Things that are normal for CLE students to do can be challenges for them and thus they need the structure and support of their schedules to accomplish them and maintain their lives. Through this structure, a CLE student can work their way to not only independence but also towards living a full and successful life.
This game isn’t normal. It isn’t played on a board. There is no high-definition screen. Zero athletic ability is required. To play this game you must envision a character, a fictitious alter-ego, equipped with fantastical abilities that will help you survive attacks of the Dungeon Master.
So, what do we do when the class about communicating with others very much neglects - or, in some cases, maligns - those who society perceives as "other"?
"I don't want to be told I'm normal because that's boring. Everyone has their own unique qualities, quirks, interests, and personalities." The group agreed, and another student shared that his interests are sometimes viewed as not normal.
We spent time in a couple of our groups here at CLE Costa Mesa discussing the neurodiversity paradigm and Neurodiversity Movement, and its impact on individual identity from the students’ perspective.
It goes without saying that being unique is sort of a brand, it’s fashionable and perhaps the new norm. In an interview with CLE staff and students I found it’s really the simple, everyday things that makes us all truly unique. Here’s a little profile of what makes us all stand out.
Am I “cool”? I used to know I was back in the day…when I was young and filled with adventure, edge, and possibilities. And I still think, I’m “cool” but I have to acknowledge that my definition of that word has changed over the years.
Scott and I talked about how our student socials have evolved over the years, and how they reflect our larger goals of fostering friendships and independence outside the walls of the center.
We have the privilege of observing and assisting students as they gradually shift from withdrawn and hesitant to self-assured in making new friends; from harsh self-criticism to forgiving self-care; from being ashamed of their differences to wearing their own ‘Community of Misfits’ badge proudly.
Students often come to me or their CLE mentor with their questions about sex because they do not know who else to talk to; it’s too uncomfortable to talk to mom and dad about it, and their peers may be struggling with the same questions and limited knowledge they have.
