David
I suspect the usefulness of the site will rest on the overall usefulness of
the term "neurodiversity", and that this will be decided by a set of
outcomes probably like those we have seen in the defining of (and battles
over) the word "dyslexia". With this in mind, perhaps caution is advisable.
For example, a general level of welcome was extended to Lord Adonis's recent
statement re:dyslexia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4510516.stm),
but further down the page the BBC chose to quote Lord Addington's rather
rash statement that somehow dyslexia was an "ectopic condition...a real
medical condition." In the reported statements to the Lords, Lord Addington
seems to recoil from his own words (the British Dyslexia Association have
helpfully reproduced the debate on their website:
http://www.bdaweb.co.uk/bda/downloads/Lords.pdf), and Lord Adonis sticks to
the BPS definition and the statement that theories of dyslexia exist. The
point being that Lord Addington's statement could have the negative effect
of falling into the hands of those intent to be barriers ("let's see medical
evidence of your ectopic condition", they might say).
I'm wondering what I shall do when I am asked to help a student access the
DSAs but who has been turned down due to an insistence on calling him or
herself "neurodiverse".
Iain
Iain Hood
Senior Student Adviser, Learning Support
Student Support Services
Anglia Ruskin University
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT
0845 196 2316
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Margarida Dolan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: neurodiversity web site
> Dear David,
> This is goods news, and the website is an interesting resource.
>
> I arrived yesterday from an european capital where one of the private
schools,
> for children of rich high achievers, is called Brains. This makes me
reflect
> on your definition of neurodiversity that it appears to focus on the brain
and
> I quote:
>
> "The term neurodiversity encompasses types of brain..."
>
> The brain can be put on a table, sectioned and analysed easily so
mainstream
> contemporary health sciences tend to separate the "neuro" of the brain
from the
> "neuro" of the rest of the body.
>
> The name brainhe and neurodiversity might be contradictory as by focusing
on the
> brain, the diversity of the wholebody "neuro" may become impoverished.
>
> All the best,
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> Margarida Dolan PhD Phone: 0044(0)1225
383241
> Learning Support Tutor and Staff Developer Fax: 0044(0)1225
386709
> Learning Support Service
> University of Bath
> Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> The views and comments expressed in this email are confidential to the
> recipients and should not be passed on to others without permission. This
> email message does not necessarily express the views of the University of
Bath
> and should be considered personal unless there is a specific statement to
the
> contrary.
>
>
>
> Quoting David Pollak <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> > Colleagues
> >
> > With apologies for cross-posting, I want to let you know that the
website
> > for my neurodiversity in HE project is now live at www.brainhe.com
> > <http://www.brainhe.com/> (Best Resources for Achievement and
Intervention
> > re Neurodiversity in Higher Education).
> >
> > The site clearly has a long way to go, and we have plans to add a lot
more,
> > but I thought it was time to go online and start telling people about
it.
> >
> > I would be grateful for any feedback you have time to send me.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> >
> > Dr David Pollak
> >
> > Principal Lecturer in Learning Support & Dyslexia Studies
> >
> > National Teaching Fellow
> >
> > De Montfort University
> >
> > Student Services: Student Learning Advisory Service
> >
> > Gateway House
> >
> > The Gateway
> >
> > Leicester
> >
> > LE1 9BH
> >
> > +44 (0)116 257 7831
> >
> > For information on my book, 'Dyslexia, the self and higher education',
> > please see
> >
> > www.trentham-books.co.uk/pages/dyslexia.htm
> > <http://www.trentham-books.co.uk/pages/dyslexia.htm>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
