{"id":239,"date":"2024-12-10T12:10:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T12:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/?page_id=239"},"modified":"2025-10-15T15:49:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:49:47","slug":"neurodiversity-free-assistive-technology-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/neurodiversity-free-assistive-technology-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"Assistive Tech for Neurodivergent Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Neurodiversity &amp; Learning: Tools to Help You Thrive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Neurodiversity means recognising and valuing different ways of thinking, learning, and processing \u2014 including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and more. For neurodivergent students, traditional learning setups can be challenging \u2014 but there\u2019s <strong>lots of great tech<\/strong> to help level the playing field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcad Common Challenges (and How Tech Can Help)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reading &amp; Processing:<\/strong> Text-heavy content can be overwhelming. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus &amp; Attention:<\/strong> Staying on task in lectures or study sessions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sensory Sensitivities:<\/strong> Bright lights or noise in classrooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Organisation:<\/strong> Struggling to plan or prioritise tasks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But the flip side? Neurodiverse students often <em>excel<\/em> in creativity, problem-solving, and unique thinking \u2014 and assistive technology (AT) can help unlock that potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore tools for&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-dyslexia-support\/\">Reading<\/a><\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/notetaking-writing\/\">Writing<\/a><\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/#\">Organisation<\/a><\/strong>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/category\/study-tools-resources\/\">the latest Study Tools &amp; Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools That Support Neurodivergent Learners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcdd<strong>Note-Taking and Organisation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onenote.com\/?public=1&amp;wdorigin=ondcauth2&amp;wdorigin=ondc\">Microsoft OneNote<\/a><\/strong>: Free with your Student Office 365 Account! Helps with planning, visual thinking, and keeping everything in one place to reduce mental overload. Check out our handy user guide <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2024\/12\/19\/your-guide-to-microsoft-onenote-for-noteaking-and-lecture-organisation\/\">here<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/06\/05\/introducing-genio-formerly-glean-qubs-lecture-capture-study-tool\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/06\/05\/introducing-genio-formerly-glean-qubs-lecture-capture-study-tool\/\"><strong>Genio (Glean)<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> \u2013 License available by request! Audio note-taking tool to capture lectures and add your own notes later \u2014 great if you find writing everything down hard in the moment. Check out our handy user guide <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/06\/05\/introducing-genio-formerly-glean-qubs-lecture-capture-study-tool\/\">here<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.notion.com\/\">Notion<\/a><\/strong>: Customisable all-in-one workspace. Notion offers a free &#8220;Education Plus Plan&#8221; for individual students who sign up with a valid .ac.uk email address, providing access to the paid Plus plan features for personal use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/notebooklm.google\/\">NotebookLM<\/a><\/strong>: AI-powered notetaking from Google (great for research) \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/04\/01\/two-ai-tools-every-student-should-know-reclaimai-notebooklm\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/04\/01\/two-ai-tools-every-student-should-know-reclaimai-notebooklm\/\">Read our post on NotebookLM<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/icloud\/mm6704cac5\/icloud\"><strong>Apple Notes<\/strong><\/a>: Free on Apple IPad and great for handwritten or typed notes. Apple Notes is simple, searchable, and syncs across devices . You can import lecture slides, record and summarise audio, add videos, pictures and so much more. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2705 <strong>Task Management and Executive Functioning Support<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/microsoft-365\/microsoft-to-do-list-app\">Microsoft To Do<\/a> <\/strong>&#8211; Microsoft To Do can be a real game\u2011changer for keeping your student life organised \u2014 it\u2019s like having a personal assistant in your pocket that never forgets a deadline. <em>(Free with your student Microsoft 365 account!)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/goblin.tools\/About\">Goblin Tools<\/a><\/strong> AI tools for breaking down tasks, checking tone, time estimates \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/02\/19\/introducing-goblin-tools-ai-powered-support-for-neurodivergent-thinkers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Explore our Goblin Tools Guide<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.todoist.com\/\">Todoist<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; Great for breaking projects into steps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udde0 <strong>Mind Mapping and Idea Organisation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/mindview\/\"><strong>Mindview<\/strong><\/a>: Full-featured tool is available for QUB students \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2024\/12\/19\/your-guide-to-mindview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Explore our Mindview Guide<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coggle.it\/?lang=en-GB\">Coggle<\/a><\/strong>: Simple, collaborative mind maps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindmup.com\/\">MindMup<\/a><\/strong>: Easy browser-based mind mapping<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u23f1\ufe0f <strong>Focus and Time Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/focus-stay-on-task-without-distractions-in-windows-cbcc9ddb-8164-43fa-8919-b9a2af072382\"><strong>Microsoft Focus Mode<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; It silences notifications, sets a customisable timer for deep work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/focuskeeper.co\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/focuskeeper.co\/\">Focus Keeper<\/a><\/strong>: Pomodoro timer to avoid burnout.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forestapp.cc\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.forestapp.cc\/\">Forest<\/a><\/strong>: Stay off your phone and grow virtual trees \ud83c\udf33<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/\">Clockify<\/a><\/strong>: A time tracker that helps manage multiple projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcda <strong>Reading and Writing Support<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Check out these handy guides: <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-dyslexia-support\/\">Assistive Tech for Reading &amp; Writing<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-academic-reading-and-understanding\/\">Assistive Tech for Academic Reading and Understanding<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/microsoft-copilot\/for-individuals?msockid=16592d42e2606d7a11353b02e3a86ce0&amp;form=MA13YT\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/microsoft-copilot\/for-individuals?msockid=16592d42e2606d7a11353b02e3a86ce0&amp;form=MA13YT\">Microsoft Co-pilot<\/a> <\/strong>&#8211; Microsoft Copilot empowers students to work smarter by streamlining reading, writing, and organisation. It can summarise dense articles or textbooks into clear, digestible points, help draft and refine essays with polished grammar and structure, and even suggest ideas to strengthen arguments. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc49\u00a0<em>Check out this guide on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/10\/02\/using-ai-safely-and-smartly-at-qub\/\"><strong>Using AI Safely and Smartly at QUB<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and how to access Copilot<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturalreaders.com\/\">NaturalReader Online<\/a><\/strong>: Converts text to speech<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/app.grammarly.com\/\">Grammarly<\/a><\/strong>: Spelling, grammar, clarity (free version available)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/docs\/answer\/4492226?hl=en-GB\">Google Docs Voice Typing<\/a><\/strong>: Built-in speech-to-text<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/texthelp-readwrite\/\">Everway Read&amp;Write<\/a>:<\/strong> Supports reading, writing, and learning, access is <em>free<\/em> to QUB students \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2024\/12\/19\/your-guide-to-texthelp-readwrite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Explore our Read&amp;Write Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarcy.com\/\"><strong>Scholarcy<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 License available by request! Quickly summarises academic articles, chapters, or reports into key points and flashcards \u2014 great for tackling dense readings and saving time on revision. Read our handy guide <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/09\/02\/introducing-scholarcy-for-smarter-reading-summarising\/\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddd8 <strong>Sensory Regulation and Break Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Breathe2Relax<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/gb\/app\/breathe2relax\/id425720246\">Apple <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=mil.dha.breathe2relax&amp;hl=en_GB\">Google<\/a>): Guided breathing to calm your system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.calm.com\/ua-homepage?pid=googleadwords_int&amp;af_channel=googlesem&amp;af_c_id=17318560031&amp;af_adset_id=136950217876&amp;af_ad_id=719797496289&amp;af_siteid=g&amp;af_sub_siteid=&amp;af_keyword=kwd-100623440&amp;af_sub3=c&amp;af_sub4=CjwKCAiA6t-6BhA3EiwAltRFGOjizuGfc2S5PgiFuLETA-pRhcGNfdmi5Rv3p7HEd3eVtcL6lPRhkxoC7o8QAvD_BwE&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesem&amp;utm_campaign=17318560031&amp;utm_content=ua-homepage&amp;utm_term=kwd-100623440&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA6t-6BhA3EiwAltRFGOjizuGfc2S5PgiFuLETA-pRhcGNfdmi5Rv3p7HEd3eVtcL6lPRhkxoC7o8QAvD_BwE\">Calm<\/a><\/strong>: Mindfulness and meditation app<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>White Noise Lite<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.tmsoft.whitenoise.lite&amp;hl=en_GB\">Google <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/white-noise-lite\/id292987597\">Apple<\/a>): Background sound to aid focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddf0 Getting Started with Assistive Tech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure where to begin? Here\u2019s how to choose the right tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Know Your Needs<\/strong> \u2013 What\u2019s most challenging for you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pick Your Style<\/strong> \u2013 Visual learner? Prefer voice tools?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Start Small<\/strong> \u2013 Try 1\u20132 tools before adding more<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check Device Compatibility<\/strong> \u2013 Apple, Android, Windows, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Explore &amp; Adapt<\/strong> \u2013 Try free versions and see what sticks<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf Try this:&nbsp;<strong>AHEAD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahead.ie\/Discover-your-AT\">\u201cDiscover your AT\u201d tool<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp; helps match tools to your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/view.genially.com\/67c966440a6fe4a101653b97\/interactive-content-ai-and-accessibility\"><strong>AI and Accessibility Interactive Guide<\/strong> \u2013 explore AI tools that support neurodivergent ways of working<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcac <strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AT isn\u2019t just about accommodation \u2014 it\u2019s about <strong>empowerment<\/strong>. The right tech can help you manage tasks, reduce stress, and unlock the way <em>you<\/em> learn best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc4b Got a tool you love? Let us know! Sharing what works can help others find their perfect fit too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Support and Training<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>QUB Accessible Learning Service: For personalised support and training, contact the&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:assistivetechnology@qub.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assistive Technology Coordinator<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IT Helpdesk: For licensing issues or technical support, reach out to the QUB IT Helpdesk.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2401,"featured_media":243,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-239","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","comments-off"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1127,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239\/revisions\/1127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}