In 1876, Professor Louis Summer coined the term "Forgotten Man." He was referring to someone who was essentially forced into helping people by others and totally ignored himself. Later, during the Great Depression, this term was re-coined by FDR to explain those poor who were being left behind and not helped and thus in need of a "New Deal." In our situation, the "Forgotten Man" is the neurodivergent Jewish child who needs services within the Jewish schools due to learning and/or behavioral differences and is mainly being underserviced or, in many cases, excluded from Jewish Education. Today, I will focus on the "forgotten children," particularly as this issue pertains to high school admissions and particularly students who can mainstream fully.
I have a lot of opinions on how we address or fail to address the needs of neurodivergent people in our current community visa via the education they receive. However, to begin this discussion, I will write more generally about the situation with high school admissions. In upcoming posts, I plan to talk more specifically about cases on different levels of education and how neurodivergent children and their families are impacted. In the future, I will also give possible solutions.
For this post, I will focus on high-functioning neurodivergent children. I define neurodivergent children as children with ADHD, Autism, or other learning disabilities. That's a large group; yes, they have very diverse needs. For this post, let's talk about the child ready to be mainstreamed (albeit may need some support). This child may call out and forget to raise their hand. They may need support from a resource room to help with executive functioning skills (organizing materials, planning for studying for tests, and completing assignments) and some modifications in their homework load. They may have other learning needs that can be serviced in a mainstream setting. These kids will have to walk in the door already having service plans (known as IEPs in public school, but in day school, we refer to them as Service Plans).
As many of you know, Bergen County Jewish High Schools released their acceptances for many this past week. Eighth grade for typical Jewish Day School students is often filled with anxiety over the high school admissions process, applications to complete, tests to prepare for (in some cases), and days filled wondering if you will get into their first choice school. I hate that current model, but regardless, it's a thousand times worse for the neurodivergent child.
Some of these neurodivergent children have already been unable to fit into Elementary School Jewish Day School and attend public schools or other non-Jewish private schools. They feel excluded from their general education peers spending years outside the Jewish Day School Community. They have made tremendous strides and have much to be proud of regarding their academic, social, and emotional development. They are applying to a JDS often after being taken out of a JDS in elementary school and have now worked really hard to be ready to rejoin one (or, in some cases, to join one for the first time ever). Imagine being a parent of a child who has been asked to leave a JDS in lower elementary school and is now grading 8th grade, ready to re-enter a JDS. Just let that sink in. I cannot imagine any parent would have their child apply to a JDS at that point unless the parent really believed that child could now thrive in one.
Some of these neurodivergent children have managed to get serviced within the day school setting for elementary school. They, too, have made tremendous strides. They have really appreciated and enjoyed being in a JDS for most, if not all, of their lives. However, unlike their neurotypical peers, neurodivergent kids often have fewer options for high schools that will accept them. Many are the kids who, over the Thursday before President's Weekend, are given the news that they were not accepted to either of the places they applied. Imagine how that child, who really took for granted that they were a member of our community, now feels. Imagine how that family feels. Even if they are, for some miracle, accepted begrudging by a local high school, the damage is done.
It is the responsibility of the Jewish community to ensure that these students are not left behind and that their families are not put in financial hardship simply because they have a child who is neurodivergent. We must work towards integrating neurodivergent students and students with behavioral challenges into mainstream yeshiva high schools in the most integrated way possible. We must carve out a place in high school admissions at mainstream schools for them.
There are many benefits to integrating these students into mainstream yeshivot. First and foremost, it allows these students to be part of the broader Jewish community and to receive a quality Jewish education alongside their peers. It also helps break down stereotypes and stigma surrounding special needs, promoting acceptance and inclusivity within the Jewish community. When neurotypical students go out into the workforce, there will be neurodivergent peers by their side. When neurotypical children go to shul, there are already many neurodivergent children by their side. This is true for adults as well.
We all know that kid who struggled in school in the 1990s but is rocking it today. I can think of some close friends who have married neurotypical or neurodivergent spouses and have made a fortune. Some of them are high-functioning neurodivergent Jews. Some of them went to numerous Jewish High Schools and were shuffled around quite a bit, searching for a place that would embrace them. We often see neurodivergent people as role models in our community- shul presidents, business leaders, rabbis, and more. I can also think of an equal number of them who walked away from Judaism because of their negative experiences, mainly in Jewish Education. This situation continues to this day.
Integrating these students into mainstream yeshivot can be challenging but possible. It requires a commitment from yeshivot to provide the necessary resources and accommodations to support these students, including differentiated instruction, modifications and accommodations, behavioral supports, and sometimes assistive technology. It also requires a willingness from the broader Jewish community to educate themselves on the needs of neurodivergent students and to work towards creating a more inclusive environment for all members of the community.
Ultimately, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that all members of our community have access to quality Jewish education, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. By working towards integration and inclusivity, we can create a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community that celebrates diversity and promotes acceptance for all. We owe it to these children and their families to find solutions that enable them to go to mainstream yeshiva high schools when possible in the most integrated way possible without requiring parents of children with these needs to ask for scholarships or be put in debt.
Integrating these students into mainstream yeshivot can be challenging but possible. It requires a commitment from yeshivot to provide the necessary resources and accommodations to support these students, including differentiated instruction, modifications and accommodations, behavioral supports, and sometimes assistive technology. It also requires a willingness from the broader Jewish community to educate themselves on the needs of neurodivergent students and to work towards creating a more inclusive environment for all members of the community.
Ultimately, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that all members of our community have access to quality Jewish education, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. By working towards integration and inclusivity, we can create a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community that celebrates diversity and promotes acceptance for all. We owe it to these children and their families to find solutions that enable them to go to mainstream yeshiva high schools when possible in the most integrated way possible without requiring parents of children with these needs to ask for scholarships or be put in debt.
Stay "tuned" to future posts about other issues neurodivergent children face in Jewish Education in my following few blog postings and my suggestions for how to do this most effectively. I'd love to hear your insights and words of wisdom. Feel free to email me at jennilevyesq@gmail.com. As the mom of a neurodivergent child and someone who worked in the field of Education for over 20 years (10+ in Jewish Education), I would love to hear from you.
