Should We Consider Autism, ADHD, & Dyslexia Neurodiverse?

Are students with special needs simply neurodiverse and, if so, how does this change how we work with them and try to help them? They may not learn and/or interact with others like most of the rest of us, but many have abilities associated with creativity and concentration. Aaron Rothstein in his article Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity in The New Atlantis discusses neurological conditions and the norm and calls on us not to worry about labels, but instead to learn how to help everyone do their best with what they have been given. This is a very interesting article in which you will discover that being “normal” is, as Rothstein says, “a fluid term.”

Apps for Non-Verbal Students

The Tech & Learning Advisor Blog piece by Vicki Windman, Best Speech and Language Apps, offers suggestions for iPad apps, which will help students who are unable to speak, have speech disorders and/or have other communication problems. The apps are available at prices from $4.99 to $99.99. Examples of the apps are:  Avaz for Autism, with picture and text options; Speech Flipbook, designed to help children with Apraxia (problems saying what they want to say), and those who have difficulty with articulation, phonological awareness, and reading; and Is That Silly?, which helps children understand spoken and written word meanings.  Other apps appropriate for students with speech and language disorders include: URtalker Pro, Voice4u, and Speech Therapy Apraxia Words. All of these apps can be customized for specific student needs

Brain Parade for Children with Special Needs

Brain Parade’s See. Touch. Learn ™ garnered the “Mostly Likely to Succeed” award at Ed Tech Summit 2013. According to Karen Billings, vice president of SIAA (Software and Information Industry Association) Education Division, “Brain Parade shows tremendous promise for shaping the future of technology in education, especially for those with special needs.”  This innovative app gives those working with children the ability to create “personalized” lessons, which will help them with communication skills. Students use iPads to learn from high-quality images and lessons created by a behavioral analyst. You can download a free copy from iTunes, but if you’d like the full version with advanced features and over 4400 images and 2200 exercises, you’ll want the Pro version, which is priced at $34.99.

Understanding Learning Disabilities

Science Daily reports that about two to three students in every classroom (up to 10% of all children) have some type of learning disability, and many have several disabilities. The study says, for example, that children who are hyperactive often struggle with dyslexia and about eleven percent of them have dyscalculia. The research was completed in order to offer a better “understanding of how individual differences in brain development interact with formal education” and how such knowledge can help adapt learning to the needs of the students, which may be achieved through use of technologies.

Neurodiversity in the Classroom

Thomas Armstrong’s book, Neurodiversity in the Classroom, from ASCD focuses on helping students with learning disabilities, autism, hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. Armstrong believes in strength-based strategies that focus on what these children can do, not what they can’t do. In the book’s chapters, he discusses the joys of ADHD, the gifts of autism, the strengths of students with intellectual disabilities, the multiple talents of the learning disabled, and the bright side of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Armstrong points to the success of famous people in the sciences, arts, entertainment, sports, politics, military, business, and literature, who suffered from disorders such as hyperactivity, autism, and emotional and behavioral problems. The book contains “Strengths” Checklists, which educators can use to identify each student’s strengths.

Neurodiversity in the Classroom

ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) has released the Thomas Armstrong book, Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life. Available in both paperback and as an eBook, the book explores cutting-edge research featuring the strengths of students who have learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and intellectual, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Included are success stories about neurodiverse adults who have achieved success. Information is given on computer apps and strength-based learning strategies.

Autism: An Epidemic?

Estimates, according to Nirvi Shah’s article in the Special Education Blog of Education Week, are that one in every eighty-eight children in the United States has been identified with what is called “Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Mark Roithmayr, president of Autism Speaks, says, “Autism has now officially become an epidemic in the United States.” Although the Center for Disease Control is involved in a study to attempt to discover risk factors that lead to the problem, little is known about why some many children have the disorder or why the percentage of Autistic children is increasing.  Researchers believe it is highly likely that the number of Autistic children in the U.S. may be underestimated even though some say that part of the increase may be due to better identification of children with Autism. If you have an autistic child in your classroom, you understand that not all who are diagnosed with this disorder have the same problems. Because of this, some are proposing a change in the definition of Autism, which would narrow numbers (omitting those with Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder) of children currently diagnosed as Autistic. The definition has not been received well among advocates for those who would be excluded from the definition, because getting adequate services for these children may become a problem.

Special Education Offers at PCI

PCI Education, which specializes in resources targeted for special education and struggling learners, is offering up to $125 off on orders placed by November 15, 2011. Discounts will be dependent upon the size of the order. Virtual catalogs available for browsing online include: Secondary Catalog (for Middle School, High School and Adult Learners), Elementary Catalog, Intervention and Alternative Solutions Catalog, ESL/ELL Catalog, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Catalog. A free funding guide is also available on the site.