About BRAINHE
BRAINHE.com is a non-commercial/non-profit making resource website for students and staff in higher education. It originated at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, to help students with SpLDs (specific learning differences) and staff working with them. SpLDs include AD(H)D, Asperger's, autism, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia and dyspraxia. We support the 'social model of disability' and use the term neurodiversity to encompass the types of brain currently associated with 'specific learning difficulties' (UK) and 'learning disabilities' (USA), as well as Meares-Irlen syndrome, Tourette's, stroke survivors and mental well-being issues. Click here for more information about BRAINHE.
| What would you like to see added to this website? Is there anything you like or dislike? Please click here to tell us. |
Mind Map of the BRAINHE Home Page. Click on the boxes below to travel to the various sections of this page.
- How to use this website and its accessibility options.
- What is Neurodiversity?
- What does this site offer?
- What's new?
- BLOG - post your comments about neurodiversity issues
- Events and Conferences
- Electronic copy of our leaflet
How to use this website
We have tried to make this website as accessible and easy to use as possible. To do this, we originally included the Textic Toolbar and Talkbar, because we believe all websites should offer easy ways to change the page's appearance and to hear the text spoken. However, as the project funding has now ended, we can no longer include these. We apologise for that. Some pages may still include apparent links to Textic products, but these will be removed shortly.
To view our site in a different language using babelfish click here
This website contains information for staff and students. The links to these pages can be found in the right hand column. Other links found on this site are underlined and in blue.
What is Neurodiversity?
We prefer the word neurodiversity to other words or phrases, not only because we include such a range of brain types (which may not always be associated with an educational context), but also because it is a more "user friendly" term. Within neurodiversity, we include stroke survivors and those with mental health issues. Terminology is a tricky issue and there are different views of the term 'neurodiversity'. Mary Colley from the UK Developmental Adult Neurodiversity Association (DANDA) has some thoughts on this subject.
The Wikipedia entry on neurodiversity can be found here.
Opposing views to the concept of neurodiversity:
This diagram aims to show the overlaps between many of the types of neurodiversity. It is our first attempt at such a thing, and is based on the work of Mary Colley of the UK DANDA. We welcome comments on it, and links to any similar work elsewhere.
We support a social model of dyslexia, and recommend this statement of it, written by Dr Ross Cooper of LLU+ at London South Bank University. The Adult Dyslexia Organisation in the UK also has a similar statement.
Brainhe supports the social model of disability which underpins the concept of neurodiversity. Our paper on the topic by Eddie Griffin can be found here. We also like this article on applying the social model to health and social care services.
We like to spread the word about relevant new initiatives which deserve support. In Poland, the project called Reedukacja.pl describes itself like this: "The portal's mission is to build an internet community interested in gaining knowledge and mutual exchange of experience in respect of learning difficulties, which should provide assistance, in particular to parents and teachers, in the clearer distinction of problems arising among children and young people". Although the project is not focused on Higher Education, we are mentioning it here becuase it aims to cover a similar range of types of neurodiversity. The website is offered entirely in Polish at the moment. It is to be hoped that other countries are developing similar neurodiversity initiatives. If anyone wants to let us know about these, please click here .
What does this site offer?
This is an independent information site for all university students and tutors in higher education; for those studying every subject from ancient history, physics, performance art, to veterinary science and medicine.
We provide thorough and up-to-date information resourced from, and collated by, specialists in the field of education, psychology and importantly, national and international support organisations for neurodiverse people run by neurodiverse people.
We also provide links to universities worldwide.
From June 2009, this site will be sponsored by Wiley-Blackwell.
They are the publishers of this new book:
Neurodiversity in Higher Education - Positive Responses to Specific Learning Differences
Edited by Dr David Pollak, formerly of De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
This edited book brings together the expertise of a powerful group of authoritative writers, many of whom experience neurodiversity themselves. The book is framed by an introduction that sets the scene, and a summary that lists the key issues for the sector and forecasts future trends. It begins by explaining how a psychologist identifies a range of specific learning differences in students. The context is then expanded by a chapter that explores models of disability and relates these to relevant legislation. Every chapter contains a balance between theoretical and practical aspects and case studies featured throughout are designed to have a broad international appeal.
Neurodiversity in Higher Education provides an extensive and uniquely comprehensive account of Specific Learning Differences across Higher Education
Contents
1. Introduction, David Pollak
2. Neurodiversity, Disability, Legislation and Policy Development in the
United Kingdom, Alan Hurst
3. The Psychological Assessment of Neurodiversity, David Grant
4. Dyslexia, Ross Cooper
5. Dyspraxia, Sharon Drew
6. Dyscalculia, Clare Trott
7. Asperger Syndrome: Empathy Is a Two-Way Street, Nicola Martin
8. Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder – AD(H)D 169, Mary Colley
9. Mental Well-Being, Kitty McCrea
10. Assistive Technology, E.A. Draffan
11. Teaching, Learning and Assessment: ‘It’s Not Like You Think’, Heather Symonds
12. Conclusion: Constructing the Whole Picture and Looking Forward, David Pollak
Index
About the editor
Dr David Pollak was a Principal Lecturer in Learning Support at De Montfort University in the UK. He has specialised in dyslexia for over thirty years, and worked in Higher Education for fourteen years; he is a UK National Teaching Fellow.
Hardback: 978-0-470-74159-7 £55.00
Paperback: 978-0-470-99753-6 £24.99
312 pages
This book is available via www.wiley.com/education .
Wiley-Blackwell publishes many books which are relevant to the topic of neurodiversity. Here is a selection:
