Page 46 - SEN107 SEN Magazine July-August 2020

The education system should encourage diversity, writes Noorah El-Bay . The education system and neurodiversity E ver since the industrial revolution, the norm has been for everyone to be educated and tested following the same system. Since then, society has started to recognize that not everyone learns in the same way, although arguably this progress could go further. However, everyone is still tested in the same way. Despite increased awareness of different learning styles, those that are different, meaning neuro-atypical, are seen as an outliers, and not as a normal variation within learning styles. The terms ‘extra tuition’, ‘learning support’ and ‘special needs’ emphasise the idea that being different is not normal, but a drawback. Controversy strikes us when we argue that there is a neuro- typical way of learning and being tested, and everyone else should be accommodated according to their differences. However, even within the neuro-typical majority, differences still exist. Moreover, it’s often the case that a-typical individuals who achieve unusually amazing things in life, whereas the neuro-typical individuals adhere and preserve the norms of society. But this is a generalisation which is based on the achievements of people like Albert Einstein, Temple Grandin and Greta Thunberg, all of whom are on the autistic spectrum and all of whom either have or are changing the world in impressive ways. They may have struggled in school, but their achievements outside of school are commendable. So, how can our education system accommodate neuro- atypical individuals without making them feel as if their difference is a negative part of them? Is it possible to represent neurodiversity using the concept of ‘collective difference’? This is a concept where we are all unique human beings with our individual strengths and weaknesses whilst also being a part of humanity. Can educational establishments promote the concept that one size does not fit all in teaching, learning and assessment contexts? Why not give pupils the chance to be creative with their learning and feel inspired to achieve? In the current situation, many neuro-atypical pupils feel like success is a burden that must be accomplished within a certain amount of time and in a certain way in order to be given societal credit. Why not make assessments more suitable to individual strengths rather than providing pupils with a rigid scope of questions to answer in a format that every pupil must pass in order to gain accreditation for their progress? From these ideas, questions arise regarding how realistic this is and how will it be implemented within society from a governmental perspective. Well, perhaps it does not need to be a complicated issue. Perhaps it is just a matter of changing the focus from measuring progress by statistics to measures that are more qualitative and based on more fluid progression. With more thought and analysis, perhaps an alternative education system can become a reality so that differences can enrich the system rather than inconvenience it. So the question is, does our education system still need to change further to accommodate different minds or can it be justified in working the way it does in order to accommodate the diverse range of thinking, teaching, learning and performance styles that make up our society today? About the author Noorah El-Bay is a freelance writer, secondary trained teacher and educational consultant specialising in autism spectrum conditions. nightlighteducation.co.uk 46 SEN 107 senmagazine.co.uk Neurodiversity