Neurodivergence in Higher Education

This research project sought to understand the experiences of higher education performing arts students who identify as autistic and their well-being. An online questionnaire powered by Qualtrics was completed by 280 performing arts students across 25 institutions of higher education in the United Kingdom. The analysis points to an association between higher levels of ADHD traits and depression and lower levels of educational self-efficacy, suggesting that performing arts students who are neurodivergent may be “especially vulnerable to lower wellbeing.”

This study was conducted in response to the high interest and enrollment of neurodivergent people in performing arts programs and careers in the United Kingdom. While the need for this study suggests increasing access to performing arts education in the UK for neurodivergent populations, it is necessary for instructors to have the knowledge and tools to support students in ways that will promote positive experiences and wellbeing in the institution. The questionnaire collected data on students’ diagnostic history, mental health, quality of life, and perceived educational self-efficacy. In addition to the correlation between neurodiversity and lower self-efficacy, the study illuminated students with higher levels of ADHD traits also were seeking more support in their coursework.

While the correlation between neurodiversity and educational self-efficacy is an important to note, perhaps the discovery that students with high levels of ADHD traits were seeking support is a more important takeaway of this study. Instructors of neurodiverse students in tertiary education settings need additional support to create differentiated and meaningful instruction for all students that supports their needs and cultivates positive learning experiences. We see a lot of support with exceptional learning in primary and secondary education systems, but significantly less in tertiary education. As we see the positive outcomes of increasing accessibility to performing arts education, institutions must ensure they are providing the necessary learning and tools for tertiary instructors working with exceptional populations.

This study expands beyond music education to include students studying theater and dance. In addition to the deeper understanding this research illuminates on the experiences of neurodivergent students in the performing arts, it is exciting to acknowledge that the population of students studying the performing arts post-secondary school is becoming more diverse.