Autism, ADHD, and Giftedness among Students

Another brilliant diagram that caught my attention today is a Venn diagram created by Katy Higgins Lee, a psychotherapist and counselor. Depicting the characteristics of three overlapping conditions, autism, giftedness, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the diagram should be relevant to anyone interested in general psychology, not merely that of students. Still, I would like to discuss it in relation to my students, most of whom are Engineering and Architecture majors, and a substantial portion of whom show signs of giftedness. While few of these students appear autistic or hyperactive, some do require special accommodations for ADHD, such as a quiet environment for writing, along with extra time on exams; we regularly receive communications from the university administration regarding these special cases.

To begin with autistic traits, yes some students indicate that they prefer to work alone, not in teams as required for the Technical English project, but that does not necessarily mean they are autistic! Additionally, some show a need for very explicit instructions (“order… and clear expectations”); if something is not written on the course website, they think it does not matter although I may repeat it verbally in class. For a more inclusive course, it is better if the teacher spells out all expectations in writing. Additionally, many students show preference for interconnection through interests, so I encourage the entire class to socialize on a special forum early in the semester. That way, individuals may choose their team members, rather than feeling forced into a team for the sake of the course project. One other common trait is hypersensitivity at one extreme or lowered sensory awareness, as in not picking up on nonverbal cues from the teacher, for example to be quiet or to stop a side-conversation.

Concerning ADHD, many students are easily bored, but that does not necessarily mean they suffer from a disorder. Those that fidget, cannot stop moving or talking, and show little impulse control are more likely to be afflicted. Their memories are affected due to inattention, requiring repetition and clearly written detailed instructions and feedback. On the other hand, these same pupils display heightened enthusiasm regarding topics of interest; with obvious surges of energy, they can occasionally be more productive than the calmer students. Fortunately, a substantial proportion of my Engineering and Architecture students show signs of giftedness. They understand new concepts and processes quickly, are fast to notice details, and value precision. They can think outside the box, as in creative problem-solving, and while fascinated with theory, they learn to appreciate the need for practical, down-to-earth ideas (“existential issues”). They expect constant intellectual stimulation though some simultaneously complain that the course is too busy.

As Higgins Lee rightly warns, the overlapping areas are NOT listing traits that are restricted to multiply neurodivergent individuals. Matters are more complicated, yet the diagram is simple and educational. I hope you find it useful!

Privilege vs Marginalization

As part of a lesson on integrating visuals in technical communication, I recently shared with my students a brilliant diagram I had come across online: The “Academic Wheel of Privilege” attributed by the UKRIO (UK Research Integrity Office) to El Sherif et. al. (2022) . The idea for this wheel had apparently been popularized by Sylvia Duckworth, an award-winning Canadian teacher, after originating in a 2008 book by Sisnero et. al. entitled Critical Multicultural Social Work, as explained in this video by FORRT (Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training).

What intrigues me about this chart is how organized and information-rich it is, with its concentric circles. It raises awareness about marginalized people, those at the periphery of the circle, and rather than merely showing binary opposition (privileged vs underprivileged), it shows a spectrum of three levels in each case. Here are a few examples:

•         Mental health: vulnerable, mostly stable, and robust
•         Disability: multiply disabled, some disability, able-bodied
•         Neuro-diversity; multiply neuro-divergent, some neuro-divergence, and neuro-typical
•         Funding sources: None/ very low, medium, and high

The wheel has been adapted by various authors. Sylvia Duckworth’s “Wheel of Power/ Privilege” appears to have been based on that of the Canadian Council for Refugees who used it as a “Power Wheel” on their website, under “Anti-oppression”. Theirs includes age, language, indigenous status and level of education among other criteria. The further away you are from the centre of the wheel, the less privileged you are, in the sense that you suffer in society when you should not. Interestingly in Canada, while the elderly are the least privileged in terms of age, the most privileged are the middle-aged rather than the youth. Differences by first language are also interesting; those whose main language is neither English nor French are marginalized while English speakers are the most privileged.

By referring my students to the “Academic Wheel of Privilege”, I killed two birds with one stone: raising awareness regarding citing sources while tracing ideas further back where applicable; and, of course, showing that a picture can be worth a thousand words. The wheel is clearly relevant not only to students and academics but to members of society at large: immigrants, as in Canada, and employees in the workplace would be clear examples.  

Reflections on Greek in the English Language

In the past year, I published a few blog posts on Noam Chomsky, the father of modern linguistics, whose ingenious theory of Universal Grammar resonates decades later despite opposition. He had postulated that all human languages follow similar grammatical rules, no matter how superficially different the languages may appear; that word formation and sentence structure abide by analogous logical patterns. On the other hand, one may wonder about vocabulary across languages, seeing so much in common.

The Greek language, once ranked by the Guiness Book of World Records as the richest language, with five million words, comes to mind. It is well known that many English words are of modern Greek origin; and even more English words that were incorporated indirectly through other languages, such as Latin, originated from Ancient Greek. Although English is considered a Germanic language, the list of English words of Greek origin is long, as can be seen from this Oakton College resource: List of Greek and Latin Roots in English. Here are some examples:

·       The root “acr” means height/ summit/ tip, which explains, for example, English acrophobia, fear of heights, acrobatics, acromegaly, and so on.

·       The root “aesthe” relates to feelings or perceptions, hence English aesthetics.

·       The root “agr” means field or country, hence agronomy and agriculture.

·       “Auto”, meaning self, generates English autonomy and autism.

·       “Bell”, relating to war, explains English belligerent and bellicose.

·       “Cac”, meaning bad, generates English cacophony.

·       “Eu”, meaning well or good, explains euphoria and euthanasia.

·       “Hom”, referring to same, produces homophone.

Most English words that begin with “ph”, such as photo, phrase, and philosophy, are of Greek origin, as suggested by Martha Peraki of the Women Writers’ Committee of Greece in a British Council article entitled “How Has Greek Influenced the English Language?” Peraki adds that English idioms of Greek origin include “crocodile tears” referring to faked sorrow and “the Midas touch”, a surprising ability to succeed whatever one undertakes.

To end my blog post, I’d like to emphasize that the word blog (from web log) is linked to Greek logos, meaning word or message. I hope my message is clear.