Mass Chaos

Argumentative Essay about Neurodiversity

Ignore how random this is and expect there to be spelling errors and mistakes in this text because I wrote this at the beginning of the school year for a project and didn't know shit about how to handle google docs so...

Also if anyone steals my work and makes it your own I swear to fucking god if I find out I'll ruin your life. It took me a while fucking week to write this. And the fact that I misread the instructions, turned this in, and got no points.

Anyways enjoy

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The school system isn't fair towards neurodiverse kids and the ones on the neurodiverse spectrum and it should be changed and brought to attention. Teachers should also be notified if a student has one of these neurodivergent symptoms. According to adhdaware.org.uk , between 30% and 40% of the population are thought to be neurodiverse.  The remaining majority are neurotypical. What is neurodiversity? According to storymaps.arcgis.com Neurodiversity is a term for neurological variations regarding learning, communication, sociability, attention, mood and other mental functions. According to exceptionalindividuals.com, the most common types of neurodiversity are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD or dyspraxia), and Tourette Syndrome.

Let's talk more about how these diagnoses affect students and their learning experiences.

Autism

According to autism-help.org, "Children on the autism spectrum may have trouble understanding or communicating their needs to teachers and fellow students. They can have difficulty understanding some classroom directions and instruction, along with subtle vocal and facial cues of teachers. In one article, it talks about how kids with autism are excluded from school and how it is stressing lots of students, teachers, and parents out. In journals.sagepub.com, it states, "School exclusion can take many forms. In England, the term refers to formal exclusion, where students are either excluded for a short period (fixed-term exclusion) or excluded from school altogether (permanent exclusion) because of their behavior."

Autism is a disability and cannot be controlled by the people with autism and are being excluded for something that is out of their own control. It also states how they 'take everything literally', which makes it difficult for the students to understand teachers' instructions and expectations.

It also states that "Parents also felt that their schools were 'constantly letting [child] down'. They stressed how they had to 'fight' to get their children's difficulties recognised by schools and to gain access to appropriate support."

ADHD

According to brainforestcenters.com, Children with ADHD may experience overlooks in the details of school work, children find it difficult to follow instructions, struggle with organization, have trouble focusing when being spoken to, do not complete school work or chores in a timely manner, avoid doing tasks that require great focus (ie: homework), frequently lose track of items such as homework and possessions.

Some Hyperactive-impulses symptoms of ADHD are difficulty remaining in seat, often found fidgeting or squirming, runs or climbs in areas where it is not appropriate, inability to play quietly, has trouble being patient and waiting for own turn, overly talkative, blurts out a response before the other person is done speaking, and interrupts on conversations or activities.

In the article, it also states 5 ways that ADHD affects learning in the classroom. 1. There is a constant need for movement. Because children with ADHD have a hard time regulating the movements of their bodies, it can be difficult to sit still for extended periods of time. To combat this, students may create excuses to leave the classroom. As a result, they miss out on important instructions and lessons that may make it easier to complete assignments later. 2. Classrooms have too many external, quiet moments. Children with ADHD are easily distracted and the constant squeaking of a chair, tapping of fingers, or voices in the hallway can make it hard for the child to hold their undivided attention to the task at hand.