Jonathan Mooney’s visit to campus this week helped remind us all of the many complications – and wonders—of being a person with a learning difference. As one of our SPEAK series presenters, Mr. Mooney addressed a crowd of parents in the morning and then faculty from all three divisions in the afternoon. With humor and some poignant anecdotes, he helped us better understand what having a learning difference has meant in his life and how he is determined to help others understand it better. “ADHD isn't a deficit,” he has said. “Those who have been diagnosed with ADHD should celebrate it. The gift has its challenges -- and we have to work around those challenges -- but it isn't a pathology."

 

For too long, students with ADD, ADHD or dyslexia were stigmatized, destined to ride the “short bus” that serves as the title for one of Mooney’s books. Those of us over 40 probably know someone whose disorder was undiagnosed and whose educational life was miserable as a result. We also know that was a shame, as so many of the most creative, interesting and successful people out there have learning differences (LDs) of some kind – in many cases, those successes have come in spite of the poor treatment or subpar education they may have received.

 

Thankfully, the stigmatization is much reduced these days (although not entirely absent). And with educational testing more prevalent, more parents are seeking guidance and students are now presenting more frequently with diagnosed learning differences, including newer forms like dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and anxiety disorders. The rise of diagnoses has led many to question: Are these issues more common in students these days or are we just more aware? That is hard to say, but regardless, any educator today needs to be aware of the multiple different learning styles and employ various strategies to reach his or her students. Independent schools generally have been at the forefront of assisting students with these needs. Schools like CA have appreciated that understanding students with learning differences actually leads to better understand of all learning. Techniques that were developed to help LD students now routinely get applied to all students, such as sending teacher notes or video segments to students, giving students extra time to complete in-class work, assessing in multiple ways to reach visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners, reducing homework loads, and breaking down long-term assignments into smaller pieces.

 

There are limits of course. Some students may have learning issues beyond what CA or any other fast-paced college prep school can reasonably accommodate, especially given our demanding academic, athletics and arts requirements. In the end, we don’t want students to be so overwhelmed that even their best efforts and our best intentions can’t keep them at a healthy balance. We don’t shy away from the challenges, but we have to know when a student would be better served in a different place.

One strategy that has gained traction in some quarters is a strength-based approach to working with students with learning differences. Rather than focus on what these students can't do as well as other students, this approach starts with finding out what they can do well and builds from there.  So rather than giving a standard accomodation like extended time on tests, perhaps the student would instead be allowed to create a visual representation of the material, or give an oral presentation, if that is a better way for them to show mastery of the material.  The potential downside here, of course, is that students may not have the chance to improve on weak areas, which is good for all of us, and the student could become over-reliant on strategies they know they can do rather than stretch themselves.  That is not effective for any learner, regardless of strengths or weaknesses.  We will continue to investigate how a strength-based approach could assist our LD students, as well as other students who may have challenges with more traditional teaching and learning.

 

At CA, we strive to serve the needs of all learners. In the end, I have seen that students with diagnosed learning differences CAN succeed at our school, so long as they (and their parents) are willing to embrace their LD status, advocate effectively for their learning needs, and work hard. We will continue to look for effective ways to assist these students, knowing that doing so improves our overall teaching effectiveness.