We are taught to embrace and to love our differences because they make us who we are. So, we recognize these differences and work hard to acknowledge them as part of our identity, though we may struggle along the way.
But how does the story go when the things that make us unique individuals lie within a deep matrix of thought–one that others will never understand? Those with learning differences are, more often than not, familiar with this untold story.
Cate Chandler, ’16, is no stranger to feeling misunderstood. Having been diagnosed with dyslexia the summer after her freshman year at Stone Ridge, Chandler struggled through her first year of high school, not understanding why her learning process was different. Says Chandler, “Having come from a school that offered me plenty of accommodations without being officially tested, I did not understand why during my first year at Stone Ridge I was doing really badly in classes that I once excelled in.”
It was not until one teacher, Ms. Bishop, noticed something different about the way Chandler learned that Chandler began to understand herself–and her differences. “Ms. Bishop looked at my Geometry tests and saw a trend. The tests on material that was very word based, such as proofs, I did very poorly on. But all of the tests that were mainly numbers-based, I aced.” It was then that Chandler decided to get tested, after which she was diagnosed with dyslexia–something that would change her learning experience forever.
While Chandler was beginning to understand her learning disability and attempting to adjust to a new way of learning, classes continued as usual, and even with accommodations, kept their rigorous pace; her classmates continued to learn in the same way. Chandler and her learning disability went unnoticed by her peers. There was no visible damage–no cast worn or crutches used. But just as a girl with a broken arm struggles to keep up with writing notes in class, Chandler struggled to keep up with her classes unbeknownst to anyone.
Lexi French, ’16, has a story reminiscent of Chandler’s, having been diagnosed in the spring of her junior year with severe cognitive learning difficulties. Lexi struggled in Spanish, as she would process the language backwards, as well as in math and science. “Memorizing small facts and data is extremely hard for me. I understand the big picture,” says French.
Like Chandler, the first person to assist French in this discovery process was a teacher. Ms. Kate Morin, who taught the Holocaust class last year, noticed that despite French’s relentless studying, her grade simply did not correlate to her preparation for assessments. She insisted that she get tested. Like Chandler, French’s learning experience was changed as the result of a Stone Ridge teacher who was observant enough of her students to intervene, demonstrating true care and concern.
But Alex Hudome, ’16, has a slightly different story. Diagnosed with ADHD in the fall of her junior year, Hudome’s experience as a student up until that point was, “frustrating.” “Teachers would say that I wasn’t working hard enough and that I needed to put more effort into my work in order to succeed.” Alex’s differences were misunderstood; her trajectory as a student was influenced by the notion that she was insufficient.
“There is nothing worse than being told you are not doing well enough when you are trying your best,” says Hudome. It was not until she was diagnosed with ADHD that her perception of herself as a student began to change. “I realized that I learned differently than others. And once I got to that point, with the help of many different people, my ACT score improved five points, and I began to recognize that I was not dumb [or] not trying hard enough. It improved my academic performance tremendously.”
Getting to the point of diagnosis was a lengthy and difficult process for these girls. A common misconception in our student body about learning differences and disabilities seems to be that a student can go to the doctor once and easily be diagnosed with a learning disability or difference in order to receive accommodations, such as extra time for testing. However, most students who receive accommodations for learning differences or disabilities receive extensive psychoeducational testing.
After being diagnosed, these girls’ approach to learning had to be entirely altered. Recognizing and better understanding their needs, it became apparent that the traditional teaching-style or classroom setting may not always prove most effective for their learning methods. So what was the next step for Chandler, French, and Hudome? Who could they turn to in order to best address their needs?
The Student Support team at Stone Ridge offers arguably the best resources available to its students. Ms. Shoemaker and Ms. Dorsey serve as the Learning Specialists, two resources for students who might need one-to-one or small-group attention in navigating the demands of our extremely rigorous curriculum.
Ms. Key and Dr. Edgar work in conjunction with the Learning Specialists, offering aid and dialogue regarding the social and emotional components of contending with a learning difference or disability. All work as a conglomerate to support students through what could be a difficult adjustment.
Student Support functions as the bridge between the doctor’s diagnosis of a student’s learning difference or disability and that student’s teachers. Ms. Shoemaker says, “I work with students to establish accommodations to use in the classroom after being tested. I then communicate the need for accommodations with that student’s teachers, and the student speaks with her teachers about those accommodations.”
In talking with Chandler, French, and Hudome, one common thread ran through their words: sometimes, people do not understand accommodations, why they exist, and why they are needed. “People think that by having accommodations that I have a step up,” says Chandler. “But they don’t think to realize that I’m already a two steps behind.”
Accommodations are not something designated by the school, but rather come from a professional who evaluates the student. Stone Ridge and the Student Support team have no say in whether a student should receive extra time due to a learning disability or difference. However, certain circumstances also constitute receiving extra time on tests and are temporary. These may include if a student’s first language is not English or if a student has been diagnosed by a physician with a concussion.
When asked about the true purpose of extended time, Ms. Shoemaker responds by explaining “that extended time has a number of purposes, one of which is just simply that certain students with learning differences do not work as quickly as other students. They may just process information more slowly; although they may know as much or more than the person sitting next to them […] it may just take them longer to retrieve that information from their memory.”
But how does our Stone Ridge community perceive and understand learning disabilities and differences? For the most part, Chandler, French, and Hudome sang their teachers’ praises about how they approach accommodations. Understanding that students with learning differences do not always learn the same way as others, many of these girls’ teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure that their experience as students is no different than others. They do this by changing certain aspects of their curriculum for their students–not by adjusting the material or the level of difficulty for these students, but by adjusting the way in which the material is approached.
Says Hudome, “One of my teachers allows me to do my homework in a different but fair way than other students do because it is the way that I will learn the most effectively and be able to have that information stay with me outside of the classroom. If I were to be doing the work the same way that other students were, I might not be able to retain that information.”
French shared a similar experience, citing a teacher who, after recognizing French’s learning differences, “put [her] at a pass-fail basis, which is a very common tactic to approaching learning difficulties. She also let me do a series of projects as opposed to taking the final. She knew that, [because] of my learning differences, there would be no way that my brain would have allowed me to actually succeed on a final.” The Student Support team notes that these types of approaches are relatively rare, though clearly French feels they have assisted her in her personal journey.
Yet, these featured students have had their fair share of negative experiences and are aware of others with learning differences who have also felt unsupported at times in the classroom. Says French, “Some teachers do not understand that as a result of my learning difficulties, I can’t just go up to the board and do a problem like all of the other girls. It is not something that my brain is wired to do. So when I’m forced to do a problem on the board, I am not comfortable at all and get really nervous.”
A source who wishes to remain anonymous says that, “A particular teacher did not allow me to use my extra time during a quiz. She said that I should have budgeted my time more wisely because I was getting distracted by others around me who were being loud and joking around. But she did not understand that my not being able to focus under those circumstances is a result of my learning disability.” Because the student wishes to remain anonymous, The Here and Now was unable to contact the teacher for his or her account of the incident.
Evidently, understanding difference can be a hard thing to do. In a community that dedicates itself so wholeheartedly to being socially aware, the way in which we approach difference is nothing short of unique. However, that being said, there is always room for improvement. Knowing how to approach differences is the first step.
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