#219: From Frustration to Creativity: Exploring how Neurodiversity Affirming Learning Contexts Transform Uncertainty into Strengths

This study examines how neurodivergent learners experience and respond to scientific uncertainty in informal learning contexts. Drawing on data from a one-week HOMAGO-inspired circuit-bending course with a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum grounded in the concept of glitch’n, we analyze the case of a neurodivergent student to explore how different forms and sources of uncertainty emerge and are navigated. Findings show that while uncertainty can trigger frustration and disengagement, when reframed through inclusive design features such as low-stakes entry points, iterative tinkering, and instructor validation, it becomes a catalyst for persistence, creativity, and productive struggle. Also, neurodivergent students’ cognitive strengths can be leveraged when learning environments legitimize exploration, ambiguity, and non-linear outcomes. The study contributes to research on equity in STEAM by demonstrating how uncertainty, often viewed as a barrier, can be positioned as a productive resource for broadening participation and supporting diverse ways of knowing.