Madison Grad Becomes First Specialist For Neurodiverse Students At Fairfax Schools

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A Madison High School graduate could be the first neurodiversity specialist in American K-12 schools as Fairfax County Public Schools tries to make new strides with the historically overlooked neurodiverse students.

Neurodiversity refers to the fact that people may have different ways of processing information through their brain, according to the University of Washington's Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Center. Individual students identified as neurodivergent may be on the autism spectrum or process information differently than many other people.

Kristen Haynor, the neurodiversity specialist at FCPS, will advocate for neurodiverse students in her role. Haynor hopes other school districts will follow the example of introducing a neurodiversity specialist.

"My work is to support the process of changing attitudes and beliefs around what people are capable of, especially neurodivergent individuals," Haynor told the FCPS communications blog. "We must make the invisible, visible to honor and appreciate each individuals’ strengths, abilities, and brilliance. One of my missions is to help coach teachers, administrators, staff, leaders, parents, and students so they can recognize, celebrate, support, and nurture the neurodiversity and neurodivergences in their environments."

Haynor will host a webinar for high school families with neurodiverse students at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 28. The webinar will address strategies to help these students succeed, how to advocate for these students and how to work with the student's school.

Joining Haynor at FCPS is Nonye Oladimeji as the first Twice Exceptional (2E) education specialist in FCPS and Virginia public schools. Oladimeji works with 2E students, who FCPS identifies as gifted in one or more areas while also having one or multiple disabilities.

Oladimeji has worked in different roles at FCPS for 23 years. She looks forward to working with 2E students, whom she believes are overlooked and face challenges on how they are identified and educated. For example, a student with the dysgraphia learning disability that affects writing may mean their knowledge may not be well demonstrated on paper. But for a student who is verbal but struggles with writing, Oladimeji says talking to text or video may help the student show their knowledge.

"It is critically important that we build a community with teachers and parents and ensure that we design a curriculum to meet their needs that is both flexible and individualized," Oladimeji told the FCPS communications blog. "There are so many of these incredible kids out there. If we catch these children early and give teachers the tools to identify them and effectively educate them, then they can soar and show their talents."

The third hire related to helping neurodiverse students is Rachel Rubio as the new dyslexia specialist at FCPS. Rubio is a former special education teacher at Frost Middle School who returned to FCPS in November. According to FCPS, dyslexia is a reading and learning disability that impacts about 20 percent of the student population. But without being identified by a teacher, it may not be discovered.

Rachna Sizemore Heizer, the current Fairfax County School Board chair, spearheaded the efforts to create the neurodiversity specialist and 2E education specialist positions at FCPS. Sizemore Heizer, who has a neurodiverse child, believes FCPS should be an example to others in addressing neurodiversity.

"We have a unique moment in time to disrupt what has historically led to poor outcomes such as high unemployment and isolation for these students," said Sizemore Heizer. "It is time to adapt, understand and value different forms of communication and different lived norms, and my hope is that other school divisions start to show an interest in our work and follow our lead."