Color photo of man with Down syndrome working at a computer with headphones onThis video is #8 in my series Introduction to Neurodiversity, based on a course I taught at Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. It focuses on the gifts, assets, and strengths of those with intellectual disabilities. This is the neurodiversity that really needs the most publicity concerning the things that people with intellectual disabilities CAN DO WELL, because there has been such a stigma in the past about people with this diagnosis.

In this video I look at strengths such as emotional warmth, care-giving ability, musical talent, visual-spatial skills, and interpersonal connections of those diagnosed with Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and other forms of intellectual disabilities. I also share practical strategies to help them succeed in school and life, with strength-based learning strategies, how to create enriching social connections, finding satisfying careers that match their interests and abilities, environmental modifications, and technological tools that can help them work around difficulties.

I also look at the idea of ”intelligence” which is part of the diagnostic label, and suggest that if we use a model based upon Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory of ”multiple intelligences” then we have a far greater range of possible gifts, assets, talents, and abilities to survey than if we simply use the dominant ”bell curve” approach that society favors based upon only one intelligence.

For more information about neurodiversity, see my books The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain, and Neurodiversity in the Classroom:  Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life.

This page was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com.

Follow me on Twitter:  @Dr_Armstrong

Subscribe to my blog feed

Cover of book The Power of NeurodiversityColor cover of book Neurodiversity in the Classroom

Share This:
About the author

I’m the author of 20 books including my latest, a novel called Childless, which you can order from Amazon.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Article Archives