Preparing school personnel to support neurodivergent students during emergencies: a pre–post evaluation of an educational intervention

Resumen

ImportanceNeurodivergent students are at increased risk during disasters, yet school personnel often lack training to support them effectively.ObjectiveTo determine whether a structured school-based sensory-focused disaster preparedness curriculum can increase school personnel knowledge and perceived care for neurodivergent students during a disaster.DesignQuantitative pre-post evaluation of a school-based educational training program focused on disaster preparedness for neurodivergent students. Anonymous matched surveys that quantified sensory and communication knowledge, and perceived engagement via scaled responses of 1–10 were administered before and after the training.SettingSchool-based training sessions.ParticipantsSchool faculty, staff, and administrators (N = 263) from 11 local schools.Outcomes and measuresSelf-reported understanding of sensory needs, ability to engage with individuals with sensory differences, and knowledge of communication strategies before and after a sensory focused disaster preparedness training.ResultsAmong 263 participants (mean age 42.1 years; 77.6% female; 67.7% educators), baseline knowledge was moderate (mean scores 5.30–6.59/10), with the lowest scores observed for alternative communication strategies and disaster-related support. Following training, improvements were observed in understanding sensory needs (+1.81), ability to engage with neurodivergent students (+1.54), and understanding of alternative communication strategies (+2.39) (all p < 0.001). Overall, 98.5% of participants reported feeling more prepared to support students with sensory or communication needs during a disaster. Participants without prior experience demonstrated the largest gains across all domains, and administrators had greater gains compared to educators and school instructors.Conclusions and relevanceHigher scores in self-reported knowledge, engagement ability and communication strategies were seen post training among school personnel. Sensory-focused disaster preparedness may reduce experience-based disparities and offers a model for inclusive emergency preparedness.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

Kong, M., Entrekin, K., Palmer, J., Tella, J. A., Raby, M., Srivastava, U., Maha, J., & Aban, I. (2026). Preparing school personnel to support neurodivergent students during emergencies: a pre–post evaluation of an educational intervention. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1877095