Reflection:
This article was very informative on the neurodiversity movement and it made me think a lot about how autism and other diagnoses classified under neurodivergence used to be viewed versus how they are viewed today. The author explains that Judy Singer launched the neurodivergent movement as a social justice movement to promote equality.
Children with autism used to be viewed as incapable and would be neglected or excluded from schools. Teachers didn't know or believe that there was anything they could do to help these children. As more and more research went into autism and the neurodiversity movement began, children with autism and other diagnoses were treated with care, respect, and teachers believed in their abilities to advance. This article explains how teaching students with autism has evolved in public schools.
Singer explained that these diagnoses that makes children different should not be viewed as deficits, but rather as normal and possibly valuable variation on the way the brain works. The neurodiversity movement changed the way society views these neurological differences. If children are having a hard time in schools, they are beginning to ask their parents to take them to see if they are neurodivergent. This is something that I found really inspiring because it shows how children are steering away from treating neurodiversity with shame and towards treating it with respect.
In class, I would like to focus on how everyone found this article. I thought it was inspiring and would love to hear other thoughts!
Hi Amara- I enjoyed your post and your personal reflection! This article highlights how the neurodiversity movement has reshaped perceptions of autism, from deficit-based thinking to recognizing neurological differences as valuable and deserving of support and inclusion. Your personal connection really underscores this shift, showing how belief, understanding, and the right support can make a powerful difference in a person’s life and opportunities.
ReplyDeleteHi Amara, I appreciate the way you highlight that neurodiverse students should be seen as completely normal, especially since there’s no single “right” way to think.
ReplyDeleteHi Amara, thanks for sharing! Ive also found the way that teaching neurodiverse students has changed over time to be really interesting. I think a lot of this has to do with early childhood media and education — there’s an autistic character on Sesame Street, a whole show on pbs dedicated to a neurodivergent character named Carl! Lots of books with accurate representations too. I’ve found pbs learning media to be an awesome resource for general education for me as an educator and lesson plans/activities for students. Totally free to make an account, I recommend everyone check it out!
ReplyDeleteHi Amara! I love how you tied the article to your own cousin! Thank you for sharing this! It's really inspiring to hear that your cousin was able to come out of his shell with the help of your family and his teachers. This is really encouraging as a future educator that we will have the opportunity to make a big impact on our students' lives.
ReplyDeleteHi Amara, I agree that the difference between difference and deficit thinking is a huge improvement over how earlier generations of students were treated due to neurological differences. My mother in law is the example I use, of someone from an earlier generation who suffered by being misunderstood or disparaged by the authority figures in her life due to neurological difference. We are still working our way toward a societal baseline of acceptance and celebration of diversity, and our work as educators can make a difference moving the needle further for future generations
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