NEURODIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM
The common wisdom is that people with Down syndrome are not supposed to go to college. Keys to success are attending regular classes – rather than special education classes – throughout primary, middle and high schools. This enables them to learn alongside nondisabled peers rather than being sequestered with only intellectually disabled kids. They also need to develop great habits – start working on term papers and class projects on the day they were assigned, have a tutor for each of her classes, take study breaks and sit at the front of her class. Neurodiverse children have more opportunities now but still have a long way to go before special education merges with regular education. One of the biggest problems is that special education has developed as a completely separate system especially since the middle of the 20th century for kids with mental retardation and “learning disabilities” in most public schools. In the 1980s, kids with behaviour problems and ADHD were included and in the 1990s, autism and traumatic brain injury were added as eligible.
A World of Deficit, Damage, and Dysfunction
The intention was to meet the requirements of special needs children, and to an extent, they succeeded. But they also created a monolithic structure with its own unique ecology – its own diagnostic tests, special instructional programs, special jargon and philosophies. These philosophies are based on deficit, damage, and dysfunction rather than strengths, talents, and abilities. These are their “slow learners.”
The purpose was to “remediate” deficits and not acknowledge their strengths or talents in music, art, dance, athletics, mechanical repair, computer programming or other nontraditional ways. Regular classes only care about competence in its most traditional and bookish sense – reading, writing, spelling, science, social studies and math in basal texts and worksheets. Individual education plans are filled but strengths are rarely given much importance. “Tries hard” is actually negative implying that if the student were brighter, they wouldn’t have to try so hard.
The special education system is easier to get into than to get out of. Kids feel stigmatized to be seen going into a the special education classroom or “resource room”. They are often bullied or called “stupid” or “retard” experiencing emotional, social, or physical isolation.
Another major problem it that special education is not very exciting. Some are rich or have teachers who are enlightened and progressive educators but usually there is little dynamic learning. Some programs are highly structured programs meant to remediate specific reading or writing skills. Many schools have no laws, policies, or guidance regarding restraint or seclusion in public schools. They are punished at disproportionate rates.
Many Children Left Behind
Regular classrooms are often very restrictive even for regular classroom students. The requirements imposed are for academic achievement based on performance measured by standardized tests in reading, math and science. There’s not much room to be a whole person – exercising one’s physical, emotional, creative, cognitive, and spiritual capacities. Their presence as a test-taking machine is all that is generally required. And that is very restrictive.
In the US, this culminated in the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 which specified heavy penalties for schools that could not make “adequate yearly progress” in reading, math and science tests and specified that all students must achieve proficiency in these subjects by the year 2014. By denying individual differences, it hit special education students especially hard. They were forced to take a test they had failed five times. Asking a child with dyslexia to perform on a paper-and-pencil reading test is like asking a paraplegic to run the hurdles. A child’s self-esteem fell apart when test time comes around. This emphasis on standardized tests as the bottom line forces special education students to spend hours a day preparing for tests instead of learning to become successful neurodiverse human beings in their own right.
The Magic of Inclusion
Rich learning experiences can be incorporated for both labeled and nonlabelled kids in a single classroom. Special education students are fully included by emphasizing on strengths. Kids can write great stories using special computer programs, combining geometric shapes, singing and music programs, the child with ADHD who can fix all kinds of car problems, running errands for the office or the Down student reading many books. All children should be challenged to read as much as they can, exercise, communicate, interact positively and have the goal to “get smarter, feel smarter, and act smarter. These kinds of expectations are very different than those in No Child Left Behind. They need to be provided with a rich curriculum that allows all students to achieve in academic and nonacademic subjects in their own way and at their own pace.
To be involved in all subjects of study, this may mean simplifying the material for students, providing accommodations, and act creatively in order to engage the child to the best of their ability. Most children with disabilities need additional supports and specialized instruction but in the context of the general curriculum – reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education, and the arts.
Students studying Shakespeare, for example, may read with their eyes, some with their fingers, one interprets it with a drawing, while others perform a skit. Reading a book, using an audiotape or using a computer program that displays and speaks the words are educational enhancements that allow them to master the material according to their unique gifts and needs.
Despite these being natural and relatively easy to implement (especially when compared to forcing all children to learn the same way at the same time), there is still opposition to full inclusion. Few are willing to have neurodiverse children in the regular classroom all the time. Some think it is inclusive to have a special education teacher working with special needs kids at the back of the room while the regular teacher instructs the rest of the kids in the main lesson.
In many cases, it is the non-labeled kids who benefit from the experience. Beside introducing diversity, it makes the other children less selfish.
What Does a Neurodiverse Classroom Look Like?
• They require retraining of all teachers, both regular and special – familiarity with diversities of all kinds, expertise in utilizing assistive technologies, alternative classroom strategies, different curricula, and meeting the needs of all learners taking precedence.
The neurodiverse classroom contains students with many types of diversities – culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, language and communication delays, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, blindness, deafness and multiple disabilities plus students labeled as gifted and talented.
• The neurodiverse classes uses multiple intelligences instructional strategies and other universal design for learning methods. Removing environmental barriers (wheelchairs, strollers, skateboards, joggers and the elderly. Dyslexic students who are music smart can read books on computer keyboards, using picture books or 3-dimensional “pop-up” books.
• The neurodiverse classroom encompasses cognitive, educational, emotional, and behavioural issues along with non-labeled kids. It is not or regular or standard classroom where children with disabilities are “guests” but one where each and every child is identified as a unique learner.
• The neurodiverse classroom celebrates and teaches about diversities of all kinds (culture, race, gender, and sexual orientation in addition to neurological differences). It studies the lives of eminent neurodiverse individuals that overcame adversity to achieve greatness, It invites neurodiverse individuals to come and speak. It provides a wide range of books, films and other material on famous neurodiverse people. It involves neurodiverse parents. Celebrates special events on the calendar related to neurodiversity. It shares information about the strengths of ADHD, dyslexia, autism and others forms of neurodiversity.
• The neurodiverse classroom uses a rich collection of assistive technologies to access information, engage in learning, and express themselves cognitively, emotionally, artistically, creatively, and spiritually. It uses spell checkers, text-to-speech, intellikeys, and eye-gaze technology.
• The neurodiverse classroom pays attention to the environment, the use of space and other ecological considerations. Niche areas, group spaces, space beyond the classroom should be available to all students regardless of labels.
• The neurodiverse classroom contains a rich network of human relationships that supports each individual’s journey and development. There are many teachers, tutors, aides, parent volunteers, specialized personal and students themselves engaged in teaching one another.
• The neurodiverse classroom believes in the natural, organic, development of each individual.