The Transformative Power of Language Learning for Neurodiverse Learners

Neurodiverse learners—including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or anxiety—often experience second language learning differently. While they may face challenges such as processing overload, anxiety while speaking, or difficulties with memory and attention, they also possess unique strengths, including creativity, strong pattern recognition, and visual thinking. This presentation explores how language teachers can better understand and support neurodiverse students. Through hands-on strategies, we’ll examine ways to reduce anxiety, use visual and structured input, and offer flexible opportunities for communication and participation. By shifting our perspective from deficits to potential, we can make language learning more inclusive and rewarding for all students—especially those who need support the most.

Sara Lee is an Associate Teaching Professor of German at Arizona State University who is passionate about creating world language classrooms that support neurodiverse learners. She is a certified K-12 teacher and dyslexia therapist from Germany and presents nationally and internationally on a variety of topics like neurodiversity and language learning, executive functions, and best teaching practices. As a German Educational Multiplier, Arizona’s (AZLA) and SWCOLT’s Teacher of the Year 2024 and a finalist for ACTFL’s Teacher of the Year 2025, she enjoys meeting and collaborating with language teachers across the US. Sara is also an OPI tester and the director of the examination center for the Goethe exams in Arizona. She has taught learners from elementary to college age, and after more than 20 years in the classroom, she says that ‘nothing is more exciting than opening someone’s world to a new culture.’