Listening Bodies, Cold Calls, and the Burden of Existing: #Neurodivergent at School

Grounded in Neurodiversity Studies, this naturalistic study examined the P-20 educational experiences of neurodivergent TikTok users, positioning lived narratives as critical epistemologies for reimagining education. Data from 100 publicly available videos and 4876 associated comments were qualitatively analyzed using a five-stage inductive framework. Results illustrated (1) educator attitudes toward neurodivergence as hostile, dismissive, and ambivalent, (2) emotional and cognitive labor as required for neurodivergent students to endure school environments, even amid academic success, and (3) internalized deficit narratives alongside systemic critique. These collective accounts offer vital insights into systemic inequities faced by neurodivergent students and underscore the need for coconstructed educational environments that affirm neurocognitive diversity. Implications extend to educational research, design, and practice, advocating for transformative approaches rooted in neurodivergent knowledge and coproduction.