Three young trees stood in the schoolyard, their branches reaching toward the sun and casting striped shadows on the newly sprouting grass below. As the days passed, two of them grew stronger, taller and thicker. Their deep roots laid down pathways that strengthened the foundation for growth.
However, two of the young trees grew, but one did not.
A young tree felt farther and farther from the sun as its companions grew stronger. The pride of young saplings withered as the days passed. With her foundations below her not developed and little sun shining on her, she lost sight of the sky above, which she was trying to reach in the first place. As the seasons changed, the sun slowly and silently dimmed, and one day, while no one was looking, all of her light disappeared.
I find peace in it metaphor. They help me gain clarity when faced with challenges. Our family has been through a complicated situation supporting us. neurodivergent As my daughter was growing up in our local public school, I found myself painting this metaphorical story of three young trees that has become symbolic to me.
I can’t help but wonder what would have been different for a younger tree. What if the trees that didn’t survive were provided with more support? Instead of competing with their peers for the sun’s attention, they had room to grow in their own way and at their own pace. What if? And why was the sun’s seemingly infinite nutrition limited to what trees could gather from the space they occupied between themselves?
My daughter was one of them. 3.7 million children Those who entered kindergarten in the fall of 2020, As a result of the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic; She began her public school career remotely. During her school year, she moved around our cafeteria with her school-issued iPad, standing at the table, sitting on the floor, lying on her stomach, and taking exercise breaks as she pleased. We didn’t think anything of it because art supplies and worksheets were scattered around and our headphones felt “too tight” and were turned off most of the time. This was distance learning as we know it. And, like her peers across the country, she too will transition into her freshman year in the fall of 2021. it was challenging.
Although she was performing at grade level academically, she had increasing challenges with attention, organization, peer interaction, and school behavior. When I requested that she be evaluated for additional support at her school, she was told to give it time. “All the children in this grade are,” said the teacher.
While the school waited, we sought an external assessment to explore if there were supports available to help alleviate the challenges she was experiencing at school. We went through a maze of paperwork, referrals, waiting lists, appointments, and finally, in her second year, an official diagnosis. The school followed suit, creating an initial Individual Education Plan (IEP) and making a series of reactionary modifications to accommodate her evolving needs throughout the year. Fast forward to this school year. Our daughter is currently in third grade, and we recently attended her annual meeting to discuss the progress of her IEP.
I stopped because her teacher said something to me from across the table. “Your daughter is taking class time away from other students in my class.”
As an educator, I felt embarrassed on behalf of the teacher for making such a statement. handicapped As a parent of a neurodivergent child, I was outraged by the remarks made at the IEP meeting.
But the message of the silence in the room after her remarks was profound.
How is it possible that no one thought it appropriate to say something? anything?
At a subsequent meeting, one administrator dismissed my concerns and said there was nothing wrong with my daughter’s treatment. Another administrator asked what I wanted them to do. Did she want the school to manipulate her environment? Then she told me that I knew too much because of my job.
She’s not wrong. I know it because I’ve seen it often. As the director of Yale University Education Collaborative Laboratory, I have the opportunity to work with school leaders and educators across the country who are committed to equity and passionate about finding and implementing research-based practices. My job shows me possibilities every day, and I want that for all of my students. That includes my daughter, who agreed to share her story here so that all students like her are seen and valued in school.
My daughter’s school was waiting for her to fail instead of setting her up for success, which was devastating for her. She became a sapling in the schoolyard. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones living in this reality.
It’s time for all schools to learn how to support neurodivergence
At the beginning of this school year, about 7.3 million Public K-12 students in the United States who are eligible for special education services.It is estimated that more than 1 in 5 people Are American children neurodivergent? Differences in neurodevelopment Differences in how we know, experience, and navigate the world: differences in how we learn, feel, perceive, and socialize.
federal investment in 2023 $15.5 billion Implementing evidence-based practices in schools across the country to support special education students. Increased resources for staffing and diverse instructional practices. Despite being able to raise funds, almost every state The U.S. Department of Education says it is having a hard time filling open special education positions to meet the needs of students. Importantly, most students with disabilities spend at least 80% of their school day learning in general education classrooms, yet many general education teachers only attend classes. 1 class Learn how to support them with educational preparation programs.
Neurodivergent students don’t have to learn a different way of learning to have a chance at succeeding in our nation’s public schools. Our nation’s public schools must learn to teach differently so that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Success for neurodiverse students starts with accepting them for who they are and not comparing them to what we think they should be. What does “good learning” look like in the classroom? long legacy of Supporting neuronormative behavioral patterns that prioritize the disabled.. Simply sitting in a chair, feet on the floor, facing forward, and not fidgeting will not help students learn as much as they should. You can’t complete all the questions in a given time frame or fit your thoughts into the little boxes at the bottom of the worksheet or exam.
My daughter doesn’t always make eye contact when absorbing information. And sometimes I like to sit in a chair, and sometimes I like to move around. For her, “good learning” might be like operating a “Pop-It!” She plays with toys while chewing on crunchy snacks, or stands up with her hood over her head and leans over her desk to draw.
Like many neurodivergent learners, having a specific strategy for providing sensory input does not distract her and she is focused on optimizing her learning. Our daughter has worked hard to learn to recognize her own needs and share her talents with the world using these strategies and many others. Her multitasking superpowers, compassion, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving skills are all serve her well in life.
However, unless the mindset of educators and school leaders changes, there will be limits to how these strengths can help her grow in elementary school.as Evidence-based practice continues to evolve — including the application of universal design Principles for fostering inclusive environments where all students have the opportunity to benefit — More educators and leaders need to change their thinking and practices to embrace the strengths of all students.
Trying to fit neurodivergent learners into the framework of what “good learning” should look like for neurotypical learners can be counterproductive. Acceptance and affirmation are especially important for neurodivergent students, who are prone to low self-esteem and poor self-concept. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, our approach to education and discipline Disability-oriented thinking This can increase the likelihood that neurodivergent students will be bullied, blamed, victimized, and ostracized, experiences from which they will not necessarily recover.
If we continue to provide the same educational approach to all students, “this is how we do it,” neurodivergent students will continue to gain experience. Decline in academic abilityincreased punitive practices and exclusive placement. In education, there is only one size that is right for some students, if not all, and they provide less benefit.
Teachers and school leaders must begin to recognize that developmental variation is the norm. Increasing funding for special education and evolving evidence-based practices will leave dead wood alone in the absence of a culture of inclusion that accepts students to be who they are, not who we imagine them to be. It’s like planting a new flower. Let us evolve our teaching methods for those who educate, so that every tree in every schoolyard is evergreen.
