BRAIN DIVERSITY: DYSFUNCTIONAL OR DIFFERENT?
School counselor Raquel Pascual Echeverría (see profile details at the end of the story) has a lot of experience with neurodiversity. Given that she’s been working on neurodiversity (how brains function differently) her whole career, her point of view might just be a fair example of how society should be acting about it. She shares her views with student reporters Cristina López Lusarreta and Leticia Montserrat Jiménez Quizhpi of IES Padre Moret secondary school in Navarra.
We planned the whole interview based on our own experiences and beliefs, but as soon as she started talking, we were shocked to find out that she wasn’t familiar within our environment. “I’m honestly surprised,” she said, “I thought it was done everywhere,” she added when we mentioned that there were schools that hardly applied special education measures for their neurodiverse students. That made one thing clear, there are parts of the world in which this is taken in mind as well as others that, for whatever reasons, have not done anything but “recommend measures that they have the right to apply but aren’t obligatory” as she pointed out.
As the interview kept on, we discovered how things are done at her school. All possible measures are applied, there is communication with the student and their families, there is respect, care, understanding… Her school managed to normalise LDs (Learning Disabilities) to the point that their students do not consider it to be a “disadvantage” but just as a personal characteristic. Teachers have worked hard to get there, but they have accepted those “extra working hours” as part of their job. “There are students who need more measures to be applied, that might require an extra effort from the teacher too” she explained and, then, clarified “I can’t take away your dyslexia, but I can make it easier for you to learn and support you.”
That made some sense to us, we had to rethink everything because the issue wasn’t that there were no solutions available, the problem was that they were not being applied properly! The laws are not forcing the schools on what to do, the school is the one that chooses what it is willing to do, if anything. There are schools like hers that chose to consider all the measures suggested and applies as many as students need depending on the school subject. “For example, one might not need as much help in history as they might need in maths, that is taken in mind too,” she said.
Meanwhile, there is the rest of the world hoping they can keep living as effortlessly as possible, as helping others means an extra job. Not even the families of diagnosed students are offered information about the measures nor they offer to adapt any first-hand. Of course, the families still have the right to demand those measures being applied on their children, the school can not legally say “no” to that.
On the other hand, how can anyone know they can ask for those measures if nobody tells them they exist? Sure, they could just look it up on the internet and solve the problem, but who does a deep research after going to the doctor’s to look for a different treatment than the one prescripted? Not many. Curiosity is not a big characteristic of today’s society, that is why providing information which has not been specifically asked for, is such a fundamental part of the puzzle.
Sharing just enough information to awaken an interest in others is the only way you can get “people” to understand and, indirectly, internalise that information. Knowing the “truths” about these might change one’s point of view on a certain topic leading them to act accordingly without noticing, it becomes “normal” for them. It is the rise in awareness that can beat the stigma that should no longer scare anyone.
Neurodiversity is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Asperger’s Disorder, Tourette’s syndrome…
There is no such thing as a correct brain, neurodiverse brains are different from the standardised one, but that does not mean they are broken or useless. Why does it sound as if they were? Well, the social stigmatization of neurodiversity has been internalised in our society, it’s unnoticeable from the outside yet chaotic from the inside.
Society is used to pity the neurodiverse, as if being them was some kind of curse, which directly kicks them into a lower position the rest of the world had to be sorry about. It is this feeling of chronic inferiority that keeps dragging capable people down, what makes them live under a “condition” they can not fix. Are different skin colors considered to be a “condition”? No, they can live perfectly even if they have a different color, can they not? then why are we saying the opposite about brains that can actually work and live perfectly fine?
Most children tend to “break” due to this internalised stigma, they grow up considering themselves what the rest is unfairly pitying them for, it is often their own families that keep pushing them down. They feel like they are dumb, easily replaceable, an inconvenience for the rest, just an spoilt kid with an excuse, a worthless opinion, a disappointment…
They have grown up in a world that is constantly reminding them that they do not fit. Indirectly, internalised rejection consumes people. It is unsettling hearing so many of these people plead in utter desperation to “be normal”.
We asked the counselor about these kind of feelings and opinions being shared with her, she shared a few examples and told us about some students or families that had confessed their points of view. Keep in mind that both, teachers and families, have these “conditions” normalised, meaning that they rarely complain about children because of their diagnosis.
“Dealing with the symptoms that these students show is hard, the families are desperate and the children feel guilty, there is a lot of crisis.” she explained, “but, in general, all families are relatively supportive and caring with their children, careless of how difficult they might get.”
Of course, there were some exceptions here and there, but the overview she gave us is more than enough to spot the problem on the outside world. Support is mixed with pity, creating a complex aura of acceptance and rejection around the children and their main social interactions, their families.
Students do not always trust teachers, but when they do, the revealed information is passed on to the whole teachers team. Confidence between students and teachers does influence the classroom climate and the student’s academic results, but not the student’s skills.
When a student confesses his difficulties, firstly, they inform the student about his/her diagnosis; ADHA, dyslexia… Then, they look for any facility that could be provided to the student. Dividing the questions of an exam in small parts to make their comprehension easier could be an example… Teachers must make sure that the student understands perfectly what he/she has been asked to do and If the student does not complete the assignment, it is because he/she did not know the correct answer, not because he/she misunderstanded it. However, learning can be difficult because of external circumstances as well, such as the student’s prejudices about him/herself, financial situation, where they live…
She tells us that students with ADHD are not that problematic as there are clear instructions to follow in any situation.There are some problems with teachers due to their hyperactivity, but this behaviour is completely understandable.
Regarding how her job could influence her personal ideals, she says that what could bother her is a certain amount of bad work by her workmates, when there is a lack of patience and tact. From her point of view, thanks to her work, she has developed greatly her empathy for the students, learned how to control her emotions and how to know where the limits are
As mentioned before, she believes that ADHD is very standardised and popular in our society. The measures applied are nothing of the sort since it is necessary to have them on the educational planning. Besides, there are two legal rules that stand up for them.
Teachers must know that the student has any type of diagnosis, whether he or she is on medication or not and according to that, know what measures to apply.
Personalised material should be made for the student in each school subject to help him/her to work properly. Colorful summaries, diagrams, photocopies where the main task is highlighted… She points out that the effort has to be made by both the student and the teacher, “All for you, with you, not without you.”
Finally, is there a message you would like to send to the world?
“From what can be done, the 100% that’s in my hands, is done.” she answered “Do what benefits the student, not what he wants, but what he needs.” she added.
In conclusion, we have proof that inclusive normalisation is possible, we know how to put the law into practice for it and we know where does that change need to spark, in the early years of a person’s education until they grow. When one works on their own path, their talents show and that person shines brighter than ever. Our world is made for the neurotypical and it works according to them, it is not fair to classify as “dysfunctional” those that have not been given an opportunity to shine at all.
Fish live under water, swimming is what they do best, why focus on things they were not meant to do?
Fish are made to swim, not to climb trees. Does that make them a biological mistake in the animal kingdom? No.
The world is aiming for inclusion and tolerance, let us not leave our brains behind.
PROFILE
Her full name is Raquel Pascual Echeverría, she is a pedagogue in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. Her academic background includes:
- Degree in Pedagogy, Faculty of Philosophy, Education Sciences section. University of Navarre. (1992–1997)
- Master in Special Education, at the University of Deusto, Bilbao (1997–1999)
- Psychology up to 4th year, UNED. (1992–1998)
- Teaching in Primary Education. (2005/2006)
Her main goal was clinical psychology, however, she changed her mind when she was forced to leave her home and go to study in Salamanca. Therefore, she looked for another career similar to it. That is how she found pedagogy. While she was studying she signed up for all the available practices ending discovering that the world of special education excited and motivated her. After finishing her degree in pedagogy, she did a Master’s degree. In this, she gained more knowledge than she had imagined, holding her learning in numerous practices and great professionals.
She has been working in her field for approximately 18 years in Spain. Throughout her working life she has occupied different positions in one space in particular; Asociación Navarra Nuevo Futuro, as an educator in reception and protection of minors flats, caretaker, classroom tutor at UCE, PT, ordinary classroom tutor, counsellor, coordinator of ESO, and primary school teacher. At the same time, at a certain point, she dedicated herself to giving private classes in an academy.
Currently, she works in this centre as a UCE classroom teacher, ESO and 4th, 5th and 6th grade primary school counsellor and ESO coordinator with management functions at this stage.
According to the interviewee, her profession has brought her several achievements in which she highlights the learning of conflict intervention with students both in the classroom and individually, learning to work in a network…She also points out the progress in the correct perception by teachers of the need to make appropriate organisational, methodological and assessment adaptations to suit properly students with ADHD and ADD. The individual intervention with the students, offering an environment of help and reflection for the difficulties that they show, and even the active collaboration in the centre of the annual service-learning project.