In today’s Neurodiversity Week guest blog, Dr Jo-Anne Tait reminds us how to address stress and anxiety in neuro-inclusive assessment.
As an educator and researcher with a deep interest in student wellbeing, I have spent years exploring how assessment impacts mental health and wellbeing, particularly among engineering students. My PhD research focused on mental health and wellbeing in engineering education, and it revealed some stark realities—engineering students are at a significantly higher risk of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to their peers in other disciplines. If we want to create truly neuroinclusive assessments, we need to take these mental health factors into account.
In the recent EPC /EERN webinar, I discussed how traditional assessments often fail to accommodate neurodivergent students and how we can rethink our approaches to better support them. One of the biggest takeaways from my research is that time management plays a critical role in student wellbeing. Those who struggle with executive functioning—such as students with ADHD or autism—often face additional hurdles in managing deadlines, organising their work, and keeping up with the fast-paced demands of an engineering degree.
The burden of stressful assessments
One of the most significant challenges for students is the overwhelming workload they face, particularly when assessments are poorly spaced out. Many students described a “snowball effect,” where one delayed assignment quickly escalates into a cycle of stress, sleep deprivation, and reduced academic performance. This is especially damaging for neurodivergent students who may already struggle with processing large amounts of information under tight deadlines.
Another major issue is the lack of clarity in assessment instructions. Vague or inconsistent guidance leaves students feeling anxious and uncertain about what is expected of them. I’ve heard from so many students who feel that they are being set up to fail because the assessment criteria are not transparent. This lack of clarity disproportionately affects neurodivergent students, who may require explicit guidance to process and complete tasks effectively.
Exams, in particular, came up as a major source of stress. Many students reported that they performed well in exams but questioned their value. One student told me, “As soon as I leave the exam hall, everything I memorised just disappears from my mind.” This highlights a key concern—are we assessing true understanding, or are we simply testing short-term memory? Neurodivergent students, especially those with conditions like dyslexia or anxiety, may find traditional timed exams to be an ineffective and exclusionary way of measuring their knowledge.
Breaking down barriers to help-seeking
One of the most troubling findings in my research was that many engineering students are reluctant to seek help, even when they are struggling. They fear being judged by faculty or believe that asking for accommodations will be seen as a sign of weakness. Some students described engineering academic staff’s attitudes as dismissive, with responses that implied they simply needed to “toughen up” or “figure it out.” This kind of thinking is harmful and creates a culture where students feel isolated and unsupported.
If we want to make assessments more inclusive, we need to normalise help-seeking and create an environment where students feel safe disclosing their challenges. That means being approachable as educators, offering clear and supportive guidance, and designing assessments that don’t place unnecessary stress on students.
Moving toward neuroinclusive assessment
So, what can we do to make assessments more inclusive? First, we need to develop clearer and more manageable assessment plans. Students shouldn’t be drowning in deadlines, nor should they have to decipher unclear instructions. By structuring assessments more thoughtfully and providing explicit guidelines, we can reduce anxiety and help students succeed.
Second, we need to rethink how we assess learning. Open-book or take-home assessments can be just as rigorous as closed-book exams, but they allow students to engage with material in a way that is more reflective of real-world problem-solving. Additionally, offering flexible deadlines or scaffolded assignments can help neurodivergent students manage their workload more effectively.
Finally, we need to provide better support for time management skills from day one. Many neurodivergent students struggle with organisation, and early intervention can make a huge difference. Teaching students how to plan their workload, break tasks into manageable steps, and use tools to stay organised can set them up for long-term success.
At the end of the day, our goal should be to create assessments that measure true understanding, rather than just the ability to cope under pressure. By taking mental health, wellbeing, and neurodiversity into account, we can build a more inclusive, supportive academic environment—one where all students, regardless of how they process information, have an equal opportunity to thrive.
Jo-Anne is the lead for RGUflex, the flexible studies programme at Robert Gordon University. She is on secondment from the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology where until 2023 she was Academic Strategic Lead for Teaching, Learning, and Enhancement.
