Hehir

Thomas Hehir’s article Eliminating Ableism in Education made me reflect on my own school experience. He explains that ableism in schools happens when students with disabilities are judged or treated unfairly because they don’t learn the same way as others. This made me think of my own struggles with ADHD. I was labeled as a “distracted” or “difficult” student from a young age. Teachers would often call me out for not sitting still or not finishing my work on time. It made me feel like I was a bad student. I didn’t get the support I needed, and I didn’t understand why I was struggling and couldn't keep up like my classmates. Like Hehir says, students with disabilities often get blamed for things that are not their fault, when what really needs to change is the way we teach. If teachers had seen my behavior as part of how I learn instead of a problem, they could have helped support my learning. This reading helped me realize that we need schools to work on adapting to students needs, not the other way around. 

I chose this image because it helps raise awareness about how big this issue really is. It shows that millions of students have ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning challenges, but only a small number get official support like IEPs or 504 plans. I think this is important because it helps teachers and others understand that we need to do better at identifying and supporting these students.