Neurodiversity
Dr Ross Cooper
London South Bank University
Neurodiversity
Keynote speech?
language?
• of deficit?
“Campensino!”
• of empowerment?
“Neurotypical?”
– Are some more equal than others?
Paradigm shift
Focus
A social model of dyslexia
We challenge the deficit models of dyslexia in favour of a
social model that maintains that we are not ‘disabled’ by
our dyslexia, but by the expectations of the world we live
in. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with being dyslexic per se.
We would argue that dyslexia is an experience that
arises out of natural human diversity on the one
hand and a world on the other where the early
learning of literacy, and good personal organisation
and working memory is mistakenly used as a marker
of ‘intelligence’. The problem here is seeing
difference incorrectly as ‘deficit’.
Ross Cooper, 2006
Exploring deficit model
metaphor
How?
• does the water get in?
• can we stop it?
• can we work out how serious the problem
is?
• can we measure it?
medication or repair
• What can we do to fix the problem?
• How meaningful is this to the learner? What are
they learning?
Rain??
Difference?
Why?
What have all the deficit theories got in
common?
Phonological deficit
Visual processing deficit
Automaticity deficit
Working memory deficit.
SEQUENCING
What is the Difference?
The need to see patterns and overall meaning
Pre-conditions for self taught
reading
1. Frequent exposure to many kinds of
books
2. Motivated to figure out reading for
themselves
3. Request the same books over and over
increasing the predictability of text
4. Available readers who answer childrens’
many questions about stories in books
Dolores Durkin, Columbia University reported in Read Right, Dee Tadlock and Rhonda
Stone
A 5th pre-condition?
Having a strong desire to bring meaning to
text.
(or see patterns and overall meaning)
Scanning text to get to meaning
It dseon’t mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in
a word are prseetend. The olny iprmoatnt
tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteres are at the
rhgit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses
and you can slitl raed it wouthit mcuh
porbelm.
Research question?
Who are the ‘self-taught readers’
Anecdotally 18 out of 19 I have talked to
have dyslexia in the family and
characteristic dyslexic traits.
But many think both holistically and verbally!
Comparing Cognitive style of Dyslexics with
Non-dyslexics
60
50
40
Non-Dyslexics
Dyslexics
30
20
10
0
Visual
Visual preference
verbal preference
Verbal
Progression to university?
Dyslexics at New College Southampton were less
likely to think visually than non dyslexics!
What’s stopping the visual dyslexics from getting
there? Assessment through memory? Lack of
visual meaning/purpose?
In a factor analysis, extreme preference for
thinking visually of verbally accounted for 47% of
the variance in achievement.
Focus shift
from the brain to the barriers
agents and agencies of
oppression
Ideology of deficit
• difference = deficit
– DSA (legislation)
– schooling
– workplace
– family
What is needed for meaningful
learning?
•
•
•
•
•
Feeling valued
High interest active learning
The big picture before the detail
Visual and verbal concepts
Multisensory learning environments to enable
meaningful experiences (not just to support a
‘deficit memory’)
• Meaningful feedback about what you are doing
well and how to do it better.
• Being allowed to move while learning
memorise
EUCPI
RTIGB
BIG PICTURE
agents and agencies of
oppression
Setting our own agenda
To find out more….
www.outsider.co-uk.com
www.lsbu.ac.uk/lluplus