April 27, 2023
In later years some further ears
Were found in other forms.
The more we know just goes to show
There are no real norms.–Portion of a poem by zoologist David Pye from An Immense World
Neurodiversity among our children isn’t new. Much of the science is helping us better see it. And as we become increasingly aware of the brain’s various ways of processing information, we are not only doing a better job as educators, but also coming to a more expansive understanding of what it means to be human.
There are books galore for educators and parents that specifically address this big and important topic. But some of my recent insights involving neurodiversity draw on similar advances in how we see and perceive animals. Cue the music for Ed Yong’s marvelous new book, An Immense World, which deservedly finished on nearly every 2022 list of the year’s best books.
What does Yong’s research on how animals perceive the world have to do with neurodivergent kids? Plenty.
More on that in a minute; first let me tell you about the book itself.
