Redesign concept based on NYU Usability Lab research (2023 & 2025). Not the official PINE website — visit pineprogram.org.
PINEProgram for Inclusion and
Neurodiversity Education

Professional learning from NYU Steinhardt

Help every adult in your school understand neurodivergent students.

PINE gives schools online courses, leadership training and coaching that change how staff see and support neurodivergent learners. Every course is built with autistic and neurodivergent people.

Talk with our team See what's included
  • 217 schools
  • 69 school districts
  • 37 states, 11 countries

“I’m almost retired, and this was the best PD I’ve ever been through.”

Veteran educator at a PINE school
Why educators say this

The problem we solve

Almost every educator supports neurodivergent students. Few were ever trained to.

Most of the educators who joined PINE had years of experience. Very few had real training on neurodiversity before joining. Without it, behavior gets misread and students miss out.

96%
support neurodivergent students in their work
28%
feel confident doing it
19%
received adequate training before PINE

Opinions of PINE learners from the 2023–2024 survey.

What a PINE membership includes

Ongoing support, not a one-off workshop

True inclusion takes ongoing learning. A PINE membership supports your whole school or district all year.

  1. Leadership training (Accelerator)

    Over four weekly live sessions, your school team gets organized, looks honestly at current practices, sets goals and plans the rollout.

    96% of teams left with a plan they could measure.

  2. Online coursework

    Self-paced courses for every role, from teachers and paras to custodians. Each one is co-created with autistic and neurodivergent people.

    99% learned strategies they could use right away.

  3. Virtual consultation

    Live support from the PINE team to work through the real challenges of putting inclusion into practice at your school.

  4. Downloadable tools

    Ready-to-use classroom supports and planning tools that staff can put to work right away.

  5. Professional development activities

    Short activities for staff meetings and working groups, so teams can learn together even when time is tight.

  6. PINE Summit

    An annual virtual conference with neurodivergent self-advocates and educators. Sessions are recorded so you can watch later. See this year’s sessions.

    100% of 2024 attendees would recommend it.

A look inside the courses

The ideas educators say stuck with them most. Select a card to learn more.

Mindset

Behavior is communication

Acting out, shutting down or running from the room is often a student’s way of saying something is wrong, not a sign of disrespect. Educators learn to ask “what is this student trying to tell us?” and to look for triggers like loud noises, busy decor or unclear directions.

“It has shifted my thinking most in the area of behavior as a communication.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

Mindset

Strengths, not deficits

Instead of starting from what a student can’t do, educators learn to notice and build on what they do well. In one district, a speech-language pathologist said it changed how she writes goals and designs services.

“I will certainly be more focused on student strengths when program planning for them in the future, instead of what they’re doing ‘wrong’ or what we think their needs are.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

First-person voices

Learning from autistic adults

Every PINE course is created with autistic and neurodivergent experts. Educators hear directly from them about what school felt like and what would have helped, something most professional development leaves out.

“I enjoyed hearing from experts in the field who are neurodivergent themselves.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

“PINE members learn from autistics themselves, as the autistic community is an active partner and guide in creating all of the courses PINE offers.”

Becca Lory Hector, IBCCES, CAS, PINE Content Developer

Classroom tool

Visual schedules

A simple picture schedule shows students what’s coming next. It means fewer surprises and smoother transitions, and it helps the whole class, not only neurodivergent students.

“It taught me that even simple schedules and charts could make so much difference in the classroom.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

Strategy

Building on interests

A student’s deep interest can be a way into learning instead of something to shut down. At one elementary school, a love of the Titanic became the theme of a student’s math word problems.

“The importance of building relationships and using student interests and strengths.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

Environment

Changing the space, not the student

Lighting, noise, seating and routines all shape how a student’s day goes. Educators learn to adjust the room and their practices first, using ideas like Universal Design for Learning.

“I like thinking about how we can change our practices and environment and not put all of the responsibility on the student to adjust.”

PINE course participant, 2026 course survey

What changes in a PINE school

What changed in their schools

“We went, ‘Ohh. We really didn’t think of that.’”

In one course, the lead teacher asks an autistic adult what frustrated them in school. Many teachers said this was the moment that changed how they saw their own classrooms.

Read the full reflection

“You don’t find that in other professional development programs… They’re going to give you a textbook slideshow. But we have to feel it… and if we can’t walk in somebody’s shoes, the next closest way to do that is by hearing from neurodiverse individuals themselves.”

School administrator

Building on interests

A student’s love of Simba used to pull him off task.

What the team tried

After a module on interests, his teachers made Simba cards and a Velcro schedule. Simba time became a reward he could see coming, paired with puzzles and other activities.

Elementary school principal

Every role matters

A custodian saw a repeated behavior stop.

What changed

One school asked every staff member to take part. A custodian realized the way he spoke to a student was triggering a repeated behavior. When he changed how he spoke, the behavior improved a lot.

Middle school administrator

Growing independence

He no longer needed a one-on-one aide.

The rest of the story

A student who once needed an aide all day now advocates for himself and reads at almost grade level. Staff said they were sad to see him graduate.

School administrator

See case studies and more from educators

Small changes, real difference

What inclusion can look like

Inclusion doesn’t mean a perfect classroom. It’s a set of everyday practices that make school work for more students.

Clear, visual routines

Students know what’s coming next, so there are fewer surprises and smoother transitions for everyone.

Behavior read as communication

Staff ask “what is this student trying to tell us?” instead of “how do I fix this?”

Schedules built around needs

Some PINE schools now plan their master schedule with students’ sensory and learning needs in mind.

2023–2024 results

Educators finish PINE thinking differently

99%
learned new tools and strategies they could use right away
94%
said the coursework shifted how they see neurodivergent students
99%
felt what they learned applies to all their students
95%
wanted more PINE learning after just one course

26,000+ hours of training

69 school districts

~48,000 students reached

See PINE’s impact

Find your place in PINE

Who PINE is for

Common concerns

The questions we hear most

These are real challenges, and we’d rather talk about them openly.

Our teachers don’t have time for this.

Time is the biggest hurdle every school names. The schools that do best build PINE into the school day instead of adding it after hours. Some examples:

  • A weekly “PINE time” hour, every Wednesday
  • A rotating substitute who covers teachers while they do coursework
  • 20-minute team segments where a few engaged staff share key takeaways

The Accelerator helps your team figure out which approach fits your schedule.

How do we justify the cost?

We know budgets are tight, especially now that COVID-era funding has ended. We can talk through what you get in Year 1 and Year 2, show you participation and outcome data, and help you find grants and other financial resources. Ask us about options that fit your district’s size and budget.

Isn’t this just one more thing on teachers’ plates?

PINE is meant to replace guesswork, not add work. Staff learn strategies that make the day run more smoothly for every student. 99% of educators said what they learned applies to all of their students.

Does this work in middle and high school?

Every grade level and setting is different, and we don’t pretend one approach fits all. Tell us about your students and we’ll talk through how PINE could work for your school, and connect you with a school like yours if we can.

How are neurodivergent people actually involved?

The autistic community is an active partner and guide in creating every PINE course. Neurodivergent experts help develop and review the content, and self-advocates speak at the PINE Summit.

Can we talk to a school that already uses PINE?

Yes. New schools often find this the most helpful step. Tell us about your school and we’ll connect you with an administrator in a similar setting.

Ready to build a more inclusive school community?

Tell us about your school. We’ll get back to you quickly and help you decide whether PINE is the right fit.

Start a conversation Email info@pineprogram.org