Ten years ago, when using Dr. Armstrong's 7 Kinds of Smart to teach my at-risk high school students, a truly extraordinary transformation occurred. Students, who had been mentally asleep, began to engage. They paid more and more attention in class as they learned about themselves and their newfound capabilities. It was revelatory. They no longer felt "stupid." They were finally being recognized. They could now take intellectual chances. They learned how to write clear and cogent essays by describing their "smarts." English became relevant.
7 Kinds of Smart became our textbook.
What Dr. Armstrong's work did for my at-risk teens, is, hopefully, taking place with Neurodiversity. Educators interacting with Special Ed children should be asking: "How do we guide these students to recognize their learning strengths?" Far too often these students are mentally drowning in labels and initials--where "lesser than" is a nightmarish mantra.
The importance of recognizing the talents of these children cannot be overestimated. If you have ever worked with a child who has academically given up, you know that there are very few things more dispiriting. Dr. Armstrong provides an antidote to this insanity through vital information, encouragement, and the techniques to recognize and celebrate these kids' talents. His Eight Principles of Neurodiversity should be a daily visual reminder to all who work in Special Education. I thought his insight on the importance of pattern recognition to be particularly salient. Seeing patterns makes life easier. And, those, who can assimilate information in such a fashion, make us all more aware.
And, I appreciate the examination of the Neurodiverse universe Dr. Armstrong presents where the challenges these kids face and present are not overlooked.
Colleges need to make this required reading for all future teachers. In an educational system gripped with rampant fear, where the joy of learning s may exist only as an afterthought, Dr Armstrong invites us onto an isle of wisdom.
