Jamie Sanders Explains Tourettes

Cornell's Autism and Disability Community

From Cornell's Website: 

Autism and the Disability Community: The Politics of Neurodiversity

POSTED ON APRIL 2, 2014 BY STUDENT AND ACADEMIC SERVICES

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'Neurodiversity' is a concept and a movement started by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders to promote a sense of community and self-advocacy among individuals with atypical neurological wiring, and to re-frame the discourse from a focus on deficit to an appreciation of difference.

Ari Ne'eman, president and founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and member of the United States National Council on Disability, spoke about neurodiversity Feb. 11, 2014. The event was sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Office of Academic and Diversity Initiatives, Residential Programs, and Student Disability Services.

8 Principles of Neurodiversity by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.

Accountability Laws = ADHD?

A recent NBC news post by Maggie Fox,their senior health writer, details the explosion of ADHD and its correlation to accountability testing. She interviewed the authors of the book, The ADHD Explosion, who had some very interesting insights to share.

This diagnosis (and the medication that follows) is believed to "bump up" test scores. Could this be true? Or is it, as the article hints, that kids diagnosed with ADHD don't "count" on the same testing frames and by omitting them, the schools' score rise?

Using Infographics in the College Classroom - A Composition 2 Assignment

A Compelling Video - I Am the 88

 The biggest number of autistic people the world has ever seen will be entering colleges and universities soon, and that number will keep increasing exponentially as the number of those diagnosed with autism increase exponentially.

1 in 88 are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum today.

Just 8 years ago it was 1 in 166.

What will the rate be in 4 more years?

Are we prepared to improve accessibility and accommodations to service these students?  

Considering the sensory issues that so many Autism Spectrum students deal with, will schools be compelled to offer more online courses as a matter of accommodation instead of convenience? There is an opportunity for schools to profit from tailoring online courses to Autistic students. But who should design and teach those courses? 

At the very least, we need to start talking about these students who are graduating Special Education to begin College Education.

Yale Features Doctor with Dyslexia

Just a note: I include several cognitive differences under the umbrella term "Neurodiversity."


Alix Boyle of  The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity has written a short post featuring Dr. Beryl Benacerraf, a Radiologist and Utlrasound Specialist. Please share this with your students!

We need more biographies of successful professionals who also have Dyslexia - especially those who had to take difficult science and math courses just to graduate in their field.

Students (and teachers) need to see these stories of those who have excelled despite society's flawed understanding of what it takes to thrive and contribute in this world. Obviously, we have held back gifted people because we didn't understand that they were talented differently.

Remember, "It's now how smart you are, it's how you are smart" that truly matters.

Using Infographics for the College Classroom - Essay Assignment 2

Below is an infographic I've made for my English Composition 1 class explaining the Compare and Contrast essay assignment for my visual learners.

The Neurodiversity Movement Explained on a T-Shirt

This Tshirt Design by BBPD Design of San Diego sums up the Neurodiversity argument quite nicely.

How will the Inclusion Plan affect Higher Education in the future?

From: 'Neurodiversity': the next frontier for Civil Rights?

A school in New York City is expanding the definition of diversity, and putting kids of varying developmental ability side-by-side in the classroom. The IDEAL School of Manhattan is breaking new ground on inclusion education, creating an environment where students with developmental disabilities are never pulled out of class, and are taught the same lessons as students without special needs.

Alex Wagner visited the IDEAL School and discusses the idea of “neurodiversity” with the NOW panel.

What we see in schools today is what we will need to address in Higher Education in just a few years. Are we prepared to accept into the college classroom students who are learning different in the ways that K-12 schools are today? Could colleges adapt the Inclusion Plan for higher education students? 

Using Infographics in the College Classroom - Course Intro

This infographic is used on the D2L homepage of my Comp 1 Classes. It's includes basic information about grades - listed in bar graph form. 

Food and Neurodiversity - An Overlooked Issue?

The Proposed Autism ID Card and It's Educational Implications

Educators and schools must be careful when it comes to disclosure. Do we force the "outing" of neurodiverse students because of well-meaning ignorance? I'm not just talking about an accidental skirting of FERPA law here. I'm talking about a constant push for students to self-disclose even when they are not prepared to do this correctly or deal with the consequences afterwards. 

And the truth is - neither are we.

In the recent blog post,  Autism and Disclosure: Is Virginia's Autism'ID Card Ethical?,  William Stillman explains that there is considerable concern regarding a proposed state ID card that would help police identify Autistic drivers they may pull over. While I can see the benefits of an ID card for those who are not educated on behaviors attributed to Autistic people, I see this - quite obviously - as a slippery slope to forced identification and discrimination. 

Remember that what makes an officer's (or teacher's) job easier is not always the ethical thing to do as it pertains to a person's rights. We must always be mindful of an individual's civil rights. And their feelings. 

As college educators, we deal with young adults who are just finding their way in the world. Our DS offices help students learn to self advocate, but they should not push or force - and neither should we. 

In his post, Stillman encourages others to keep a few things in mind when dealing with neurodiverse people: 

The next time you feel entitled or obligated to disclose information about someone with a "different way of being in the world," whether that person is in your presence or not, please ask yourself:

1. Do I have prior permission from the individual to do so?
2. Is what I'm about to share gentle, respectful, private or even necessary?
3. Would I be willing to say the exact same thing about myself in exactly the same forum--or have others say it about me without my prior consent and without a way to defend myself?
4. Is there a more discreet manner in which to share the information, such as texting or emailing sensitive information to vocational, educational, medical or school personnel?

This is good advice - for college faculty and staff. 

Is Autism a gift disguised as a dilema?

Loving Lampposts Trailer from Todd Drezner on Vimeo.

Using Infographics in College Classes

I've started using Infographics as a way to re-inforce my essay assignments for students. I don't see Infographics as "dumbing down" material. The feedback I've received from students has been all positive. These don't take the place of the original assignment sheet, but they do supplement what we have discussed in class  - adding to the student's understanding of what is expected.

Below is the Infographic for Essay 1 - Personal Narrative

Do we allow the stigma of neurological differences to dictate our teaching methods?

Obviously, as teachers we are shaped by our preconceived notions. I have had to re-think my teaching methods many times (and grow as a person) when I have taken an honest look at the ways my preconceived notions have held me back. It's easy to get stuck in a teaching "comfort zone." And it's harder to stop, step back, and self police ourselves - especially when the little feedback we get as teachers comes once or twice a year - and even then, we are rated as Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory.

Most college instructors I know are constantly changing and trying new methods - because they believe in improving what they do.  I wonder though, if there needs to be a shift in thinking - away from the stigma of neurological differences first. I can try a million different ways to teach Plato, but if I don't step back and think about accessibility to that material for students whose talents (and challenges) are fundamentally different than those "neurotypical" students, I'm not really changing things for the better.

(I should mention that I am having a difficult time these days thinking that there is such a thing as a true neurotypical student because we all think differently. I mean, what does "neurotypical" mean anyway and are there any concrete ways to even measure it?)

Charles L. Arnold in a video for The Museum of Science and Sustainability discusses the stigma associated with some forms of Neurodiversity. To him, this is becoming a civil rights issue. I think that Mr. Arnold brings up something very interesting that goes beyond the issue of public shaming those with neurological differences. The larger issue here is that we are lacking an empathy for difference that we have seen historically with gender/race/orientation rights.

 Higher education certainly has experienced a shift in thinking as more diverse students enroll. Issues with Neurodiversity is no different. Unfortunately, and as history has shown, most institutions are lagging behind and will have to play administrative and instructional catch-up to deal with the needs of a growing population of Neurodiverse students who demand (and deserve) accommodations particular to their needs.

Temple Grandin - The World Needs All Kinds of Minds

Books on Neurodiversity: Neurodiversity by Thomas Armstrong

(from the book's Amazon page)

A new term has emerged from the disability movement in the past decade to help change the way we think about neurological disorders: Neurodiversity.

ADHD. Dyslexia. Autism. The number of categories of illnesses listed by the American Psychiatric Association has tripled in the past fifty years. With so many people affected by our growing “culture of disabilities,” it no longer makes sense to hold on to the deficit-ridden idea of neuropsychological illness.

With the sensibility of Oliver Sacks and Kay Redfield Jamison, psychologist Thomas Armstrong offers a revolutionary perspective that reframes many neuropsychological disorders as part of the natural diversity of the human brain rather than as definitive illnesses. Neurodiversity emphasizes their positive dimensions, showing how people with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and other conditions have inherent evolutionary advantages that, matched with the appropriate environment or ecological niche, can help them achieve dignity and wholeness in their lives.