Episode 72
Building EdTech Through a Neurodiverse Lens
Brief description of the episode
Students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences are often underserved by traditional school systems. Diana Heldfond, Founder and CEO of Parallel Learning, joins Tech In EdTech to unpack how edtech can help close that gap. Drawing from both personal experience and professional expertise, Diana shares how districts can deliver precision interventions, measure real outcomes, and use AI responsibly without losing the human judgment that special education requires. The conversation also looks at design thinking through the lens of neurodiversity, showing how solutions built for diverse learners can benefit everyone.
Key Takeaways:
- Partner with external specialists to fill gaps that schools can’t staff internally.
- Apply precision intervention: matching the right student with the right specialist at the right time.
- Partner with publishers of proven, evidence-based curriculum and assessments, rather than building everything in-house.
- Track and manage student progress systematically, easing the burden on SPED departments.
- Reduces provider burnout by summarizing progress and handling repetitive data tasks.
- Surfaces insights from large datasets to personalize interventions at scale.
- Supports advanced screening for conditions like dyslexia and ADHD, though not diagnosis.
- Acts as an empowering tool for specialists, not a replacement for them.
- Flexibility in delivery supports multiple learning styles (auditory, visual, etc.).
- Interventions built for neurodiverse students often improve outcomes for general ed learners too.
- Designing with diverse perspectives creates more inclusive and adaptable products.
- Early intervention shifts long-term success trajectories for entire school populations.
- Evaluate progress against individual baselines, not just closed IEP goals.
- Collect detailed, session-by-session data on student improvement.
- Recognize that no two IEP goals are equivalent, making individualized tracking essential.
- Share outcome data with districts to improve resource allocation and program design.
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