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Neurodivergency
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Audacity to Dare to Educate
What is SLD (Specific Learning Disability)?
IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act) Sec. 300.8 (c) (10) defines SLD as follows:
(i) Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
(ii) Disorders not included. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disability in which the learner has trouble reading because they have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make (i.e. phonics and decoding) due to neurological connectivity in how their brain works. This affects their fluency and accuracy when reading.
A Dyslexia diagnosis should not be interpreted as a negative reflection of intelligence. Individuals with dyslexia are extremely intelligent, fast, and creative thinkers.
Dyslexia is the #1 learning disability representing 80-90% of those with learning disabilities.
What psychological ramifications can a person have as a result of a learning disability?
About 54% of people with a learning disability have a mental health problem. Children with learning disabilities are four and a half times more likely to have a mental health problem than children without a learning disability.
The most common problems are anxiety and depression. This often stems from being stigmatized, singled out, and not receiving proper interventions for their learning disability.
Children with learning disabilities are more likely to drop out of school and be involved in criminal activities. Roughly 70% of juveniles in prison struggle with literacy deficiencies. Many believe this stems from undiagnosed dyslexia or other learning disabilities or diagnoses that were not properly treated.
What is Orton-Gillingham?
The Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach (so named after Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham; a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist and an educator and psychologist who identified and developed this approach in the 1920’s and 1930’s) is a multisensory, structured, sequential, scientifically researched way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling does not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia. It is an approach, not a method, program, or system. OG instructors are trained and certified.
It is important to note that even learners who are not dyslexic can learn literacy through this approach.
Neurodivergent
Someone whose brain processes information in a way that is not considered typical. Many of these differences can be seen in brain wave scans. Neurodivergent individuals encompass a broad spectrum, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others. These individuals often experience differences in cognitive function, sensory processing, and communication styles compared to neurotypical individuals.
It's essential to recognize that neurodivergent individuals can and do (even if they don't choose to disclose that they are neurodivergent) contribute valuable perspectives and talents to society when given appropriate support and accommodations. We can celebrate individual strengths and address specific challenges by fostering understanding, accepting, and overcoming biases in Special Education. It requires educators and society to move away from stigmatizing differences and instead focus on creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. It's a shared responsibility to see everyone for the diverse abilities and qualities each individual brings.
Diversity in Special Education
Currently, there is a lack of diversity (https://www.zippia.com/special-education-teacher-jobs/demographics/) in Special Education. 71.8% of all Special Education Teachers are women, while 24.6% are men. The most common ethnicity of Special Education Teachers is White (73.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.6%), Black or African American (9.3%), and Asian (3.2%).
We also know that, more specifically, Black students who are exposed to Black teachers are more likely to graduate and go to college. That percentage increases as the number of Black teachers increases during their academic lives. Having teachers of the same culture also increases the comfortability of like students as well as decreases the amount of reported disciplinary concerns. Lastly, the research shows that all children benefit from a more diverse teacher population.
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