DO-IT - Disability Awareness/Identity

What is Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for Neurodiversity?

lylac — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:27:10 +0000

Pedagogy in the US has traditionally been based on middle-class, European cultural frames of reference. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), sometimes referred to as Culturally Responsive Teaching, develops teaching strategies to respond to increasingly diverse classrooms by "using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them" (Gay, p. 36).

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for Neurodiversity views neurodivergence as diversity as natural variations on the human condition, just like other forms of diversity. Culturally responsive pedagogical approaches can be applied to teaching neurodivergent students in the same ways it is applied to other identities. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, including the following:

Demonstrating acceptance for neurodiversity in the classroom
Diversifying content to include neurodivergent authors and creators
Maintaining high standards and teaching for student success
Exploring Universal Design in Learning
Encouraging critical consciousness

To learn more, visit Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for Neurodiversity, The Center for Universal Design in Education, and What do "neurodiverse" and "neurodivergent" mean? Additional resources are available at the Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners website.

Works Cited Gay, G. (2018) Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice New York: Teachers College Press.

What do I need to know about neurodiverse learners and pedagogy?

lylac — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:22:01 +0000

Neurodiversity is still a fairly new and developing area of research. The concept of neurodiversity was initiated in the autism advocacy community but has grown to mean the wide range of cognitive differences within human existence. Neurodivergence specifically relates to to someone whose brain processes information in a way that is not typical of most individuals; these processes are understood now to include not only autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a variety of cognitive learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, and Tourette's Syndrome. Proponents of the Neurodiversity movement have worked to highlight the fact that neurodivergence is a natural part of human diversity and that barriers experienced by neurodivergent individuals are a result of social and physical environments, rather than something "wrong" with the individual.

Many neurodivergent learners tend to learn more effectively through hands-on experiences, but academic learning environments and pedagogy have historically focused on the passive learning processes of listening to lectures and reading books. Even when successful in traditional educational settings, other common challenges such as executive functioning barriers, can pose difficulties. Many neurodivergent learners have been left out of receiving a college education because they have incorrectly been deemed incapable of succeeding in academic and professional careers. Changes in pedagogical approaches including using hands-on learning experiences, gaming, and virtual reality can promote greater academic success and open more career pathways to neurodiverse learners.

Kathryn Welby, Ed.D, an assistant professor in Merrimack College School of Education and Social Policy, has provided training to college faculty and has outlined additional pedagogical strategies, many of which relate to communicating and supporting executive functioning processes. Her suggestions include creating a one-page supplemental syllabus guide that breaks down crucial dates, posting daily or weekly agendas, and laying out explicit daily learning outcomes. She also suggests variations in assessment tools and a daily low-stakes tool to check in on comprehension, not for assessment, but as a planning tool for the instructor.

Learn more about Kathryn Welby's strategies in her article for Inside HigherEd,Teaching Neurodiverse Students.

To learn more about neurodiversity, visit The Neurodiversity Initiative: A Promising Practice for Promoting Disability Awareness in Higher Education and What do "neurodiverse" and "neurodivergent" mean?

To learn about projects that work with neurodiverse students, consult the DO-IT website Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners and Technical Education Research Centers, or review video resources at the STEM For All Multiplex 2023 Webinar Embracing Neurodiversity in STEM and accompanying blog post.

Deaf kids Code: A Promising Practice in Introducing Computer Programming

lylac — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:44:49 +0000

People who are deaf or hard of hearing experience a higher level of unemployment and under employment. In today's world, many products have been created to support interaction between deaf and non-deaf individuals. Work in accessible technology and other computing fields is a lucrative career opportunity, potentially for everyone. Having strong computing skills is essential because of the role of computers in almost every field.

According to their website, Deaf Kids Code promotes, inspires, empowers, and sparks the innovative spirit for students who are deaf and hard of hearing through the world of programming. It also helps pave a path that is encouraging greater social and economic participation of individuals in this group and society becomes the greatest beneficiary of their talents and skills.

Deaf Kids Code’s vision is to bridge economic and social gaps that exist among the deaf and hard of hearing through the cultivation of computing and technology skills. Its leaders believe that incorporating computing topics into education has the potential to give participating students a new level of global participation. Through the universal language of computing, they can become a vital asset in filling the many opportunities awaiting them now and into the future.

Deaf Kids Code is a promising practice because of its efforts to bring computing experiences to individuals underrepresented in computing fields and its overall role as a catalyst for change.

For more information about other programs that support students with disabilities consult Are there organizations that support students with disabilities interested in computer science?

How can workplaces be more inclusive of colleagues who are deaf or hard of hearing?

lylac — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:36:14 +0000

Much can be done to make a workspace more accessible to and inclusive of colleagues who are deaf or hard of hearing. Universal design can provide a framework for doing so by underpinning practices that can be applied proactively to make a welcoming and environment and to ensure that appropriate accommodations are available specific individuals. Aspects of the work environment to consider are in-person, remote, and hybrid presentations and professional development; in-person and remote meetings and discussions; and conversations and networking.

The Mind Hears offers guidance to employers for making their workplaces more accessible to and inclusive of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. For a comprehensive list of ideas consult What can you do to improve the academic workplace for your deaf and hard-of-hearing colleagues?

What are language preferences regarding autism?

lylac — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 22:07:49 +0000

There is ongoing debate surrounding the best language to use when referring to individuals on the autism spectrum. Some prefer “a person who is autistic” or “a person who is on the autism spectrum” (e.g., person-first language), while some prefer “an autistic person” (e.g., identity-first language).

In a study of 728 autism stakeholders, researchers sought to examine whether the term “autistic” or the phrase “person with autism” holds favor in the United States. In the study, researchers surveyed 299 adults with autism, 81 parents of those on the spectrum, 44 family members or friends, 207 autism professionals, and 97 people with no ties to the autism community. 87% of adults with an autism diagnosis-preferred identity-first language such as “I am autistic” to describe themselves. A majority of parents liked identity-first language best. But the trend flipped for the autism professionals and the friends and family members surveyed. People in these groups were more likely to prefer person-first terms, and those with no affiliation to the autism community were pretty evenly split on whether to use person-first or identity-first language.

Medical and academic professionals often use terms found in the 5^th version of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, commonly referred to as the DSM-V. The term in the manual is “autism spectrum disorder.” Some individuals would like the word “disorder” replaced with a neutral word. Note that the term “Asperger’s syndrome” was removed from the DSM-V in May 2013; it has been replaced by “autistic spectrum disorder level I.”

Although there is no consensus about preferred language, when interacting with an individual person on the autism spectrum, ask that person which wording they prefer.

For more information, visit Can students with autism be successful in college?, What do “neurodiverse” and “ neurodivergent” mean?, and What are typical challenges and accommodations for students with autism spectrum disorder?

Where can I find a glossary of disability-related terms?

lylac — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 19:09:14 +0000

You can search the internet for glossaries that describe the meanings of disability, accessibility, universal design, and other related terms. We have included some examples:

The Neurodiversity Initiative: A Promising Practice for Promoting Disability Awareness in Higher Education

swb3 — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:59:31 +0000

The Neurodiversity Initiative at the College of William and Mary seeks to educate the campus about the positive aspects of embracing neurodiversity, and ultimately to be a model for other campuses. As stated on their website, "The Neurodiversity Initiative is an innovative program that is raising awareness on our campus of the vast array of brain differences and cultivating an appreciation of the many kinds of talents we can nurture at our historic institution. We seek both to serve our campus community and to be a model for other campuses with regard to how to engage this issue and support these students." The program has two goals. The first goal is for "Neurodivergent students of all types to be comfortable and successful" through enhanced supports on campus, including the counseling center and residence halls. Their second goal is to make the campus community "aware of both the unique strengths and unique needs of neurodiverse people." The Initiative explicitly states that neurological diversity joins racial and cultural diversity as essential elements at the university.

The Neurodiversity Working Group—composed of administrators, alumni, community partners, faculty, staff, and students—organizes campus events and programs in support of the Neurodiversity Initiative.

The Neurodiversity Initiative is viewed as a Promising Practice for its enthusiastic work to promote disability awareness at an institute of higher education, and its involvement of high-level administrators among broad membership.

For more information about neurodiversity, visit Across Campus and Beyond: A Promising Practice to Increase Conversations about Neurodiversity in the Engineering Classroom, California Academy of Sciences: A Promising Practice in Planning for Visitors who are Neurodiverse, and the Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners website.

What is neuroethics and how does it relate to people with disabilities?

swb3 — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:17:47 +0000

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Brain Initiative website, neuroethics is “a field that studies the ethical, legal, and societal implications of neuroscience.” The strategic plan for the NIH BRAIN Initiative, BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, emphasizes “Although brain research entails ethical issues that are common to other areas of biomedical science, it entails special ethical considerations as well. Because the brain gives rise to consciousness, our innermost thoughts, and our most basic human needs, mechanistic studies of the brain have already resulted in new social and ethical questions.”

The questions that neuroethicists explore have vast implications for people with disabilities, who may adopt technology and drug treatments created in the field of neuroscience.

The concept of “nothing about us without us” suggests that people with disabilities should be involved in the field of neuroethics, as well as neuroscience itself, to ensure that their voices are included in critical conversations and decisions that impact people with disabilities. Including people with disabilities in neuroethics and neuroscience will also help ensure that principles of universal design (UD) are adopted as new technology is designed and developed. Through the promotion and implementation of UD, they can help ensure that neuroscience products are accessible to people with varying characteristics and abilities. For examples, view the publication Equal Access: Universal Design of Neuroscience Education and Research.

To learn more about neuroethics and how it involves people with disabilities, visit the Brain Initiative’s website about the Neuroethics Working Group, or explore postsecondary institutions to see if they have programming, such as the ��ԭ��’s Neuroethics program. View the perspective of students with disabilities as they discuss emerging technology that can enhance the human body and mind in the video presentation Technology Advancements and Disability Identity.

What do “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” mean?

swb3 — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 16:50:29 +0000

Terms such as “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” were introduced in the 1990s by autistic sociologist Judy Singer as an alternative to deficit-based language, such as “disorder.” Singer highlighted notable strengths of many individuals in the autistic population that include abilities to focus, recognize patterns, and remember factual information. A “neurodivergent” person refers to a person on the autism spectrum or, more generally, to someone whose brain processes information in a way that is not typical of most individuals. These people may have learning disabilities, attention deficit and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette’s syndrome. Through a neurodiversity lens, such conditions reflect different ways of being that are all normal human experiences.

Although “neurodiversity” is usually used to describe a group of neurodivergent individuals, it also refers to all of humankind because everyone has a unique way of processing information.

For a project that works with neurodiverse students, consult the DO-IT website Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners.

For further information regarding neurodiversity, consult Harvard's What is Neurodiversity?, How do neurodiverse and neurotypical software engineers differ in the workplace?, and this article by the Neurodiversity Hub.

Where can I learn about experiences of individuals with disabilities in their own words?

lylac — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 21:40:36 +0000

There are many ways to learn about the experiences of people with disabilities, even if you do not interact with them directly. Many books and articles offer stories about people with disabilities, but many people with disabilities have also shared their own experiences through books, articles, videos, blog posts, and other sources.

You can locate autobiographies written by people who have disabilities in collections like 8 Memoirs Written by People Living with a Disability and In Their Own Words: Memoirs ��ԭ�� Living With Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses, or by searching at an online bookstore for "autobiographies of people with disabilities."

To find first-person stories that are freely available on the internet you can use general terms like "disability" or more specific ones like "autism" to search in large video collections (e.g., YouTube, TED, TEDx) to locate videos where individuals with disabilities speak for themselves.

You can also find first-person testimonials of people with disabilities in video and written formats in specialized collections, including the following: