for educators, parents, and students.

For educators

www.edutopia.org  Edutopia — research-based strategies and classroom inspiration for teachers of all student populations.

www.pbis.org  PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) — an evidence-based framework for school-wide behavior support.

www.iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu  IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University — free, research-based online learning resources for educators serving students with disabilities.

Local resources: Brevard County

These local organizations, schools, and programs serve neurodiverse individuals and their families right here in our community. I encourage every educator to become familiar with these resources and to share them with the families they work with.

Gift for Educators, Inc.  |  Autism Community Thrift Store 2006 Vernon Place, Downtown Melbourne, FL 32901 (561) 584-1489  |  www.autismcommunitythrift.com Founder & Executive Director: Dianne Zaccheo, MSW, LCSW, Family Therapist A 501(c)(3) nonprofit with thirty years of expertise in ADHD, autism, and neurodiversity, serving families, educators, and individuals across Brevard County. The Autism Community Thrift Store funds community programming and provides neurodiversity resources year-round. Home of the Neurodiversity Teacher Appreciation Kit.

Schools and educational programs

Brevard Public Schools — Exceptional Student Education (ESE)  —  Specialized support for students with disabilities across all Brevard County public schools, includingautism programs, ADHD support, and the Family Liaison Project. www.brevardschools.org

Puzzle Box Academy, Melbourne  —  A private school for students with autism and special needs, Pre-K through high school. Individualized education, evidence-based practices, and early intervention. Three locations across Brevard County. www.puzzleboxacademy.com

CIP Brevard — College Internship Program  —  Specialized support for college-age young adults with autism, ADHD, and learning differences. Academic coaching, life skills, career preparation, and social development. Melbourne. www.cipworldwide.org/cip-brevard

Able Academics  —  An ABA-based private school in Brevard County offering individualized academic and behavioral programming.

Anchor Academic Center of Excellence (AACE)  —  A private school in Merritt Island for students with learning differences. 3700 N Courtenay Pkwy, Suite 102, Merritt Island, FL 32953.

The Behavior Education Center, Rockledge  —  ABA-based clinic and educational services for children with autism and behavioral challenges. 571 Haverty Court, Suite W, Rockledge, FL 32955.

Community organizations and nonprofits

Brevard Autism Coalition  —  Creates opportunities for individuals with ASD across Brevard County. Brings together medical professionals, educators, and families. Hosts summer camps, community events, and fundraisers. www.brevardautismcoalition.com

The Parker Foundation  —  Free, year-round inclusive and adaptive sports programs for youth, teens, and young adults of all abilities. Serves families touched by autism and special needs. www.theparkerfoundation.com

Promise in Brevard  —  Housing, employment, and social opportunities for adults with disabilities in Brevard County.

Pediatrics in Brevard  —  Pediatric medical practice with multiple locations offering child behavior resources, ADHD support, and developmental services. www.pedsinbrevard.com

Child and Family Consultants  —  Psychological and educational assessments, therapy, and behavioral support for children and families in Brevard County. www.childandfamilyconsultants.com

Nemours Children’s Health  —  Medical, behavioral, and developmental services for children and families, including ADHD and autism evaluation.

Local clinical providers in Brevard County

The following licensed professionals provide psychological evaluation and clinical support for neurodiverse individuals locally:

• Stephen Nassar, Clinical Psychologist — Melbourne  |  321-751-3636
• Bonnie Slade, Clinical Psychologist — Palm Bay  |  321-729-0870
• Joel Shuy, Clinical Psychologist — Rockledge  |  321-636-6884
• Parwati C. Maddali, Psychiatrist/Neurologist — Rockledge Psychiatric  |  321-631-4222
• Florida Psychological Specialists — Satellite Beach  |  www.flpsychspecialists.com
• Psychology Today Brevard County directory — www.psychologytoday.com

Educators and thinkers who have shaped this field

The strategies in this guide didn’t emerge from a vacuum. They reflect decades of research and advocacy by the following educators, researchers, and thought leaders whose work I have drawn on throughout my career.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D.  —  Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and the world’s most prominent autistic advocate. Her work has transformed how we understand sensory processing and the autistic experience. Author of Thinking in Pictures and numerous other landmark texts.

Ross Greene, Ph.D.  —  Clinical psychologist and creator of Collaborative Problem Solving. Author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School. His foundational insight — kids do well if they can — has changed how educators and clinicians think about behavioral challenges worldwide.

Rick Lavoie, M.Ed.  —  Special education expert and creator of the landmark video F.A.T. City (Frustration, Anxiety, Tension), which gives educators and parents a visceral experience of what it feels like to have a learning disability. A must-see for every teacher.

Edward Hallowell, M.D. & John Ratey, M.D.  —  Psychiatrists and co-authors of Driven to Distraction. Both are themselves diagnosed with ADHD, bringing lived experience alongside clinical expertise. Dr. Hallowell founded the Hallowell ADHD Centers.

Paula Kluth, Ph.D.  —  Author and inclusive education consultant whose work focuses on supporting students with autism in general education settings. Author of You’re Going to Love This Kid — a practical guide for inclusive educators.

Mel Levine, M.D.  —  Founder of All Kinds of Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to students who learn differently. His framework for understanding neurodevelopmental variation shaped a generation of special education practice.

Judy Singer  —  Australian sociologist who coined the term neurodiversity in the late 1990s, establishing the philosophical foundation for viewing neurological differences as natural human variation rather than deficits requiring correction.

Steve Silberman  —  Science journalist and author of NeuroTribes. His research into the history of autism and the neurodiversity movement has had a profound impact on how the public understands the spectrum.

Oliver Sacks, M.D.  —  Neurologist and author whose compassionate case studies — including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat — showed the world that every unusual brain has a story worth telling with dignity.

Dianne Zaccheo, MSW, LCSW Family Therapist  |  Founder & Executive Director, Gift for Educators, Inc. With thirty years of clinical and community experience in ADHD, autism, and neurodiversity, Dianne Zaccheo has dedicated her career to equipping educators, supporting families, and championing every neurodiverse learner in Brevard County and beyond. Her clinical training includes EMDR (under Dr. Francine Shapiro), CBT, NLP, Equine Assisted Growth and Learning, Family Therapy, and Addiction Counselling. She holds an MSW from Boston University. Autism Community Thrift Store  |  2006 Vernon Place, Downtown Melbourne, FL 32901 (561) 584-1489  |  www.autismcommunitythrift.com

A final word — for you, the teacher Teaching neurodiverse children is among the most demanding and most meaningful work in education. You are not just an instructor — you are often the first adult outside of their family to truly see them. That is a profound responsibility, and it takes a real toll. Please seek support through your administration, your colleagues, and your community. Consult with special educators and learning support organizations. Acknowledge what you don’t know — that is a sign of expertise, not weakness. And remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup. The child who is hardest to reach is usually the one who needs you most. Thank you for showing up for them, every single day.

Gift for Educators, Inc.  |  Autism Community Thrift Store

2006 Vernon Place, Downtown Melbourne, FL 32901  |  (561) 584-1489

www.autismcommunitythrift.com  |  EIN: 82-4299277  |  FL Reg: CH82886

Dianne Zaccheo, MSW, LCSW  |  Family Therapist  |  Founder & Executive Director

© Zaccheo Training | Gift for Educators | All rights reserved.