Thanks TigLy for reading and responding to the article.
To respond to your main points.
Winston Churchill was born to privilege on November 30th, 1874 in Blenheim Palace. He attended 3 fee-paying private schools before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Contrary to myth, Churchill was not dyslexic, had no learning disability whatsoever. In his autobiography he played up his low grades at Harrow, undoubtedly to convince readers, and possibly himself, how much he had overcome; but in this he exaggerated.
General George Patton was born to doting parents and financially comfortable circumstances in California on November 11th, 1885. No effort was spared by Patton’s father in providing a “proper” and, indeed, aristocratic upbringing for his children. This included home tutoring and private education prior to attending West Point Military Academy. Patton had severe dyslexia. Where he struggled significantly with reading and writing he more than made up for with his physical and athletic abilities.
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/06/23/a-life-shaped-by-dyslexia/
Thus my point, that if neurodivergent students are nurtured within an environment that supports their neurodiversity they can achieve amazing things, is proven. One only has to take into account those neurodivergent people and their backgrounds to see that this is an incontrovertible truth. You will also notice that the majority of these people are white.
Your suggestion that neurodivergent black students should simply try harder is absurd. Would you tell a blind person to try harder in an environment where their disability is left unsupported?
You can order a fish to climb a tree but it won’t be able to suddenly grow lungs, limbs and opposable thumbs in order to do so.
Unfortunately you’ve demonstrated a common, yet ignorant, belief amongst the neurotypical; that the neurodivergent are lazy and just need to work harder to fit into a standardised education system that is designed for no one.
It doesn't need to be this way when it is possible to apply universal design principles to the teaching and school environment.
