This discussion, "Finding Optimal Grip: Cultivating a Neuro-Affirming School Culture," goes beyond surface-level inclusion by examining neurodiversity and intersectionality. This exploration invites us to consider our own neuroprocessing styles. How do we, as educators and students, perceive and interact with the world? Understanding our strengths and challenges is the first step toward creating inclusive space and best practices. This self-awareness allows us to recognize that learning and interaction are not monolithic experiences. Rather, they are deeply individual. Drawing inspiration from Maurice Merleau-Ponty's optimal grip, we will explore how to create learning environments that acknowledge and address the specific needs of neurodivergent people and how it is more adept at creating optimal environments for people with intersectional marginalized identities. By understanding how social identities and neurodiversity interact, we can create more equitable and supportive spaces where everyone can find their most effective and intuitive interaction with the learning process.

Additional Presenter: John-Michael Spangler