Supporting Neurodiverse Learners (Part 2)

In this second part of the conversation, Dr James Best and Professor Richard Hays are again joined by Dr Naomi Luck and Dr Katie Williamson to explore how neurodiversity plays out in rural generalist practice and supervision.

The discussion highlights the strengths neurodivergent doctors may bring to rural medicine, including divergent clinical reasoning, big-picture thinking, adaptability, and comfort managing complexity and uncertainty, qualities that are often well suited to rural practice.

The panel also turns to the supervisory relationship, acknowledging that neurodiversity is just as likely among supervisors as registrars. They explore how differing thinking styles can shape communication and feedback, and why early conversations about expectations, learning preferences and support structures are key to building effective partnerships.

With practical strategies and reflections on evolving cultural change within ACRRM, this episode reinforces a strengths-based approach to supervision and encourages inclusive learning environments where diverse ways of thinking are recognised as assets to rural generalist training.

 

Key resources:

• Broadening an understanding of learners who think differently in medical education (Hays RB, Hartman D, Heggarty P, Harte J): https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2025.2606065 
• Autistic SPACE: a novel framework for meeting the needs of autistic people in healthcare settings (Doherty M, McCowan S, Shaw SC): https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2023.0006
• Autistic Doctors International (ADI): https://autisticdoctorsinternational.com/ 

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