Why Difference Matters
On Monday, I will be in Stirling at a knowledge sharing event organised by the charity, Scottish Autism. I had been surprised to find out that it was first diagnosed in 1900, as it was something hardly recognised when I first qualified as a teacher. Indeed it is only in the last 20 years that it has become widely discussed and greater efforts have been made to understand autistic people.
Scottish Autism are keen to explain that autism is not a disability; it has been labelled a ‘disorder’, but the more appropriate term is condition. Autistic people process information differently, so their perspective is part of the diverse ways of seeing the world.
Autistic people may respond differently to certain challenges or frustrations than a neurotypical person would, or, indeed see different things as challenging and frustrating. For teachers of autistic students it is important not to make assumptions about any particular behaviour but to ask about the child’s emotions behind it.
The funny thing is that the principle of not making assumptions about a behaviour and to engage in dialogue works for all sorts of other people as well. It is just one more example of how when teachers learn how to be effective in a diverse classroom, everyone benefits.
I hope on Monday to improve my understanding of the different ways our students experience the world around them.
Comments
Post a Comment