This week the New York Times Learning Network posed an interesting question: Do schools need to do more to support visual thinkers?
Some people think in words; others in pictures. A professor argues that “society is failing visual thinkers, and that hurts us all.”
When you think, do you think in pictures or words? If you’re someone who thinks mostly in pictures, you might, for example, be able to remember faces better than names, or be able to envision a machine and all of its parts working together. If you’re someone who thinks in words, you might remember names better than faces and excel in subjects like algebra, reading and writing. Which best describes you, if either?
Neurodivergent — a term that encompasses not only autism but also dyslexia, A.D.H.D. and other learning problems. The popularization of the term neurodivergence and society’s growing understanding about the different ways that brains work are unquestionably positive developments for many individuals.
Still, many aspects of our society are not set up to allow visual thinkers — which so many of us neurodivergent folks are — to thrive. In fact, many aspects of our society seem set up specifically so we will fail. Schools force students into a one-size-fits-all curriculum. The workplace relies too much on résumés and G.P.A.s to assess candidates’ worth. This must change not only because neurodivergent people, and all visual thinkers, deserve better but also because without a major shift in how we think about how we learn, American innovation will be stifled.
-New York Times Learning Network
If your student is struggling in school because they learn differently, reach out. We have Special Needs Teachers and Educational Therapists available to support their unique learning styles.
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