Well hello again, friends! We’ve hit chapter five in Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong, which is all about the strengths of students with intellectual disabilities.
I have had the pleasure of working with a few adults with Down syndrome through university and already know quite a bit about their strengths and other positive attributes. However, as far as teaching goes I am extremely inexperienced.
During my practicing, I had a student with Down syndrome in the class, but was unfortunately not given a chance to really cater to his educational needs as my mentor teacher had prepared all of his personalized lessons. However, he was fully in an integrated classroom and listened and participated in whole-class lectures before class work was assigned.
The most intriguing (and accurate) quote I found in this chapter stated that the largest obsticle faces by individuals with intellectual disabilities is that others place low expectations on them.
Indeed, if society continually tells someone they are unable to do something, chances are they’ll start to believe it themselves and may not even try. This frustrates me hugely as I believe all people should be given the opportunity to succeed and find their own happiness.
Further discussed is also how to best teach individuals with intellectual disabilities. I found this helpful as many of the tips relate to my students with learning disabilities as well, such as playing games and linking lessons to personal lives. It’s a fun way to teach curriculum, life skills, and communication.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the book, here’s the link to it on Amazon. Stay tuned for our next chapter and happy reading!
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