In academic circles you are not recognized for your physical beauty but for the beauty of your ideas, accomplishments, and struggles. It is with that in mind that NADE chose to honor Temple Grandin as the keynote speaker for this opening day of the 2013 conference. NADE is the National Association of Developmental Educators. Temple Grandin is a Ph.D in Animal Science and pioneered the humane destruction of animals. Her methods have been heralded throughout the planet and adopted by many meat producers. Still, she isn’t really here to talk about meat (though the Pork Board is meeting and she might be seeing them too). She is here because she was diagnosed with Autism at a young age and, despite this then misunderstood affliction, she excelled in academics and earned her Ph.d. She is the goal and the result of a good association of teachers and the reason why many of us continue to fight the battle of developmental Ed against increasingly overwhelming odds.
1028. The Grandin Files
School is hard. I know this from the perspective of a student who fought through accelerated programs for decades. I also know it from the perspective of a parent of a student with a learning disability. My son is dyslexic in a state where dyslexia is treated with the same regard as UFOs. There is no special consideration for dyslexia. There is no training for dealing with dyslexic students in my son’s school, so when faced with the knowledge of his problem the school chose to handle it as a standard lack of reading interest. They offered additional tutoring and additional strategies to manage the reading. They did not address the problems of reading. Still, what the did worked well enough for him to get an A and move him to straight A’s. unfortunately, the work only gets harder and now I am left to give him the proper tools to deal with his developmental challenges.
My boy and Grandin walk a similar path. They both have had to look inward to get the help they need in the face of a world that either does not understand or willfully ignores their problems. Yet Grandin has been successful in her life. I believe that conferences such as the one I am attending will produce the type of teachers who will help give my own boy the tools to be successful in his life.
Oh, if that doesn’t work I am teaching him to dribble a basketball.
Some Thoughts:
1. Pardon the delay in posting. Turns out the Sheraton Downtown Denver wants you to pay extra for network access or visit their link club to go online. I managed to get to the link club today.