|
This editorial comments on the publications in the South African Journal of Childhood Education’s (SAJCE) special issue on: Advancing neurodiversity in education for equity, inclusion and employability. Neurodiversity is a novel and complex paradigm in many contexts, and especially in early childhood education.
Neurodiversity emerges as a kaleidoscope that baffles many teachers as it may be interpreted as falling within the realm of disability, but arguably not a disability. Neurodiversity describes the idea that human beings neurologically differ and are naturally variant in how their brains develop and perceive the universe. The term describes the idea that there is no single right way of thinking, learning or behaving. Diversity explains how the neurons that receive the information people perceive, leads to diversity in sensory processing, motor abilities and behaviour. Early childhood teacher training presents gaps in knowledge and resources for intentional inclusion and support for neurodivergent learners. Teachers may not have had training on neurodiversity, thus compromising the idea of inclusive education. Thus, early identification of neurodivergent learners may be problematic for teachers if they do not understand what they observe as different in learners early. Thus, learners will equally not be understood and supported early. Their learning needs may be misinterpreted, left unattended and labelled as ill-discipline in most cases.
Generally, early childhood teachers are women. Thus, within the context of early childhood, neurodiversity education is feminised. This aligns with a narrative that children in contemporary times are raised in single-parent homes, mainly by mothers. However, this belief may be challenged by groups such as Fathers of Children with Neurodiversity (FCN), who are mostly single fathers. This special issue disrupts the notions of equity, inclusion and employability. One of the articles indeed observes that there exist inconsistencies in terminology, further challenging humanity to reimagine the right to education for neurodivergent learners. Suggestions are offered to integrate African cultures into teaching, perhaps guided by the ethos of Botho or Ubuntu. Cultural plays could be used as techniques to include neurodivergent learners. In cultures where many languages are official, one article encouraged linguistically diverse education in order to avoid labelling learners as experiencing learning difficulties, while it could be because of a lack to training of teachers in translanguaging. Education systems must discard rigid teaching methods and embrace the neurodiversity paradigm.
The special issue aimed at advancing neurodiversity at three levels: equity, inclusion and employability. Firstly, neurodiverse early childhood learners must be afforded equitable access to education and assisted to transition to the world of work with requisite employability skills. These skills must be honed while the learners are still young in order to ally them to show their inclinations towards work. Secondly, the labour market must be designed for labour inclusion, where everyone is given equal chances to participate. Thirdly, education systems must start early to inculcate in neurodiverse learners a sense of developing employability skills for formal employment, developing own enterprises or becoming entrepreneurs.
In conclusion, this special issue has demonstrated that neuroinclusion is not negotiable. The various articles promote neurodiversity in education through the development of inclusive literacies. However, all those who are involved must be intentional in how they create awareness about neurodiversity. Policies and resources must be mobilised to mainstream neurodiversity in all facets of human life.
|
Hide
Show all
Email this article (Login required)
