The IMLC Story : When strengths and interest become the starting point

Neurodivergent children are often described through what they cannot yet do: gaps, delays, behaviors, and deficits. Inclusive Minds Learning Collective (IMLC) asks a different question: what growth becomes visible when learning happens through strengths, interests, and interactions? This Ignite Talk shares how IMLC creates interest-driven and strength-based learning experiences for neurodivergent children and adolescents through Spark Sessions, Affinity Pathways, learning companions, and learning portfolios. Instead of asking whether a child is meeting a predetermined pace, we ask: What concepts unlock when an activity is interest-based? What strengths appear when the environment becomes responsive? What forms of growth become visible when the focus is on strengths? Drawing from early work with children and families, this talk invites the ISLS community to support IMLC in building this collective: a space where children, families, educators, and researchers can co-design ways of seeing, supporting, and celebrating neurodivergent learning.