8 Creative Hacks for Neurodivergent Leaders

Part 2: Wired to Lead? Neurodivergence in Early Childhood Education Leadership

May 09, 2025

Welcome back to Part 2 of our neurodivergence in early childhood leadership series! If you haven’t read Part 1, “Wired to Lead?” I highly recommend starting there to explore what makes neurodivergent leaders so powerful—and why your brain’s wiring is both a strength and a challenge. Then circle back here for the practical tools that help you work with your brain, not against it.

Quick recap:

Running a childcare center is HARD. And if your brain is neurodivergent? It makes things a lot more… interesting.

You’re likely amazing at the big-picture stuff: creativity, empathy, innovative problem-solving, and reading people like a book. But the day-to-day logistics? That can feel impossible. Personally? I could throw together a full outdoor nature playground in a week—but clearing my email inbox felt like someone was pulling out my fingernails one by one.

Worse, those struggles often morph into self-doubt, burnout, and the creeping feeling that you’re not cut out for leadership. But the truth is: neurodivergent leaders bring incredible strengths. Yes, you’re juggling executive dysfunction, sensory overload, and time blindness (often at the same time)—but you’re also wired for deep intuition, creativity, and innovation.

This post is a way to start building your own toolkit of creative, science-backed strategies to make the hard stuff feel lighter—and to let your best self shine at work.

And if you have a strategy you love, PLEASE comment below so we can share our amazing ideas with other ECE leaders!

1. Stop Fighting with the Calendar (Use Dynamic Task Visualizers Instead)

The problem:
Traditional calendars are linear. Your brain? Not so much. Research shows neurodivergent folks often struggle with “temporal discounting”—where distant deadlines either feel invisible OR just as urgent as today’s tasks.

The solution:
Swap static calendars for visual task boards like Trello, Notion, or ClickUp. Set up boards like:

Do this week
Do this month
On the radar

Color-code by category (staff, parent events, compliance) and physically drag tasks between boards. Moving tasks around taps into kinesthetic processing, helping your brain actually register urgency and progress.

Try today:
✅ Set up a free Notion board and add one project you’ve been avoiding.
✅ Break it down into 3–4 small cards.
✅ Move one card to “Do Today.”

2. Use AI as Your Personal Executive Assistant

The problem:
Neurodivergent leaders juggle dozens of open tabs in their brain every day—while also battling executive functioning challenges like working memory overload, task-switching fatigue, and mental clutter. Even if you know what needs to be done, staying organized, prioritizing, and following through can feel impossible.

The creative solution:
Let AI act as your personal assistant to lighten the load and keep things on track:

Motion: An AI calendar/task manager that automatically reschedules your day when plans fall apart—no more scrambling to rebuild your schedule manually.
ChatGPT or Gemini: Use as your daily brain dump to clarify next steps, draft emails, break down big tasks, and even plan events like Teacher Appreciation Week.
Otter.ai or Fireflies: Record and transcribe meetings, observations, or quick ideas—so you don’t lose critical details when your attention wanders.

AI takes on the heavy lifting of organizing your thoughts, setting priorities, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Try today:
✅ Use ChatGPT to tackle a draft response to your next tricky email.
✅ Or try: “Draft a reminder email for parents about next week’s event. Make it playful and easy to read.”

3. Start Your Own “Brain Dump”

The problem:
When your brain is running in overdrive, it’s easy to feel scattered, overwhelmed, and unsure where to even start. You know you’ve got a million things on your mind, but they’re swirling together and nothing feels clear. So instead of starting on something, anything, you sit in analysis paralysis.

The creative solution:
Create a Brain Dump ritual. This isn’t your typical to-do list—it's a full unload of everything bouncing around in your head: tasks, worries, reminders, random ideas. Literally everything you have on your mind, write it down. Even if it isn’t related to work.

Then, once it’s all out of that smart thought organ of yours, sort it into simple buckets like:

💥 Must do this week
💭 Idea bank
💤 Can wait/parked
🆘 Need help with

This turns that messy, overwhelming list into a clear, organized roadmap—and helps your brain relax because everything now has a home. BONUS- if you plug your brain dump into AI (Think ChatGPT) you can ask it to help you sort your thoughts!

Try today:
✅ Grab a sheet of paper or open a notes app. Set a timer for 5 minutes and dump everything on your mind.
✅ Spend 2 more minutes labeling each item with one of the categories above.
✅ Tackle just one thing from the 💥 "Must do this week" list to build momentum.

4. Sensory Resets: Create a Break Kit + Soundscape

The problem:
Center leadership is noisy, high-stress, and high-touch—and neurodivergent brains are often extra sensitive to sensory overwhelm. Whether it’s noise, touch, heat, or a mix of everything, your system can get fried fast. On the flip side? Sometimes you need extra stimulation to focus and stay grounded.

The creative solution:
Design a Sensory Reset Plan that works for both focus and recovery:

👉 Create a Sensory Break Kit:

Weighted lap pad or neck wrap (for grounding)
Essential oil roller (lavender or peppermint)
Hand fidget or textured object (stimulates tactile focus)
Portable fan or cooling wipe (for sensory overload days)

👉 Curate Soundscapes for Focus + Calm:

Brown noise or nature sounds for deep focus and relaxation
Noise-canceling headphones + calming playlists on overstimulating days
Binaural beats or upbeat playlists if you crave extra sensory input to sharpen focus

The goal? You have ready-to-go tools that regulate your nervous system in the moment, whether you need to focus or take a true break.

Try today:
✅ Choose one item for your sensory kit (even a scarf or smooth stone works!) and set it in your desk drawer.
✅ Build a quick playlist of go-to sounds (brown noise, nature, or binaural beats) and save it to your phone for easy access during hectic moments.

5. The “Reverse Checklist” for Mental Momentum

The problem:
Ever feel like you work all day but have nothing to show for it? That nagging “Where did my time go?” feeling is legit.

The creative solution:
Flip your to-do list into a Reverse Checklist (aka “Done List”): log tasks after you complete them—big or small.

Seeing progress in real time boosts motivation and combats overwhelm. Plus, self-feedback increases confidence. We all know we lead better when we feel better.

Try today:
✅ Keep a notebook handy and jot every task you complete today. Then the rest of this week. I think you will be amazed at how much you do! And you will likely find things you can delegate or take off your to-do list when you get a birds eye view of your day.

6. Build Simple “When/I Will” Habits to Stay on Track

The problem:
I can’t say this enough: your day is full of interruptions—staff questions, parent drop-ins, emergencies. Every time you get pulled away, it’s hard to remember what you were doing.

The creative solution:
Build simple micro-habits using this formula: When [this happens], I will [do this].

It helps your brain reset faster and keeps things from slipping through the cracks.

Example:

When I finish a parent meeting, I will immediately write down follow-ups.
When a staff member interrupts my work, I will jot a note about what I was doing before I answer.
When I check my email, I will respond to one important message before closing it.

Try today:
✅ Pick one common disruption and create your own When/I Will habit.

7. Gamify Your Tasks

The problem:
Some tasks (cough, licensing forms, cough) will never be fun. But your brain loves a good reward loop.

The creative solution:

Set a combo streak goal: e.g., “Clear my inbox 3 days in a row = Friday coffee treat.”
Use a spin-the-wheel app to randomize your next task (throw in fun surprises too!).
Draw a progress bar on your whiteboard and color it in as you chip away at big projects.

Try today:
✅ Pick a reward and create a streak goal for this week. My current favorite is allowing myself to read 3 pages of my favorite book when I finish an especially tedious task…

8. The “Wildcard Day” Reset

The problem:
Neurodivergent leaders thrive on variety but often get stuck in monotony traps—especially when daily tasks feel repetitive and soul-sucking.

The creative solution:
Schedule a Wildcard Day once a month where you break all the usual patterns. On this day, you might:

Work from a different location (library, coffee shop, even outdoors)
Tackle your to-do list in reverse order
Invite a co-worker to shadow you and brainstorm improvements live
Focus 100% on one neglected project (no emails, no multitasking)

The novelty re-energizes your brain and often sparks surprising creative breakthroughs.

Try today:
✅ Pick a date for next month’s Wildcard Day and jot down 2 ideas to shake up your routine.

And there you have it- 8 ideas to get you started!

Leading with a neurodivergent brain isn’t about forcing yourself into someone else’s system. It’s about building flexible, creative supports that work with your unique wiring. The goal? Less frustration, more flow.

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