girls with too much pizzaz -reflection on "eliminating ableism in the classroom" by hehir (04.05.24)

 Blog Post #9

Reflection on “Eliminating Ableism in Education” by Hehir

By this point, it is no secret in our class that I have ADHD! It affects me daily, whether it be sitting down to write these blog posts, late nights filled with creative bursts, or a generalized inability to keep myself from chatting with everyone in a 20-mile radius. It may, however, come as a surprise that I love having ADHD. To me, my ADHD is a special and unique way that I get to view the world. It makes me more creative, and less socially anxious, and I feel as though it acts as my natural spark. Over time, I have come to love my ADHD and appreciate it as part of what makes me, me! This, however, was not always the case. It has taken me many years and a lot of reassessing my own thoughts for me to untrain my internalized ableism. Ableism, that was perpetuated throughout my education. 

In first grade, my nickname when in class was “popcorn” because I simply could not stay in my seat. I was all across the room, a small, overly emotional, and overly excited kid who had far too much energy and nowhere to disperse it. I often found myself in trouble for causing distractions, whether through trying to talk about recess drama during a math test or because I had asked to go to the bathroom for the 100th time just to have somewhere to go. As I read Hehir’s text, “Eliminating Ableism in Education,” I find myself reflecting on my own experiences. Hehir calls for us to acknowledge the ableism we see and search for ways to create accommodations. As someone with a learning disability, Hehir’s words mean a lot to me. I wasn’t given an IEP until around 6th grade, when I was officially diagnosed, however all of the signs were there. While some of this may relate to the fact that I was a girl with ADHD and not a boy, who is far more easily diagnosed, I find myself bitter about the lack of support I received.

    Even when I had my IEP, I often found myself fighting to get my accommodations realized. Many teachers, in my experience, are far too eager to write off behaviors that exhibit a larger problem as a “behavioral issue” rather than taking the time to search for the larger cause. Like Hehir states in their text, I believe much of my own struggle could have been lessened if my teachers were more educated and aware of learning disabilities. As we move forward on our path to becoming educators, it’s key to recognize the importance of acknowledgment. Even having a teacher recognize that I was not struggling on purpose, that I didn't mean to be distracting but that I simply was having a hard time, would’ve made me feel so much more known. 

With this post, I’ve included a hyperlink to an article on supporting students with learning disabilities. I encourage you to check it out and add it to your “future teacher” toolbox!!

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/guide-positive-proactive-approaches-to-supporting-children-with-disabilities/