Susan Callaghan’s Post

"Neurodivergent college students are often left to figure out how to survive in a system designed by and for people without brain differences. The students must also be their own advocates, often without fully understanding their own needs." This article is helpful for those curious about neurodivergence, some of the barriers students experience, as well as opportunities for designing inclusive learning environments. https://lnkd.in/ebS4Xp-8

How is Higher Education helping Neurodivergent students succeed? Accommodations for neurodivergent students remain critically necessary to provide adequate support. Just as they require assistance during childhood, neurodivergent students also need support during their college years to thrive academically and personally.

As a professor, how do you identify neurodivergent students in your class?

Research has shown that cognitive abilities can be developed and that low-SES students can catch up, both cognitively and academically. https://loom.ly/JcnPehY Learn more here! . . . #cognitiveskills #LearningStruggles #ParentingJourney #EducationSupport #LearningChallenges #ParentingTips #SpecialEducation #StrugglingLearners #ChildDevelopment #AcademicSupport #ParentingResources #LearningDisabilities #ParentingStruggles

Cognitive Development Children grow and develop rapidly in their first five years across the four main areas of development. These areas are motor (physical), language and communication, cognitive and social/emotional. Cognitive development means how children think, explore and figure things out. It is the development of knowledge, skills, problem solving and dispositions, which help children to think about and understand the world around them. Brain development is part of cognitive development. As a parent, it is important to foster your child's cognitive development as soon as he/she is born because doing so provides the foundation for your child's success in school and later in life. For example, research shows that children who can distinguish sounds at six months of age are better at acquiring the skills for learning to read at four and five years of age. To promote your child's cognitive development, it is important that you actively engage in quality interactions on a daily basis. Examples include: Talking with your baby and naming commonly used objects. Letting your baby explore toys and move about. Singing and reading to your baby. Exposing your toddler to books and puzzles. Expanding on your child's interests in specific learning activities. For example, your toddler might show an early interest in dinosaurs, so you can take him/her on a trip to the natural history museum to learn more about the time that these creatures roamed the earth. Answering your child’s “why” questions. Another way that you can foster your child's cognitive development is to provide him/her with choices and prompt him/her to make thoughtful decisions. You should also allow your child to explore different ways of solving problems. While you may want to provide some gentle guidance and encouragement, allow your child some time to figure out things, like a new puzzle. This may require some patience on your part, but it will ultimately help him/her to learn. #childguidancecentre #cognitive #physical #education #ADHD #learning #disability

Well that’s a relief! 🙄🙄🙄🙄 (insert a huge amount of sarcasm here) Looks like we can reduce poor adult life outcomes in school by: - Teaching social skills - Teaching play skills - Not addressing the archaic medical model as it provides valuable information and referrals to intensive prosocial intervention programs that specifically work on skill building already - Ensuring the DSMV criteria remains the same as it isn’t bias, ableist. It also would not be prone to misdiagnosis as it’s definitely inclusive of all neurotypes and women already (and hey we know that everyone has a little bit of a mental health profile) - Accommodations are not required. Children choosing to have meltdowns are definitely going to allow the rating scale for this research to have a few ‘poor’ selections circled. - That our current archaic education system is not flawed! We allow for creative and independent thinking already! We know that as our social norms are still determined by the majority which is essential. - Access to glue sticks must be readily available in seclusion rooms, time out/detention spaces and to children who are suspended. Exclusion of this cohort would skew the data sets. That actually seems pretty simple! Oh, it seems they did find out in 2015 that some physical brain differences can make learning harder. That might be useful in a few more longitudinal studies but it’s unlikely. It is also great that longitudinal studies are still using highly precise research methods as adding in pesky details of actual control factors would be overkill. Ratings of poor and good are just fine! #sarcasm #saynotoaba #ableism #rubbishresearch #discriminatory #harmfulshareupworthy https://lnkd.in/gP_cBR_j

Research has shown that cognitive abilities can be developed and that low-SES students can catch up, both cognitively and academically. https://loom.ly/JcnPehY Learn more here! . . . #cognitiveskills #LearningStruggles #ParentingJourney #EducationSupport #LearningChallenges #ParentingTips #SpecialEducation #StrugglingLearners #ChildDevelopment #AcademicSupport #ParentingResources #LearningDisabilities #ParentingStruggles

Research has shown that cognitive abilities can be developed and that low-SES students can catch up, both cognitively and academically. https://loom.ly/JcnPehY Learn more here! . . . #cognitiveskills #LearningStruggles #ParentingJourney #EducationSupport #LearningChallenges #ParentingTips #SpecialEducation #StrugglingLearners #ChildDevelopment #AcademicSupport #ParentingResources #LearningDisabilities #ParentingStruggles

Boys need to move to learn because their brains process information best when physical movement is part of learning. Their brains are wired to stay active, even when focusing on mental tasks. Their motor centers are larger than those of a female brain and remain active, even when the more cognitive parts of their brain are engaged. The male brain also has higher blood flow through the cerebellum (the part of the brain involved in coordinating movement). This means their brains grasp and process information best when physical movement is incorporated into cognitive learning. Drawing or storyboarding before writing can help boys access more colors and details for their writing. Their brain also goes into "rest mode" more quickly than the female brain when not physically moving. This is why many boys fidget. It's almost physically impossible for them to sit still and focus. The brain sends a signal to "Move so we can grasp this information!" and makes them move to stay engaged while trying to focus. Boys have lower levels of calming hormones compared to girls, which is why they're more likely to fidget and act impulsively. It's important to understand that if boys struggle to sit still, it's not an issue. Their brains and bodies are working as they should. There are no differences in what boys and girls can learn, but there are differences in how they should be taught. Therefore, it's crucial to support boys' learning needs. It's important to remember the following tips to support boys' learning needs: 1. Allow and encourage movement: Children should be allowed to move around while doing their work. Leg tapping, standing, and doodling may help many boys learn, instead of being seen as distractions. 2. Outdoor time: Ensure that your son's school provides recess, even on bad weather days. Research has shown that kids learn better after recess. 3. Consider delaying kindergarten entry: Kindergarten has become more academic over the years. Some boys with fall birthdays may benefit from delaying school for an extra year. It's advisable to consult your boy's teachers before making this decision. By recognizing and accommodating the need for movement and outdoor time, we can help boys learn in a way that best suits their unique learning styles. #BoysLearning #MovementMatters #SupportingBoysEducationalNeeds #neuroscience