Part One: The Power of a Different Brain
For decades, learning disabilities have been framed in deficit terms: words like “disorder,” “impairment,” or “struggle” dominate conversations in schools, workplaces, and even at home.
Where did we come up with the idea that differences in how our brains work are a “disability” anyway?
I was at a fundraiser for the Centre for Diverse Learners where Rick Green was speaking last year. He offered the fantastic analogy of how differences in height could be looked at in a similar way. For example, someone who is taller than average may have difficulties entering rooms with low ceilings or doorways. They may struggle to crouch down and fit themselves into small cars. But they would have the gift of being able to reach things in high places. They also tend to dominate on the basketball court. Should we consider tall people “gifted” or “disabled?” Should we judge them based on their height? Did they do anything to “earn” their height, or is it simply genetics?
Our genetics also determines the makeup of our brain.
Learning disabilities are just differences in the way our brains learn. LD brains don’t fit the “average” brain type that school was designed to teach. They learn differently. Accommodations simply tell the school to teach these individuals in the ways that their brains learn best.
It is incredibly challenging when your brain differs from the norm, and this shouldn’t be minimized. However, there’s another side to the story that rarely gets told—the one where learning disabilities come with hidden strengths, powerful perspectives, and, yes, even superpowers.
It’s time to rewrite the narrative.
Take dyslexia, for example. While it’s commonly associated with difficulty reading or spelling, studies show that many people with dyslexia excel in areas of visual thinking, pattern recognition, and spatial reasoning. Some of the most innovative minds—like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Whoopi Goldberg—are known to have dyslexia. Their success wasn’t achieved in spite of how their brains work, but because of it.
People with ADHD are often stereotyped as distracted or hyperactive. But dig deeper, and you’ll find traits like rapid-fire creativity, intense focus during passion projects (hyperfocus), and incredible problem-solving under pressure. These aren’t symptoms to “fix”—they’re gifts to cultivate.
Imagine how different education could be if we made use of these abilities rather than focusing on the “disabilities.”
Next Month in Part Two: Rethinking the Terms We Use
