Rethinking Education: Embracing Neurodiversity

Individuals

Mar 12

Understanding Neurodiversity: Celebrating the Variability of Human Brains

In a world where conformity often overshadows individuality, neurodiversity emerges as a beacon of hope, advocating for recognizing and celebrating the natural variations among human brains. Rather than adhering to outdated notions of a standardized norm, it's time to embrace the diverse arrays of thinking and being that define us. As Thomas Armstrong eloquently puts it in The Power of Neurodiversity, “We must acknowledge that no "normal" brain is hidden away, waiting to be unearthed for comparison. Instead, the diversity among brains parallels the richness found in biodiversity, cultures, and races, enriching our collective human experience.”

Challenges of Conformity in Education: A Call for Change

Image for a blog on Education Reform: Embracing Neurodiversity by Gail Suitor of Ignite Change Makers.

Our educational system supports the expectation that we all learn the same way, at the same rate, pay attention, sit still, raise our hands, follow directions the first time, understand concepts immediately, and sail through school with no behavioral or learning issues. Each year, teachers should complete all of the content mandated by the state, and every student should measure up to the “standard” expectations. When students take a standardized test, they should all meet these expectations.

Now, look back at your educational experience and think about your classmates. Did you have a class clown, the disrupter, a classmate who asked too many questions, or a kid who was considered slow but created a whole comic book on the margins of their notebook? Most of our classes had the full spectrum of “The Breakfast Club” characters. Welcome to neurodiversity.

The Impact of Traditional Education on Neuro-Distinct Individuals

School reunions prove the value of having diverse brains in the world. As a teacher of neuro-distinct students and individuals for 25 + years, I observed the longitudinal trajectory of many students who never met the “standardized norm” yet became influential change-makers in their chosen fields despite carrying the traumatic messages created by our educational system’s need to measure and compare students as if there is a “normal brain” that every brain must measure up to.

I spent my career reminding these individuals that while some school skills may be difficult for them to learn, they were not a measure of their value or potential success. The pain and shame of being labeled learning disabled to access the type of instruction they needed or never having access to this type of instruction left many students depressed, anxious, insecure, angry, and defiant. Their school experience taught them to blame themselves for not measuring up, making them wish they were “normal.”

Advocating for Education Reform: Moving Towards A Useful Education

Now think about school, how much has that changed in the last 50 years, the format, the content, the system. Moving our schools from the factory model into training our students for the age of innovation has been largely ignored. In a survey of 2,000 people done by Onepoll for H&R Block in 2018, the average American uses only 37% of what they learned in school. Nine out of ten surveyed agree that life would be much easier if they’d learned more practical skills. 

TOP 10 SKILLS AMERICANS WISH THEY LEARNED IN SCHOOL:

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Money management and budgeting (57%)
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How to properly do taxes  (44%)
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How to manage emotional/mental well-being (42%)

Understanding credit and student loans  (39%)

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How to negotiate (39%)
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Time management (35%)
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Household repairs (34%)
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How to make conversation/personal relationship skills (33%)

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Car repair and maintenance (31%)
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How to find a job (30%)
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Maybe an even more interesting top ten are the– 
TOP 10 “USELESS” THINGS AMERICANS LEARNED IN SCHOOL:

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Pythagorean theorem (48%)
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Knowing PI is 3.14 (40%)
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Periodic table (40%)
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The types of rocks (37%)
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The difference between protons, neutrons, and electrons (37%)

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell (35%)

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Naming the presidents in order (35%)
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Osmosis (32%)
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How to make paper snowflakes (30%)
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Photosynthesis (30%)
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 So, it’s unsurprising that some of our greatest neuro-distinct innovators leave school early. Changemakers are not interested in jumping through the next hoop or beating the next standardized test. They work too hard to spend energy learning content they won’t use. I have sat in several IEP meetings with an uninspired neuro-distinct student who blatantly says, “I don’t care if I get a diploma; I am just waiting to drop out because I want to learn something I can use in life.” 

They want to learn how to use technology to leverage their interests rather than how to replicate the low-level tasks technology performs.  Suppose they escape being crushed by a system that requires them to be labeled disabled and tells them they don’t meet expectations. In that case, they keep an innate confidence in their ability to discover and learn the content they need at any moment.

The Flaws of Standardized Testing and the Factory Model of Education

In the journey towards embracing neurodiversity, remember that the true essence of education extends far beyond standardized tests and rigid academic structures. Our educational system, rooted in a bygone era, often fails to recognize the diverse spectrum of human brains and experiences and the richness they bring to our collective understanding. As we reflect on the flaws of a system fixated on conformity, it becomes clear that true innovation and progress emerge from those who dare to think differently. Neuro-distinct individuals, often marginalized by traditional measures of success, possess an invaluable capacity for creativity, resilience, and out-of-the-box thinking. They are the trailblazers, the visionaries, and the change-makers who challenge the status quo and redefine what it means to succeed.

Unlocking the Potential of Diverse Perspectives: Embracing Neurodiversity

As we advocate for a paradigm shift in education that celebrates the unique strengths of every individual, we pave the way for a more inclusive and empowering future. Let us champion neurodiversity not as a deviation from the norm but as a source of inspiration and untapped potential, driving us toward a brighter tomorrow where diverse perspectives become the cornerstone of innovation and progress.

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Hey There, I’m Gail Suitor

In a world that has witnessed profound changes in nearly every aspect, there remains a singular, unchanged pillar – education. It provokes a compelling question: Are we adequately preparing our children for a future that is already here? The hours they spend in classrooms, the curricula we steadfastly adhere to—is it nurturing future-ready individuals or merely preserving outdated norms?

The era of rote learning and conventional teaching is being eclipsed by the dawn of Artificial Intelligence, yet our educational institutions seem to lag in embracing these transformative tools. The potential for AI in enriching writing, problem-solving, and creative thinking remains largely untapped within school corridors.

For those who have been inspired by Ted Dintersmith’s illuminating perspective in "What School Could Be?" and feel the urgent call to reimagine education, I extend an invitation to join a movement of visionary changemakers.

With a rich tapestry of experience spanning over 25 years in the educational arena, I've dedicated my career to sparking innovation and empowering minds—both young and seasoned—to challenge the status quo and passionately pursue their unique missions. From inspiring students to embrace their innate curiosity and creativity to guiding teachers in cultivating dynamic, future-focused learning environments, my journey has been one of relentless advocacy for transformation.

But change doesn’t thrive in isolation. It blossoms through collaboration, through the rallying of like-minded spirits committed to forging a new path for learning. If you, too, believe in the power of education as a catalyst for enlightenment and societal renewal, then let us lock arms. Together, let’s sculpt an educational framework that not only acknowledges but celebrates the boundless potential of each learner—equipping them not just for the tests of school, but for the tests of life.

Join me, Gail Suitor, in this quest for educational revolution. Become the beacon of change that tomorrow’s world desperately needs. Your journey as a changemaker starts now.