Tag: neurodivergence

(Un)conscious incompetence / (Un)bewusste Inkompetenz

The thing about unconscious incompetence…

You don’t need to know everything. It’s just important to know what you don’t know and to accept information…. – especially in the area of neurodivergence such as FASD, ADHD, autism. As a teacher, caregiver, or even a professional, you can’t be an expert in everything. In the interest of successful care, education, and social participation, it is essential that we as involved recognize our own lack of expertise.
Love and good will alone are not enough; knowledge is required to provide good support for people with special needs in the area of neurodivergence. This is no different than when caregivers of people with visual impairments, diabetes, paralysis, etc. are trained (and willingly trained).
The acknowledgement of unawareness or incompetence is a sign of personal maturity and strength.

Die Sache mit der unbewussten Inkompetenz…

Man muss nicht alles wissen. Es ist nur wichtig zu wissen, was man nicht weiß, und Informationen zu akzeptieren… – besonders im Bereich der Neurodivergenz wie FASD, ADHS, Autismus.
Als Lehrer, Betreuer oder sogar als Fachperson kann man nicht in jedem Bereich ein Experte sein. Im Interesse einer erfolgreichen Betreuung, Bildung und sozialen Teilhabe ist es unerlässlich, dass wir Beteiligte unsere eigene Nicht-Kompetenz bewusst (an)erkennen.
Liebe und guter Wille allein reichen nicht aus, um Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen im Bereich der Neurodivergenz gut zu unterstützen. Wissen ist erforderlich. Das ist nicht anders, als wenn Betreuer von Menschen mit Sehbehinderungen, Diabetes, Lähmungen usw. geschult werden (und froh darum sind!).
Das Eingeständnis von Unwissenheit ist ein Zeichen von persönlicher Reife und Stärke.

–> Gallery

The four stages of competence:

This file was derived from: Competence Hierarchy adapted from Noel Burch by Igor Kokcharov.jpg by Kokcharov, CC BY-SA 4.0, (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60343464)

The Night Moles

…and my interpretation about EQUAL and FAIR treatment.

In the context of neurodivergence (and in other areas too, of course), needs and required supports or accommodations can vary widely from person to person. Treating everyone “the same” can not work. It is therefore necessary to look for solutions that meet the needs and the conditions of the individual and allow everyone to experience success.

To explain this to my children I created my own interpretation of equal and fair treatment.

Night moles are moon lovers. One night the three night moles were admiring the full moon. Each of them stood on his own molehill. They were all the same size. Unfortunately, the big mole blocked the little one’s view. So they had to come up with a solution so that the smallest one could also have a good view. They had to come up with a fair solution.
Why didn’t they just swap places, the little one with the big one? First, because the little one didn’t like someone standing behind him, and second, he simply had the right to stay in his own place.

Ps. Have you noticed that they all wear red shoes?

Click here for the moles in the Gallery…