A joint initiative of
Netaji Subhas Open University
&
Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia
6-WEEK MOOC ON "UNDERSTANDING NEURODIVERSITY"
About the Course:
To secure the right to education of every child, Academic Institutions are required to identify and accommodate neuro-divergent children and young people along with neuro-typical learners. The inclusion and equal participation of all children/youth within the schooling/academic system have been accorded the highest priority in the Government of India’s National Education Policy 2020. There is a critical need to provide increased awareness, knowledge and training regarding teaching students with neurological differences. To address this need, NSOU and CEMCA (collaborative project during 2020-2021) have jointly developed a MOOC on “Understanding Neurodiversity”. The course follows four-quadrant approach offered through NSOU-LMS.
Overture:
Neurodiversity is a scientific concept arising from brain imaging. Several brain studies have shown that people with learning or thinking differences are “wired” differently than their peers. In other words, some children are born with brains that think, learn and process information differently than others. The term neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to a spectrum of conditions, not any single group and has since come to include the following variations:
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD or dyspraxia)
Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Other neurological conditions
Course Objectives:
To impart knowledge about the concepts of neurodiversity and building positive mind-sets.
To create sensitive processes and essentials for Neurodiverse learner/young people.
To enhance professional's ability to understand and connect to Neurodiverse learners.
To increase awareness about the social, psychological, and academic implications for neurodiverse learners; and to increase the capability of implementing inclusive education practices.
To share, develop, and embed good practices for accommodation and intervention among professionals both nationally and internationally, to support neuro-divergent learners/neuro-diverse learners or young people.
Target Group (Who is this course for?):
This course is designed for teachers and teacher educators, College and University faculty with related teaching and research interests, teaching assistants, psychologists, counsellors, speech therapists, parents of children with Specific Learning Difficulties/neurodiversity, and educational leaders including heads of schools/Academic Institutions.
Course Duration: This is a Six-week online course requiring approximately four hours per week.
Level: Introductory
Language: English
Prerequisites: None
Course Outline
Week
Module
Content Outline
Week 1
Module-1 Concept of Neurodiversity
1.1 Definition and areas of Neurodiversity,
1.2 Principles of Neurodiversity,
1.3 Psychological and social aspects of Neurodiversity
Week 2
Module-2 Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), Part 1
2.1 SpLD: Definition, Scope and Types
2.2 SpLD and Neurodiversity
2.3 Dyslexia: An Overview
Week 3
Module-3 Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), Part 2
3.1 Dyspraxia: An Overview
3.2 Dysgraphia: An Overview
3.3 Dyscalculia: An Overview
Module-5 Neurodiversity and Inclusion: Good Practices
5.1 Supporting Neurodiverse Learners: Sensitization is the Key
5.2 Universal Design for Learning (UDL): An Overview
5.3 Celebrating Neurodiversity
Certification:
Certificate of Completion requires 70% in final assessment/quizzes, & participation in at least five posts in the discussion forum during the course.
Course Development Team:
Course Coordinator
Professor Anirban Ghosh Director, CIQA, NSOU & Coordinator, CLL, NSOU
Dr. Shiffon Chatterjee Former Sr. Programme Officer CEMCA
Subject Matter Experts
Manobina Chakraborty Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (London)
Inclusive Education Consultant;
Founder, i for inclusion
Dr. Papiya Upadhyay Asst. Professor of Education
Netaji Subhas Open University
Kavita Sharma Special Educator, Founder Director, PRAYAS
Founder Member, Autism Society of India,
Governing Body Member, Serrendip
Antara Choudhury Asst. Professor of Special Education
Netaji Subhas Open University
Dr. Abhedananda Panigrahi Co-ordinator (B.Ed.), NSOU
14.10.2026:Schedule of Mandatory Workshop and Face-to-Face PCPs for B.Ed. Spl. Ed. and M.Ed. Spl. Ed. Lerners for NSOU Study Centre, Kalyani (SEMH-02)......Detail
30.07.2026:Extended Schedule of Personal Contract Program (PCP) of BLIS.....Detail
28.07.2026:Reschedule of PCP of BLIS at Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College Study Centre, Howrah (C-08), July 2025 (Phase 2).....Detail
14.10.2026:Schedule of Mandatory Workshop and Face-to-Face PCPs for B.Ed. Spl. Ed. and M.Ed. Spl. Ed. Lerners for NSOU Study Centre, Kalyani (SEMH-02)......Detail
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12.10.2026:Notice for download of Admit Card for MBA Term-End Examination, December 2024 (Sem-II)......Detail
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07.10.2026:Reset Notice for online submission of Assignment for MBA Term End Examination, December 2024 (Sem-II)......Detail
01.10.2026:M.Ed. Practical Examination Schedule for the Term End Examination December-2025 & June-2026......Detail
01.10.2026:B.Ed. Practical Examination Schedule for the Term End Examination December-2025 & June-2026......Detail
01.10.2026:Notice for Online Marks Transfer Application for Post Graduate Term-End Examination, December-2024......Detail
01.10.2026:Notice for Online Marks Transfer Application for Bachelor of Library & Information Science (BLIS) Term-End Examination, December-2024......Detail
01.10.2026:Notice regarding re-opening of Online Submission of Assignment for MBA, Term End Examination, December 2024 (Sem-II)......Detail
28.09.2026:Notice for Re-opening of Examination Form submission for FYUG and UGDP(CBCS) Term-End Examination (Practical), Dec-2026 (2nd Phase)......Detail
21.09.2026:Examination Schedule for MBA Term-End Examination, December 2024 (Semester-II)......Detail
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21.09.2026:B.Ed. & M.Ed. Admission: Induction Programme for the newly admitted learners of the B.Ed. Special Education and M.Ed. Special Education Programmes....Detail
09.09.2026:PG & BLIS Admission: Notification for PG (Except PGZO, PGGR & PGES) and BLIS Admission (2026-27) (2nd) DATE EXTENSION....Detail
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