Andrew Whitehouse (Neurological diversity specialist): Recognising and supporting differences

EPISODE NOTES In this episode, Claire talks with Andrew Whitehouse: a specialist and consultant for neurological diversities who provides training and support for professionals, parents and young people. During his childhood, Andrew was viewed as ‘odd’, ‘eccentric’ and ‘funny’. Despite his outer confidence, he had a feeling of being inferior to his peers and his goal, he says, was ‘to be like everyone else’. Andrew was in his early fifties before he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Prior to that, he had already developed an interest in what he calls ‘neurological diversities’ and was leading training on this in schools. It was a chance encounter with another consultant, who remarked how great it was to see a person with ADHD delivering the training, that led to Andrew seeking his own diagnosis. Andrew likens being diagnosed to holding his children for the first time or graduating from university saying it was ‘one of those pivotal, incredible moments’. He remembers feeling how, all of a sudden, everything in his life up to that point made sense. After initially feeling as though he would need to keep his ADHD a secret, Andrew states that, for him, it is not a disability but the driving force behind the work that he does. This year, due to the restrictions imposed by Coronavirus, Andrew has created a wide range of training workshops that are available online (at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=44843038) to ensure professionals can still access the content that he is so passionate about sharing.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Diversity, not disorder.Andrew uses the term ‘neurological diversity’. He recognises that people with ADHD, as well as autism and dyslexia, are far from being ‘disordered’. People with neurological diversities may be different, and not ‘neuro-typical’, but they play a crucial part in our communities. Andrew discusses that people with autism and dyslexia can make the most incredible architects and fantastic business people, for example. For them, this is not a disorder nor a disability. Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.Andrew’s advice for teachers involves finding out what works for your children. Spend time getting to know their special interests to make something work. He says, when working in schools, that staff often remark ‘We’ve tried everything’. His role involves supporting teachers to realise that there will be something. There will be something that will act as a way in. Break up learning into smaller sections of time.Our attention span is our age plus one minute, up to the age of 16 years. Andrew discusses that, for any human being, the maximum attention span is 17 minutes. For someone with ADHD, that reduces by a third. He suggests if an hour’s lesson, for example, is split into six ten-minute activities, then the engagement of all children in the class will improve.Andrew remarks that, “the best lessons I see in schools, that include everybody and not just the ADHD people, are the ones where they break it up. Meaningful activities that you can integrate in your planning.”   BEST MOMENTS “[Being diagnosed as an adult was] just the most wonderful release and, instead of feeling like a crazy person, I felt like a normal person for the first time ever. I wasn’t a crazy person; I had this diversity and my goodness I was going to use it.” “I look at what people are doing and I say, ‘We’ll do more of what works and less of what doesn’t’. If you have a child that can’t concentrate for more than 5 or 10 minutes, don’t try and teach them for more than 5 or 10 minutes. They’re not being defiant; they can’t do it. If you have a child that needs to play with something or wobble their feet, buy a wobble board or give them something to play with because that’s what they need – and the key word is need.” “The teacher is in the eye of the storm of the hurricane. For me, I come in from the outside. I’ve got no emotion attached to this. Yes, it matters to me that this works; but I don’t have an emotional attachment so I can sit there completely detached. It’s not because they’re not good practitioners, it’s because they just haven’t had that outside help.” “The new Ofsted framework is very, very much based on the needs of the child. I think that’s not only sensible for children’s wellbeing and for self-esteem, and for meeting those kinds of needs, [but] from a society’s point of view, it’s important. We really need to consider following people’s journeys and the Ofsted framework is one step towards that.” “[In the SEND Code of Practice] talking about children who may have special educational needs instead of do have… so what we’re saying is you don’t need a diagnosis. What you need is the ability to identify people’s different needs and work towards that. It’s hugely important. But it has its negative sides as well. So now I’ve got children without the EHCPs who are getting one-to-one teaching assistants that the schools are having to pay for.” “If you’ve got a child that’s writing backwards, you have to work on strategies to help the child to write forwards because they are presenting with what may be a form of dyslexia.” “It’s very clear: the teacher is responsible. That’s what the paperwork says, that’s what the government guidance says, so that’s taking ownership and that’s a positive thing as well. When it goes right, the teacher is responsible. When it goes wrong, the teacher is responsible. So it’s getting teachers to think on that inclusion level which I think most do. It’s just to give them that extra bit of a stimulus.” “With ADHD and autism and any neurological diversity, the most important thing is to find your groove. Get people - young people - doing what they’re good at, that fulfils them. If we can facilitate that with children, that’s the best gift we can give them.”   VALUABLE RESOURCES Andrew Whitehouse: https://www.andrewwhitehouse.co.uk Andrew Whitehouse – Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=44843038 Extract from Andrew’s new book: https://bit.ly/2JDRt6P Andrew Whitehouse – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleFirstEducation Andrew Whitehouse – Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewWSEN Andrew Whitehouse – Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewwsen/ Andrew Whitehouse – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peoplefirsteducation/ Classroom Secrets Kids: https://kids.classroomsecrets.co.uk The Teachers’ Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTeachersPodcast/ Classroom Secrets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClassroomSecretsLimited/ Classroom Secrets website: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/ LIFE/work balance campaign: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/lifeworkbalance-and-wellbeing-in-education-campaign-2019/   ABOUT THE HOST 'My mother is a teacher. I will never be a teacher.' - Claire Riley Claire arrived at the end of her performing arts degree with no firm plans to move into the entertainment industry. A fully funded secondary teaching course seemed like the perfect way to stall for a year on deciding what to do with her life. Turns out, teaching was her thing.  Three years in a challenging secondary school - check. Two years in primary schools with over 90% EAL children - check. Eight years doing day-to-day supply across 4-18 - check. If there's one thing she learnt, it was how to identity the best ideas from every school in terms of resources and use that knowledge to create something that would work for teachers far and wide. In 2013, Classroom Secrets was born. Claire had seen other resource sites and wanted to add something to the market that she felt was missing. More choice + More quality = Balance. Claire is a self-proclaimed personal development junkie and is always looking for ways to learn and improve. It's usually centred around business, her new-found passion. In 2019, Claire launched The Teachers' Podcast that hits the charts on launch and is listed in the top 200 educational podcasts most weeks. The Teachers’ Podcast is a series of interviews where Claire meets with a wide range of guests involved in the field of education. These podcasts provide exciting discussions and different perspectives and thoughts on a variety of themes which are both engaging and informative for anyone involved in education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.