Neuroinclusive Design for Learning and Well-Being

Designing for Every Mind, Through Every Space

The environments where students learn can either support or undermine their ability to focus, self-regulate, connect, and thrive. Neuroinclusive design begins by recognizing the full range of ways people think, sense, move, and engage with the world.

For Mayva Donnon, AIA, LEED AP, designing with empathy means looking beyond specialized accommodations. Clear wayfinding, acoustic control, layered lighting, natural views, restorative spaces, and flexible learning settings can reduce anxiety and sensory overload while building independence, confidence, and belonging. What is essential for neurodivergent learners often creates a more comfortable and effective environment for everyone.

Mayva’s work also demonstrates why meaningful engagement matters. Listening closely to students, educators, clinicians, families, and staff reveals needs that a conventional space program may overlook. Those insights can shape environments that respond to individuals today while remaining adaptable as populations, programs, and models of care evolve.

Through examples including the Bancroft campus and the new Elwyn School, Mayva explores how intentional design becomes an active tool for learning and well-being.

Building Design + Construction
Built for every mind: 5 principles that define neuroinclusive design

Click to read the full article published by Building Design + Construction.

Spaces4Learning
Designing for Every Mind: How Neurodiverse Design Principles Are Redefining the Modern Learning Environment

Click to read the full article published by Spaces4Learning.