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When a child is diagnosed as 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 —autistic, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, dyslexic (or more likely a combination of those)—it doesn’t just impact that child. It 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 . In my work with families, I hear the same words repeated in different forms: 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱. 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. And under all of it— 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. Fierce, protective love. But that love is also 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻.  Neurodiversity can be 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 . It can bring out 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 . But for many families, it also brings 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 .

At Brightmont Academy , I’ve worked with brilliant students who were labeled as “difficult”, “lazy” or “unsuitable” when really, they just needed different ways to engage.  Here are 4 simple ways to make any classroom more inclusive:

The Best Thing About Credit Recovery at Brightmont Academy Is That It doesn’t Take Months to Finish a Course

Falling Behind

The School Embraces Neurodiversity When choosing the right school the curriculum offered at the school must support students' needs. Some parents consider the use of adaptive digital platforms that support the needs of students who struggle with material management. Parents hope for Instruction from experts trained in adaptive curriculum and subjects so that they are prepared to adjust on the fly. Parents need to feel confident their child’s unique learning style will be supported and nurtured. Sensory Friendly Distraction-Reduced Spaces and Quiet Areas Small classrooms with a small teacher-to-student ratio allows for distraction-reduced spaces and quiet areas. Reducing distractions and disruptions from others allows the student in the smaller classroom to focus. In the 2020 research published in Science Direct students shared their experience about why they tended to gravitate towards the library in a traditional school. “The separate, more contained and manageable nature of the space is highlighted, as well as the more relaxed furnishings and homelike decor. The ‘quietness’ of the space is related to libraries typically being quiet places, but also…due to the presence of soft furnishings, carpets and books acting to dampen the sound. [Students} discuss the library as a social space, where they can ‘chat with friends’, in a more conducive environment than an invasive corridor or clattering classroom.” Focus and engagement are two important components to student success. When students feel at ease and successful they feel motivated to come back to school day after day and quench their curiosity in their academic subjects. Muting, filtering and transforming space: Autistic children's sensory ‘tactics’ for navigating mainstream school space following transition to secondary school - ScienceDirect Individual Attention

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s a Monday morning and, as usual, Nora awakens to the chime of her phone alarm. It’s time to get ready for school, but Nora’s parents have a hard time remembering a drama-free morning when she didn’t dawdle, complain of a stomach ache, become really emotional, etc. In fact, Nora hasn’t ridden the bus in two months and has been marked tardy a whopping 21 times. Pair these incidents with six full-day absences this semester, and Nora’s parents feel more than frustrated. They’re legitimately concerned about Nora’s mental health and overall well-being. And they should be. Nora is among the 2-5 percent of students nationwide who struggle with school refusal—and it’s not to be taken lightly.  What is school refusal? What does it look like? And how can families address the issue of school refusal and overcome its characteristic behaviors and consequences? This is what we know…

Flexible Schooling Options for Competitive Athletes and Performers

Is there support for your student if they are struggling? What are the class sizes? Do the teachers personalize learning and know their students? Does the school schedule work for your family? Is the school accredited? Does the school offer academic rigor for your child? Does the school have a good reputation and location? Are students college and career ready after graduation? 

The Boy, The Horse, and The Lesson We Forget in Teaching

Vanessa seems to dawdle when her teacher asks her to begin her math assignment. Marcus has read the directions four times and still has no idea what to do. Shamanth opens his desk to try to find a pencil, which is buried under mounds of crumpled papers. Belinda raises her hand and, in sobs and tears, demands to go to the school counselor’s office. What’s up with these students? Are they being lazy, giving their teacher a hard time, and/or just having a bad day? Perhaps, but there’s also another strong possibility. All of these behaviors may indicate challenges in executive functioning. About Executive Function Executive functioning has very little to do with academic prowess and much more to do with the general operation of the brain. Healthcare and child development professionals typically identify eight important skills related to executive functioning: Initiation - The ability to begin a task Impulse control - The ability not to give in to temptation and behave accordingly Flexibility - The ability to shift from one task to the next Emotional control - The ability to behave appropriately despite contrary emotions Working memory - The ability to remember and apply instructions and other concepts Organization - The ability to create and abide by a system of tidiness Planning - The ability to understand the sequence of necessary steps to accomplish goals and tasks Self-monitoring - The ability to assess one’s own emotions, thoughts, physical condition, etc. Why are these specific capabilities so important? It’s all about what happens as a result. Executive functioning skills lead to effective decision-making, for example, thus poor executive functions could lead to choices that are unwise, emotionally driven, rash, etc., in relationships, physical health, and other areas of life.