We all think differently

The header for the article reads “What is Neurodiversity?” and I pondered the question knowing I had heard the word before but could not recall where. Upon further reading of the Child Mind Institute article, I recalled that I had seen and used the word in an undergraduate special education class. The article argues that the word neurodiversity takes many shapes depending upon how the person or people using the word define the term. In a general sense the word is defined to describe an individual's differences in how their brain works. The term is mainly used to describe individuals with ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities, but may take any form as it relates to one’s thoughts. Although the word exists, I rarely hear it in practice. On documentation for students we will still use the word autism or ADHD. Why haven’t schools shifted to using the words neurodiverse and in parentheses defining what the individual's specific neurodiversity is? What is the pushback? When will the shift occur, will it ever? 

One of the main quotes that stuck out to me was as follows, “Instead of thinking of people with autism or ADHD as needing to be ‘fixed,’ we put a spotlight on things that they’re good at and help with things that they’re working on” (Miller, 2026). When reading this quote, it immediately took me back to “Shifting the Paradigm”. We are furthering the idea of identifying students strengths to also their abilities. A student being neurodiverse should not serve as a deficit but rather an asset to their learning in new ways. I think many times teachers want to “fix” the neurodivergent students to conform to the “normalities of school”. I use quotes with that term because who defines the normalities, those in power. Asking a student who is neurodivergent with ADHD to sit for an hour is not using their strengths. A child with ADHD may need to get up and move around, this could include passing out materials, doing a portion of a lesson with a teacher, having the students model an expectation. There are so many opportunities to use the students' neurodiversity as a strength rather than a downfall to their learning. The previous statement is extremely overgeneralized and may not be true for all students with ADHD, so instead we should learn how a student’s diagnosis of ADHD impacts their learning. 

The article touches upon the idea of the environment. The article reads, “That’s why another focus of the movement is to encourage changes in environments … — to make them more welcoming and open to those who think, process and learn differently” (Miller, 2026). When you walk into a school many times the environment is not ideal for a neurodiverse student. Most rooms have bright lights, hard desks, and strict time frames. This makes learning hard for many individuals. I think there are many ways to combat this and I see some of them implemented and others that fall to the waistside. Flexible seating is a great option for many neurodiverse students. I know that I could not sit at a ceramic desk all day. Adjustable lighting so a teacher can adjust how bright the lights are in the room. It does not need to look like Lasalette (RI natives you get me) when you walk in. Lastly, flexible due dates within reason. I think that due dates and being timely is an important life skill, but how can we make it more approachable for neurodiverse learners? I don’t necessarily have an answer, but it is a good question to ask and brainstorm about.  

An interesting perspective from the article was the stance on using the word neurodiversity to describe one’s own individual thinking approach regardless if you have a diagnosis. I think with this stance, all individuals would be neurodiverse to some degree which is rather fascinating. I think that idea highlights the importance of the word. Being neurodiverse should not represent a stigma but rather it should be something that one is proud of. Immediately when you hear the word ADHD or autism you gain a perception of an individual even if you do not know the person. When we use the word neurodiverse, you lose the stereotype of what an individual with neurodiversity looks, talks, and acts like. Since neurodiversity is so broad it breaks the cycle of stigmatizing a word. I hope to see the word implemented more regularly throughout the school environment in both documentation and in conversation. 

 

ICE OUT

 

The Rethinking Classrooms magazine titled “ICE out of Schools” carries a very relevant emphasis on the damage that immigration policy is putting on communities across the country. The initial prescript notes that the existence of ICE has been around for nearly a decade removing immigrants in rather inhuman ways. As presented by the authors, they say “For too long both Democrats and Republicans have treated immigration as a security issue rather than a human one, steadily expanding the power of ICE and Border Patrol” (Rethinking Schools, pg.6). Immigrants are not pawns in a political chess game, they are human beings who have lives inside our country. With that, it is important that members of the community know their rights. There is a large onus across the article about educating members of the school community and beyond. When ICE comes knocking on the doors of immigrants it is imperative that they know what their rights are and how they can defend themselves from unlawful arrest/capturing. 

Something that the article makes relevant is how school teachers come together to support their community in so many different ways. I think this is why we all love our profession and being able to support students and their families. The unfortunate truth is that the reason behind why teachers came together in support is through fear. When looking at the Los Angeles teachers who formed the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, it wasn’t until fear was knocking at the doorstep (their child’s daycare) when they knew they needed to take action. Through their outreach for help, they created more than just a patrol, they created a support system for so many individuals who would instead live scared and isolated not knowing what would come next for them. The systems of support allowed for families to receive groceries from the $16,000 raised helping them during rather unsettling times. Analyzing this model is remarkable and it makes me wonder how we can support families to a greater extent. A perfect example is when the teacher Ross Irons created the cooking class. She knew that individuals needed a safe space to talk freely about what was happening in regards to ICE, but she shaped it in a more inviting way. Yes, there was an opportunity to converse but it also brought members of the community together to share a fun event in a time of fear. This is powerful and we as educators should take note. 

One powerful quote that has stuck with me is the following, “It brought to mind an old expression: La maestra luchando también está enseñando — the teacher who is fighting is also teaching (Rethinking Schools, pg.12). This is a very deep statement and I want to try and unpack it from my perspective. The use of the word fight does not mean physically with fists, but rather through actions and words. The use of fight should not come across negatively, the use of fight in the context of the quote and situation is defending what you believe in. Defending may look different for everyone but I think defending means that as Dr. Bogad says “dying on that hill”. Regardless of what anyone says against whatever the belief may be, you won’t step down. This shows many things, the first being resilience which is powerful to the eyes of anyone watching. Resilience in the sense that you won’t back down and you will do anything in your power to push on and make an impact. Second, it creates an example for students to follow and a positive one at that. When we show how strong our voices can be, it enables students to feel like theirs can also be heard. This is what sparks change and the creation of genuine communities where people are there to support one another. The last segment that reads “... is also teaching”, means teaching through action. This may come in many different forms. In the article teaching was literally teaching people about their rights, but it was also peacefully protesting, raising money and creating systems of support. What the members of the LA patrol were teaching, was what it means to support in times of need. Teaching doesn’t always have to be curricular, it can be about humane topics or what it means to be a member of an equitable society. I think this is something that is lacking in the state of our world right now, teaching people how to be humane and just through action. One small ‘teaching’ moment can have a ripple effect that ends up creating a wave.