Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life - Tapa blanda

Reseña del editor

A new concept on human diversity has emerged over the past 10 years that promises to revolutionize the way educators provide services to students with special needs: neurodiversity. Just as we celebrate diversity in nature and cultures, so too do we need to honor the diversity of brains among our students who learn, think, and behave differently. In Neurodiversity in the Classroom, best-selling author Thomas Armstrong argues that we should embrace the strengths of such neurodiverse students to help them and their neurotypical peers thrive in school and beyond.

This innovative book focuses on five categories of special needs: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. For each category, Armstrong provides an in-depth discussion of

* The positive attributes associated with that category,

* Acclaimed neurodiverse adults who have excelled in their chosen fields,

* Computer programs and applications that allow students with special needs to overcome obstacles and achieve success,

* Rich networks of human resources both inside and outside of school that educators can draw upon to support the social and emotional lives of neurodiverse students,

* Innovative learning strategies that are tailored to each student's unique strengths,

* Future career paths for which a student's particular gifts might be a good fit,

* Modifications in the school environment that allow for seamless inclusion of neurodiverse students in the regular classroom, and

* Timely information about how to integrate the strategies and assessments for each category with the Common Core State Standards.

It's time that we focused on celebrating rather than pathologizing our students with special needs so that they can fully realize their potential in school and life. This practical and thought-provoking book will inspire teachers and administrators everywhere to make sure that all students with special needs get the support and strength-based instruction they deserve.

Biografía del autor

Thomas M. Armstrong is a veteran of the early 1960s civil rights movement in his native Mississippi. He was at the forefront of early protests led by black Southerners for voting rights and equal public accommodations from 1958-1961, resulting in threats that had him running for his life. Mr. Armstrong moved to Chicago where he has resided since 1964. He remains closely allied with other former Freedom Riders and civil rights workers around the country and often speaks at schools and civic organizations such as the African American Leadership Roundtable in Chicago. He has been the subject of scholarly research by respected academics, sought after for major media interviews, and featured in print from critically acclaimed books to a Forbes magazine publication. The documentary "Freedom Riders" will be broadcast nationally on PBS in May 2011 and has been pre-screened at locations around the country from New York to Denver to Los Angeles. The movie is receiving rave reviews and Mr. Armstrong will be a featured panelist at well-publicized events where he will promote his memoir Autobiography of a Freedom Rider.