Neurodiverse Learning Ecologies Theory: Toward Individualized Pathways in Inclusive Education

Traditional models of education frequently conceptualize disability as a deficit to be remedied rather than as a dimension of human diversity. This orientation has produced systems that privilege normative learners while marginalizing neurodivergent populations. The neurodiversity paradigm challenges this deficit view, reframing neurological differences as natural variations within human cognition. Despite its philosophical traction, however, neurodiversity has not been fully articulated into a formal educational theory with operational principles and pathways for empirical validation. This paper introduces the Neurodiverse Learning Ecologies Theory (NLET), the first systematic articulation of a theory that conceptualizes learning as emerging from dynamic interactions between diverse neurological profiles and adaptive educational ecologies. Drawing on ecological systems theory, sociocultural learning theory, and disability studies, NLET advances a strength-based, co-designed approach to curriculum, pedagogy, and policy. This article establishes the theoretical framework, operationalizes its constructs into measurable indicators, and articulates testable predictions to guide future research. While empirical demonstration remains forthcoming, NLET is here established as a proposed scientific theory and a foundation for inclusive education scholarship.