Support for Neurodivergent Students in Veterinary Education, Part 2: Scoping Review of Neurodivergent Students' Experience in Clinical Learning Environments.

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Abstract

Neurodivergent students experience additional challenges and face discrimination and stigma in education. Students on clinical courses such as veterinary medicine, where learning occurs in fast-paced, busy, commercial work environments, may face even greater challenges. Traditional academic reasonable adjustments such as note taking, provision of teaching materials ahead of time, and additional time in assessments are often inappropriate and inadequate in these clinical environments. Comprehensive knowledge of the challenges and barriers neurodivergent students face in clinical learning environments is a prerequisite to meaningful, adequate reasonable adjustments and equity of learning. A scoping review of the experience of students on higher education courses with clinical learning environments was performed using the electronic databases ERIC (Ovid), CAB Abstracts (CABI), MEDLINE (Ovid), and PubMed. Publications were reviewed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted and charted regarding the student population and study methodology, aims, and main findings. Thirteen publications were retained in the final review, nine of which considered dyslexic nursing students. Negative experiences and lack of neurodiversity awareness were common, with students describing stigma and discrimination affecting confidence around disclosure. Improving awareness and visibility of neurodiversity was the most common recommendation for enhancing support of neurodivergent students.

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