Why Listening to Student Voice and Lived Experience Matters
- Dr Suzanne Stewart
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
In education, student voice is often recognised as a valuable source of insight into learning and engagement. Yet for many students, particularly those with disabilities and learning differences, this voice is not always actively sought or fully heard.
As educators, we are in a powerful position to change this.
We often speak about supporting students, designing inclusive environments, and meeting diverse needs. Yet one of the most powerful tools we have is also one of the simplest listening.
Not just listening to respond,
but listening to truly understand.
What is lived experience?
Lived experience refers to the firsthand perspectives of students. How they experience the classroom, learning expectations, and the systems we create around them.
For neurodivergent learners, lived experience offers insight that no policy, framework, or professional learning can fully capture.
It tells us what it feels like:
to sit in a classroom
to navigate expectations
to manage overwhelm or worry
to succeed or struggle within the structures we design (that have not changed for decades)
to feel lonely
Why student voice matters
Too often, decisions about students are made without students.
We interpret behaviours.
We make assumptions.
We implement strategies.
But when we truly listen, particularly to neurodivergent students, we begin to understand that:
what looks like disengagement may be regulation
what appears as avoidance may be overwhelm
what is labelled as a “lack of effort” may be difficulty knowing where to begin
and at times, these behaviours may also reflect loneliness or depression
These insights don’t just change what we do—they change how we think.
From support to partnership
Listening shifts our role from doing for students to working with them.
It invites us to:
co-design learning experiences
adjust expectations with understanding
create environments where students feel seen, safe, and respected
When students feel heard, they are more likely to engage, take risks, and participate meaningfully in their learning and ultimately, they are more likely to succeed.
What this looks like in practice
Listening to lived experience doesn’t require large-scale change. It begins with small, intentional actions:
asking students what helps them learn best
providing multiple ways for students to express their ideas
reflecting on feedback without defensiveness
creating time and space for student voice in the classroom
and most importantly, acting on what we hear
The impact
When we centre student voice and lived experience, inclusion becomes more than a concept it becomes practice.
We build trust.
We deepen understanding.
And we create classrooms where every student has the opportunity to succeed.
A final reflection
If we truly want to support all learners, we must ask ourselves:
Whose voices are we listening to… and whose are we still missing?
This is the foundation of our new campaign, EdUThrive Dispatch - a series sharing neurodivergent truths and lived experiences, offering insight into what students want teachers to know.
Because when we listen to student voice, we don’t just support learning, we transform it.
EdUThrive Dispatch starting Thursday 26, March 2026.
Like, share, and respond to join the conversation.
#EduThrive #NeurodivergentVoices #InclusiveEducation #TeacherSupport #ClassroomTips #SupportThatSticks #LearningForAll
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