Kara Dymond
Kara Dymond, OCT, Ph.D, is a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD advocate, author, teacher, consultant, researcher, and award-winning university lecturer. Kara is passionate about creating truly inclusive classrooms.
Growing up, Kara began thinking about differentiation and the potential in every student while working on homework with her younger brother, Danny, who is also autistic. She credits Danny with teaching her so much about good teaching before Kara even knew that would be her vocation.
Today, Kara is a student-centred educator who is passionate about collaborating closely with students, other teachers, and families to better support all learners. Since 2011, she has taught autistic students in a large urban school board. Her students are the inspiration for her work, including her books Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2025) and The Autism Lens (Pembroke Publishers, 2020).
Kara teaches graduate courses in accessible education, neurodiversity, learning differences, and mental health for beginning teachers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Kara was awarded the 2024 Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education, having been nominated by colleagues and 21 graduate students. In 2025, she received a 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.
Kara is a frequent presenter to educators, parents/caregivers, and organizations on autism, neurodiversity, and creating neurodiversity-affirming spaces. Her doctoral research focused on teacher professional development needs which has helped her to design and deliver workshops which honour teacher expertise, interests, and classroom contexts. She is also a co-investigator in an ongoing study on Universal Design for Learning and accessibility in graduate teacher education.
Beyond educational settings, Kara consults with organizations to improve understanding of allyship, accommodations, and accessibility needs. Kara coaches neurodivergent youth and adults, helping them to identify and work toward their goals, grow in self-compassion and understanding, and self-advocate for their needs.
For fun, Kara co-hosts a podcast called Autistic Tidbits & Tangents with Maja Toudal, an autistic psychologist from Denmark; and Bruce Petherick, another Canadian autistic advocate. Episodes can be found on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Select Media
A profile of Kara on the topic of late diagnosis by Karen Hawthorne, Healthing.ca (April 2, 2025):
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An excerpt on Kara’s university teaching award, by Perry King (April 2, 2024):
Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education
Winner: Kara Dymond, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
The Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education recognizes outstanding contributions to teaching and learning in teacher education programs at OISE impacting the development of the next generation of excellent teachers. Winners are chosen based on demonstrated impact on teacher candidates, and the ability to foster enriching teaching and learning experience, as well as excellence in teaching and/or supervision in teacher education programs.
Dr. Kara Dymond, an exceptional teacher educator, has extensive experience with special education students – as a teacher and autism consultant – which continues to inform her teaching. In her practice, she integrates research-informed pedagogical practices and models effective strategies for mental health, self-care, and executive functioning that are just as crucial for teacher candidates in the Master of Teaching program as they are for their future students.
Dr. Dymond’s commitment to mobilizing her research for the benefit of the community speaks to her incredible dedication to ensuring that all students are given the support and tools they need to thrive. For example, she developed a comprehensive website and authored a book The Autism Lens: Everything Teachers Need to Connect with Students, Build Confidence, and Promote Classroom Learning to provide resources and strategies to help teachers understand neurodiversity and create inclusive classrooms. Dr. Dymond’s exceptional research-informed and learner-centered teaching, makes a lasting positive impact on teacher candidates.
What does it mean to receive this award? How can you pay it forward?
There isn't just one word to encapsulate how I feel, so here are a few: Flummoxed. Humbled. Grateful. Delighted. As an autistic/ADHD sessional lecturer, I derive so much inspiration and hope from conversations with teacher candidates about classroom neurodiversity and accessible education. My hope is to model the kind of teaching where everyone is expected and welcomed. Making my course accessible isn't something 'extra' that I do, or that teacher candidates can do, but is foundational to teaching. It's an honour that they have found our time together so meaningful to their own teaching paths – as I have to mine. I often think about the research that suggests we replicate how we've been taught unless we deliberately engage in reflective and reflexive practice. The beautiful gift of teaching is that we do leave ripples. On the one hand, teacher candidates experience inclusive, accessible education as learners in our course together; and, from their teaching lenses, they are challenged to reimagine possibilities for making their future classrooms sites of curiosity, collaboration, and compassion. Nothing brings me more joy than thinking of our myriad of ripples spreading as teacher candidates positively impact the learners in their care.
Kara’s first book was published by Pembroke Publishers in October 2020.