Neurodiversity

 

Talking Points:

1. “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.” This quote really stood out to me because it is very important we focus on understanding our students vs “fixing” them. When we take the chance to understand our students and focus on their strengths, we create a more inclusive learning environment. When our students see we believe in them and see what they are good at, they are able to achieve their own goals. Goals they set for themselves, not goals we set for them. Something I do frequently in the clinic that is similar to having students set their own goals is letting them have control in their care. I have multiple students who are on the Autism spectrum and frequently come to the clinic. I have one student in particular who comes in frequently to “check in”. If he does something as simple as bumping his elbow on the table, he comes to me to have a full assessment. For him, this is about reassurance and routine. Sometimes he even walks himself through the assessment and realizes he is okay-this promotes independence for him. 

2. “Recognizing neurodiverse people as having differences, rather than deficits, is important. This approach helps kids fulfill their potential and thrive”. I find this to be very important, especially as a nurse. Just last week I had one of my students say “Miss Veronica I hate being like this, I don't like coming here at lunch everyday because no one else has to”. This made my heart hurt for this student, he can recognize he is different but he needs to realize that does not make him any less of a person than anyone else. He is only 8 years old, so it was hard to get through to him. I found once I started explaining that we all have something we may not like or wish we didn't have-I went to the point of even sharing that when I was a kid, I wished I didn't have psoriasis. That I was super embarrassed and always wore things that covered my arms. It is important (like we talked about in last week's class) that we connect with students and show them we are more than just the nurse or the teacher. He did leave my clinic in much better spirits after which made me feel like I did something right~we are all different and that is okay! 

3. “When kids are very rigid or react with outbursts or meltdowns that seem out of proportion to the circumstances, parents often feel frustrated and confused. They start looking for an explanation. “We have parents who say, ‘Well, my child must be neurodivergent in the way they’re processing information because how could this response be anything else?’” she adds. This often leads them to seek an autism evaluation. However, other factors can also contribute to extreme moods”. 

Argument Statement:

We need to advocate for strength based approaches to really help and advocate for our students who are neurodivergent. As educators we should not be focusing on “fixing what is wrong”. 

Reflections/Connections:

Overall I really enjoyed reading this article. Having a lot of students with ADHD and Autism, I was able to relate to a lot and learn a lot. I have a friend who I went to high school with who has ADHD and really struggles. It took her until college to get on medication and truly learn about her diagnosis. When I was reading Ashley’s post, she mentioned the ADDitude website. I took the time and looked through it, it had a lot of useful information that I can use as a school nurse.  

Rethinking Schools

 

Talking Points:

1. The first article I read about was Kicking ICE Out of Our Schools and Communities. Something that stood out to me was educators have truly been on the frontline of this matter because as an educator, we care about the wellbeing of our students. We do not want them to feel scared or feel like they are going to be ripped out of their school. Our students need to feel safe. From the classroom to the street, we need to defend our students and together learn the most effective ways to kick ICE out of our schools and communities”.  We need to stay inclusive and informed for the safety of our students. It is important we know about policies in place/what we can say, and how we can support these families (access to food or maybe even legal aid). This can be a very emotional and stressful time for students especially if it is affecting them (family members missing). Providing a supporting environment for them and letting them talk about how they are feeling. They may not be getting sleep at home or a meal because that support system has been taken away. Although I have not seen this in my school, I know that I want to be there to support my students during such a difficult time. 

2. LA Educators vs. ICE was the next article. A quote that stood out to me was “In California, about one in five K–12 students come from mixed status families, meaning at least one parent is undocumented. Every school day, these students face the possibility of coming home to find a close family member missing”. This does not only cause emotional distress but  food insecurities and other economic hardships. The educators in this neighborhood did things like raising money for food for these students and trainings have been created for staff members to get involved and take a stand. The more that come together to help, the better support we are able to provide. As I said before, although this has not happened in the community I work in yet, that does not mean we should not be prepared and educated about it. It is important for staff members at my school to know what to do if an immigration officer were to come. Our district did recently send out a memo on “what to do” if this happens which I did read and find helpful. Even though it is not directly happening in our district yet, we should not ignore what is going on around us.

 

3. In it for The Long Haul was the last article I decided to talk about. The author said “Those things that we need in a restructured society are foundational to our personal and community safety. Within that context, it’s not that you are taking abolition and putting it into an educational context; instead, it’s a process. It’s a practice, a way of being, and a way of acting in the world that provides you with an opportunity to reach the restructured world we are trying to build”. If we want a better world, we have to practice the good/correct values. Instead of just punishing students, we need to teach them about why their behavior is happening and what can be done better. Fostering trust with them can help build a better relationship for better outcomes. If we are consistent with values like fairness, we can change our society for the better. This I can do with the students I see in my clinic. I have a lot of frequent flyers and I have learned that if you solely focus on the fact that they come too much and send them back to class, they frequently return. If you focus on what is truly bothering them and setting standards (example: you can come see me, but it’s a 5 minute rest and then back to class)-not focusing on the negative which is that they come too much-I find they will realize on their own they are coming too much (if that makes sense). These students want to feel heard and sometimes listening to them and allowing them to open up is all you need to do to foster a better environment. 

Argument Statement:

To create a safe space for our students we need to continue to stay inclusive and respect each other. A space where students can learn without being in fear because their educators are advocating for their rights/needs.

Connections/Reflections:

Although I cannot directly connect ICE to my work at this moment, I would like to take a moment to discuss one of my favorite shows. The show The Pitt recently came out with a new season and had an episode that showed how ICE affected their emergency room. A patient came in needing medical attention who was in custody with ICE. She was being told by the agents she could not contact family and that she was just there to get checked out. They were making their presence so known in the ER to the point that patients were leaving. A staff member got involved when attempting to help the patient when he was then arrested. The head doctor of the ER is seen telling the agents that they need to get out of the waiting area in the ER because they are inflicting fear on not only patients, but staff. As a nurse and someone who once worked in a hospital for quite some time, it was hard to watch. I felt so bad for the woman. Everyone has the right and access to healthcare when they are need. The agents in this case were creating a barrier when all the hospital staff wanted to do was help.