When you picture a traditional high school classroom, you see those depressing desk-chairs and that cheesy vinyl floor. You feel smaller, almost, as if you’re already compressing yourself to fit in those tiny chairs. I dreaded sitting in those, as I had absolutely no room for my school supplies as well as my restless legs. Taking standardized tests on them was especially a pain, as I couldn’t lay out all the papers at once. I felt like I was under an icy pond, frozen and unable to reach the surface, eventually drowning in my own uncomfortability. It’s even worse when class is in session, and you’re forced to sit there and listen for 45-90 minutes in a crowd of other students. In those situations, I would become incredibly overwhelmed, as I would observe- and subsequently be distracted by- absolutely anything, from the quietest noises to clouds blocking the already minimal sunlight. I struggle extremely with this issue in college, as crowded lecture halls like in the Forum building exhaust my senses and leave me aggravated and anxious. I despise attending these classes, as I’m boxed in by loud strangers, and stuck in yet another mini-desk. The worst part is when there’s 10 minutes left of lecture, and I am overwhelmed with anxiety to pack up and leave, so I can get out before a rush of students, but alas, I am always lost in the flood.
In many of my courses, we’re asked to work together, whether that be on clicker questions or projects, but those whom I am asked to work with, I barely even know. There’s no close cohorts in these larger classes, so I often end up doing assignments by myself, and end up missing much of the main project points. It is important, in general, to spur the student into initiating interactions, but neurodivergent students struggle greatly with this concept, especially those with social anxiety as a product of their disability.
Well, you might say, why don’t we just send all neurodivergent students to special education courses? The answer is this: remember when you were a kid, and you had to serve detention alone for some bad thing you did? Many special education courses are exactly like that, as they single out students and mark their disabilities as inherently bad, and “not normal.” We are normal people, and separating us from the rest of our neurotypical peers is absolutely disgusting, and harmful to a full education. We should also not be expected to adapt to the standard classroom environment; it should adapt to fit our needs, as a more comfortable, dynamic classroom is beneficial to all students. I am sick of being cramped and uncomfortable, I am sick of being disappointed in myself for skipping class to avoid these things, I am absolutely fed up with my grades suffering because of unaccommodating environments. I simply want to be able to learn in a structured comfort.
My suggestions for changing the school environment are as follows:
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- Educate Teachers on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities:In my educational career, the majority of the ableism I experienced didn’t come from other students, but teachers and other school authorities I believed were supposed to help me. I remember in my Sophomore year of high school, I emailed my English teacher to let her know I had ADHD. Her only reply was to drop the class; it was too hard for someone like me. Mind you, the school year hadn’t even started. I still took the class, and received quite high marks, but she would belittle my efforts consistently, chastising me from everything to my discussion points being “wrong” to my handwriting. Thank God for my high school’s strictness about fair grading.Secondly, educating teachers about neurodivergencies would help them with classroom and coursework planning, as well as help them to better understand disabled students.
- Make Classrooms More Comfortable:Cramped, uncomfortable classrooms are no good for all students, thus we need to get rid of the desk-chair model, and provide students with larger desks that have unconnected chairs, as well as space out desks. Though this is a reach, lecture halls needs to be completely redesigned to space students out (which is also helpful to prevent the spread of COVID!) and allow them greater desk space, as well as leg space! Another issue is lighting, with many classrooms lit by bright, irritating industrial lights. All classrooms should have windows, or at least less abrasive lighting, in order to combat seasonal mental illnesses, and make the classroom appear more “open” than cramped. The spaces between desks should also be accessible, to prevent others from tripping, and for students with mobility issues to access the entire classroom.
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- Classroom Rules:It was always embarrassing for me when I had to ask for the bathroom, especially when a teacher denied my request. These rules are generally ridiculous, especially for younger children, who often are barely potty-trained. Neurodivergent children, especially those with autism, often have gastrointestinal disorders as a result of their disabilities. Some neurodivergent children simply can’t hold it either, as often times our basic needs are only sensed by us when they’re demandingly present. Asking to go to the bathroom is frankly antiquated and only hurts the student, a child shouldn’t need permission to complete such a necessary task. Another issue is that neurodivergent students are often prohibited from engaging in focus-strategies, such as doodling or using fidget toys. Both of these are proven to help maintain a neurodivergent person’s focus and help them relax. Making sweeping generalization about if the student is listening or not is simply unfair to the student, as this doubts their ability.
- Class Structure:Many classes are just based upon listening to the teacher/professor, with little stress placed on applying the learned material within the classroom. Therefore, lessons should be much more dynamic, whether that be through inclusive, smaller-group discussions, or via hands-on activities. Just reading notes off of slides doesn’t cut it for most students anyways, so a more dynamic model of teaching is absolutely necessary! Teachers should also assign course-long classroom groups in larger classroom environments, which helps neurodivergent students initiate connects with their peers, and be able to seek help out easier, especially if these groups have TA leaders, which help coordinate the groups.
Overall, the standardized learning environment that’s currently in place in most schools and universities totally excludes the needs of neurodivergent learners, and the need to be changed in order to benefit both disabled students and the student body as a whole.
Sources:
https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/classroom-environment-special-needs
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01744/full
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-are-classrooms-students-learning-disabilities