Study Skills for Neurodivergent Students

Embrace Dynamic Planning: Ditch traditional outlines and embrace mind maps to brainstorm ideas visually, structure your essay, and make connections between arguments.

Break Down the Writing Process: Break down the writing process into manageable tasks like research, argument development, paragraph planning, and drafting. Focus on each chunk and celebrate your accomplishments.

Use Storytelling Techniques: Imagine your essay as a thrilling adventure. Map out the introduction (setting the scene), body paragraphs (journeying through key points), and conclusion (reaching a satisfying resolution).

Draft with Ease: Try out voice recognition software if typing feels challenging. Use grammar checkers for clarity, but remember, your unique voice matters more than absolute perfection.

Revise with Confidence: Read your draft aloud to identify areas needing improvement. Use colour-coding to highlight different sections for easier revision. Share your draft with a friend or tutor for constructive feedback.

Many of the tools and apps below are available free from DSA.

Brainstorming & Organising:

Mind mapping:

• Mindly: Simple and intuitive app for quick brainstorming and visualising ideas.
• Miro: Collaborative mind mapping tool with diverse layouts and features.
• XMind: Feature-rich mind mapping software with various themes and customisation options.

Visual organisers:

• Coggle: Create interactive mind maps with images, links, and notes to represent research pathways.
• Lucidchart: Flowcharts and diagrams to visualise relationships between key arguments.
• Bubblus: Free online mind mapping tool for quick visualisation and sharing of ideas.

Outlining & Structuring:

• Scrivener: Writing software with outlining tools, note-taking capabilities, and distraction-free modes.
• Evernote: Organise research notes, create outlines, and access information across multiple devices.

Drafting & Editing:

• Grammarly: Grammar checker and writing assistant that suggests improvements for clarity, style, and grammar.
• Hemingway Editor: Highlights long sentences, complex words, and passive voice, encouraging concise and impactful writing.
• ProWritingAid: Comprehensive writing feedback tool with grammar checks, style suggestions, and plagiarism detection.

Accessibility & Additional Support:

• NaturalReader: Text-to-speech tool for reading research papers aloud and adjusting reading speed/voice settings.
• Read&Write: Integrates with various platforms, offering text-to-speech, grammar checking, and dyslexia-friendly fonts.
• Immersive Reader: Built-in tool in Microsoft Edge and OneNote, providing dyslexia-friendly reading features and focus options.