Kara Dymond
Biography
Kara Dymond, OCT, PhD, is a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD advocate, teacher, teacher educator, researcher, keynote speaker, and award-winning university lecturer. Kara teaches autistic elementary students who inspired her practitioner-focused books, Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom (2025) and The Autism Lens (2020). She also teaches graduate courses in accessible education, neurodiversity, and mental health at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She was awarded the 2024 Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education, after being nominated by colleagues and 21 graduate students. Kara was recently presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a Governor General Award for service for her dedication to improving the lives of autistic people and their communities across Canada. In 2026, Kara began serving on the National Autism Network Strategic Priority 5 Standing Committee, which advises on Canada’s Autism Strategy. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Learning Disabilities Association of York-Simcoe.
Degrees
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Honours Bachelor of Arts, with DistinctionUniversity of Toronto ,
Canada
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Master of Teaching , Primary/Junior EducationOntario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto,
Canada
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Doctor of Philosophy , EducationOntario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto,
Canada
Scholarly & Creative Works
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2026, Research in Educational Policy and Management.Dymond, K., Smith, L., & Broad, K.
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Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom.2025, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Dymond, K.
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C. Rogers-Shaw, T. Park, K. Mohney, & K. Sheward (Eds.), Collaborative strategies for designing neuroinclusive college campuses.Dymond, K.
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2025, N. Keates & K. Waldock (Eds.), Applications and practices for empowering neurodivergent learners.Dymond, K.
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2025, Interdisciplinary Journal of Student SuccessDymond, K., Smith, L., & Broad, K.
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2025, Conference: American Educational Research Association (AERA), Denver.Smith, L., Broad, K., & Dymond, K.
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The Autism Lens.2020, PembrokeDymond, K.
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Towards inclusivity: Why diverse representations of autism matter.2019, In Cooper, K. & Hughes, R. (Eds.), Critical issues in education: Citizen documentary in the digital age.Dymond, K.
Research Interests
Kara’s transdisciplinary scholarship explores: -intersections of neoliberalism, ableism, racism, classism, and neuronormativity in education; -neurodiversity and neurominority experiences across the lifespan -Universal Design for Learning-what it means for schools, systems, and teaching to be neurodiversity-affirming, inclusive and accessible-neurominority and disabled experiences and knowledge mobilization in education, higher education, teacher education, and teaching-critical research methodologies which disrupt normative assumptions of select bodies/minds as valid knowledge keepers-teacher reflexivity.
Teaching Interests
FORMER COURSES
CTL 7008 Introduction to Special Education & Mental Health
CURRENT COURSES
-CTL 5714 Accessible Education & Classroom Neurodiversity
-APD 5048 Creating Accessible and Neurodiversity-Affirming Classrooms
