1st Edition
Embracing the Exceptions Meeting the Needs of Neurodivergent Students of Color
Neurodivergent students of color are often overlooked, as research and teaching strategies predominantly focus on white males in the classroom. How can we help teachers reach all students to honor their full humanity, and to understand how ableism - neuronormativity in particular - and racism intersect on our bodies and brains? JPB Gerald’s fascinating book offers a blend of narrative and interviews to show what would help neurodivergent students of color feel more supported and cared for in schools, and to demonstrate how much better their lives could be when they feel that love. Each chapter covers a common trait among neurodivergent students, and concludes with takeaways and approaches for supporting our youth in the classroom. Turning from a deficit-based look to a strength-based one, JPB helps us see how NDPOC students think and learn differently, and how we can do right by them, supporting them more effectively in the classroom and beyond.
Introduction Chapter 1. Talking Out Of Turn: On Being Seen As a Classroom Disruption Chapter 2. Making Meaning: On The Unique Ways We Communicate Chapter 3. Getting Things Done: On Completing (And Not Completing) Assigned Tasks Chapter 4. Coloring Outside the Lines: On Doing Things Our Own Way Chapter 5. Remembering and Forgetting: On Having The Best and Worst Memory At the Same Time Chapter 6. Staying Out Of View: On Masking And Its Psychological Toll Chapter 7. Following Recipes: On The Trouble With Multi-Step Instructions Chapter 8. Turning the Volume Down: On Sensory Overload and Its Many Manifestations Chapter 9. Trying to Catch the Express Train: On The Search for Hyperfocus Chapter 10. Catching Our Breath: On Emotional Volatility Chapter 11. Being an Easy Target: On the Persistent Perception of Social Rejection Chapter 12. Beating Ourselves Up: On The Corrosive Nature of Shame Chapter 13. Outrunning the Pack: On The Ways We Can Excel When We're Supported Conclusion
Biography
JPB Gerald is an adult educator and theorist, and a 2022 graduate of the EdD program in Instructional Leadership from CUNY – Hunter College, USA. Through his writing, teaching, podcast and his public scholarship overall, he seeks justice for the racially, linguistically and neurologically minoritized.
Embracing the Exceptions is a MUST-READ for all educators and adults who teach or live with those who learn and perceive the world differently. The personal narratives in this book critique most existing practices and offer clarity on how we create educational spaces that honor neurodivergent individuals and help them flourish. This work is an urgent call to action, challenging all of us to rethink our roles as educators, caregivers, and community members in the pursuit of a more inclusive, understanding world.
—Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University
Author, Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces
