A Longitudinal Case Study of Neurodivergent Struggle, Masking, and Technological Liberation in Tertiary Education
Abstract
Bruce H. Knox
This longitudinal case study examines the lived professional trajectory of a high-functioning autistic educator with co- occurring dyslexia, foregrounding the emotional, cognitive, and institutional dimensions of neurodivergent experience across the lifespan. While early and mid-career phases were marked by intense productivity, they were equally characterised by repeated rejection, misunderstanding, and internalised despair arising from systemic misalignment with neurotypical expectations. Drawing on contemporary educational and neuropsychological literature, the study analyses three phases: (1) early-career struggle and misrecognition, (2) sustained masking and compensatory endurance, and (3) late-career transformation through generative artificial intelligence (AI) and assistive technologies. The findings highlight the hidden cost of masking, the structural barriers that obscure neurodivergent capability, and the transformative potential of technological mediation in restoring voice, agency, and identity. The study contributes to inclusive education discourse by reframing neurodivergence as latent capability contingent upon environmental and technological alignment.
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