Losing Motivation: Understanding Triggers in Neurodiverse Learning Environments

Good evening. Today, I want to talk about losing motivation — and more specifically, the triggers that can cause someone to lose it almost instantly.

At a neurodiverse institution such as Landmark College, motivation can look very different from person to person. What motivates one student might completely discourage another. This is especially true for students who think and learn differently. Not all traditional motivational tactics work for the neurodiverse population, and in some cases, they can even have the opposite effect.

What prompted these thoughts was a recent class discussion I had about motivation. My professor mentioned strategies like setting alarms, using reminders, or scheduling tasks in a calendar. On the surface, these seem like solid suggestions — but I couldn’t help but question whether they actually work for everyone.

Here’s my take: by the time you’re in college, and especially by 18, most people already have a general sense of what strategies help them stay on track. For neurodiverse students, those strategies are often highly individualized and based on personal experience rather than one-size-fits-all advice.

During that class, I found myself feeling increasingly unmotivated. I had already been dealing with a lot that week, and this conversation pushed me to step out and talk to my academic advisor for a few minutes. One particular comment stuck with me — a suggestion that students should “remind themselves they’re behind.”

To me, that approach feels counterproductive. Telling someone they’re behind doesn’t light a fire under them; it can make them feel defeated. For many neurodiverse individuals, being reminded of their struggles can be overwhelming and discouraging. It often leads to escapism — the desire to remove yourself from a situation entirely. In my case, that meant physically leaving the classroom to reset and regroup.

Motivation isn’t about guilt or pressure. It’s about finding what sparks your drive, understanding your limits, and using strategies that empower rather than shame. For neurodiverse students especially, recognizing emotional triggers and creating supportive environments can make the difference between shutting down and staying engaged.

In the end, motivation is deeply personal. What keeps one person going might stop another in their tracks. The key is awareness — both for educators and students — to understand that there’s no single formula for staying motivated, especially in a neurodiverse community.