Being Intelligent Does Not Guarantee Success

 

When I was a  young child, I was always taught that in order to be successful in school, work and in life in general, I needed to be intelligent. High I.Q. according to my first teachers, equals a high grade. However, as I went through high school to graduate school and now as an educator, I discovered that having a high I.Q. does not guarantee that individuals will succeed. Intelligent students do not always get the highest marks/ grades, and the not-so-smart ones do not always get the average or lowest grades.

Life events and well-being immediately come into people’s minds when asked why this is the case. In addition to these, Angela Duckworth proposed that success depends on another important factor: Grit, defined as the ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’. Watch her TED talk below:

 

To read Angela Duckworth’s seminal research on Grit, click HERE

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The Autistic Me: A BBC Documentary

Below are Youtube links to a fascinating documentary which featured the daily lives of three men who have Autism. I am sharing this because it highlights how different individuals with Autism are to one another. It also shows how challenging life can be if you or one of your family members have Autism.

What is it like to grow up with Autism? How hard could the transition to adulthood be? Is it easy to find a job? What about finding a girlfriend? If you want to find out, watch the clips below:

REMEMBER: It is important to know what it is like to live with Autism in order for us to understand them better. Knowing more about this condition will help us build better relationships, and communicate and work with them effectively.

PART 1:

PART 2:

PART 3:

PART 4:

PART 5:

PART 6:

 

More on Autism:

He flaps his hands and screams a lot but he doesn’t mean to annoy you

Optimum Outcomes for people with Autism

DSM 5 and its implications to ASD diagnosis

Diagnosing Autism: What you need to know

Vote for Miss Montana 2012, Alexis Wineman

What does Autism mean?

What is PDD-NOS?

Communication difficulties in Autism

Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?

Still unsure if Sheldon has Asperger’s?

DSM-V and Autism

The Autistic Me: BBC Documentary

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

Autism in the classroom:

Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school

Common signs of Autism in the classroom

First day back to school: Top tips for parents of children with Autism

Practical tips to make your classroom Autism-Friendly

Inspiring People with Autism:

Dr. Temple Grandin

Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)

Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon creator)

Carly Fleischmann

More on Savants:

The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters

Artists with Autism

The Einstein Effect: Is there a link between having Autism and being a genius?

 

Derren Brown’s Apocalypse and our Susceptible Perception of Reality

 

One of the UK’s most famous magician/TV personality, Derren Brown has teamed up with Channel 4 to create one of the most entertaining two-part shows I have ever seen, named Derren Brown’s Apocalypse. In this series, Derren and his team led Steven Brosnan to believe that the world is about to end. Steven was fed false information about a meteor that was about to strike the world through tweets, news coverage and TV advertisements- all manufactured by Derren Brown and his team, with the help of Steven’s family (the show reminded me of The Truman Show- trailer below). Steven then rode a bus with his brother- also one of Brown’s accomplice- with the belief that he was going to a gig by The Killers. The bus stopped due to some problems and they witnessed explosion after explosion. After being hypnotized by Brown, Steven woke up in what looked like a hospital room filled with zombies and a young girl named Leona, who was not ‘infected’. You can watch the rest by clicking the links below.

What is Reality?

Regardless of whether the show was faked or not, what happened to Steven actually creates a good platform in which people can discuss what reality really is. Think about it for a minute. Steven was fed false information on every medium possible. When he read his Twitter feed, he saw people including Prof. Brian Cox (whose account was hacked by Brown) tweeting about the meteor strike. When he watched TV, listened to the radio, even when he spoke to the people around him, all they have mentioned was the proposed day of doom. Steven’s situation and surroundings were constructed in a way which leaves very little room for doubt. Everywhere he went, there were information about what Brown wanted him to believe. When he woke up in that forsaken hospital, he was connected to a drip, surrounded by zombie-like creatures.

Steven’s experience made me ask myself, who really decides what is real and what is not? Is it the person who is experiencing the events/ sensations, or is it the observer? Everyone who watched the show knew that Steven’s situation was fake. Everyone involved in the programme knew what was going on, except Steven. Steven thought all of it were real because everything that he perceived confirmed the apocalypse- again, much like The Truman Show. I am aware that our senses trick us all the time. Take visual illusions for instance. What was different in Steven’s case was that it could have affected his whole life. Imagine the psychological scars it may have caused!

This reminded me of the situation that people with schizoprenia and other psychotic conditions may have. Their perceptions of reality is distorted and unjustified in the eyes of an outsider, but yet, they swear that what they see, feel, hear and experience is real. If only there is a magic pill.

Links:

I got the links below from Channel 4’s own Youtube Channel, therefore embedding was disallowed. Nevertheless, you can still click ‘Watch on Youtube’ to enjoy the programme.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Love really comes in different ways: The case of Objectum Sexuals

We are all familiar with the common sexual orientations there is: heterosexuality, homosexuality, transgender, bisexuality, etc. Only few have heard of Objectum Sexuality- a term that refers to people’s orientation to love objects. Objectum Sexuals are said to love specific object(s) in an intimate manner. What they feel for objects is similar to the kind of attraction, infatuation and attachment that others may feel to a fellow human being when they are in love. To an eye of a non-objectum sexual, such a relationship may seem one-sided, but most Objectum  Sexuals claim that they feel love in return.

Watch the documentary below to find out more:

For more information on Objectum Sexuality, click HERE

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, NOT DISABILITIES WITH PEOPLE

Over the past three weeks, the BBC has shown a documentary (WATCH BELOW) which featured musically talented individuals with Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by uncontrollable motor and/ or verbal tics. At the time of writing, there is no known cause of the condition and hence, treatments are still being developed.

In the programme, DJ/ TV presenter Reggie Yates interviewed each of the individuals to find out the severity of their TS and the extent to which their condition has affected their lives. Reggie also found that their tics however severe disappeared whenever they sing or play a musical instrument. Doing so gave them a sense of calm. These individuals were then brought together in a studio and over a period of eight weeks, they rehearsed for a concert which they performed in front of a lot of people.

I felt that the series showed how their diagnoses are only a part of their personalities. Each of them has an incredible talent which, sadly has been over-shadowed by their Tourette’s. More often than not, people tend only to focus on what people cannot do rather than what they can do. The reason why I wrote the last sentence is due to the comments made in Twitter. Almost every tweet mentioned how great, wonderful and gifted this group of people are and that their ability to stand up and sing on the concert was a massive achievement- almost a miracle. While I agree to all of those statements, I was amazed how surprised these people are with what they saw. To me, this highlights the need for us to get to know each individual that we meet, regardless of whether they have a physical and/ or psychological condition or not, as a whole person. We should not let others’ disabilities mask who they truly are. Yes, their conditions are a part of themselves and that we need to tailor our behaviours and language to their needs. But their conditions are a fraction of a whole person. Focus on what they CAN, not on what they CAN’T do.

Working with students with Special Educational Needs gave me the opportunity to see how each individual, regardless of their condition, have a unique set of strengths, limitations and extraordinary talent. Majority of students who were surrounded with people who have a clear understanding of their diagnoses and the willingness to get to know them have flourished beyond what most professionals expected. So please, open your mind, throw stereotypes out of the window and get to know each person as a whole.

Here’s the whole series:

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

Part 3

 

People in th UK can also watch Part 3 on BBC iplayer: CLICK HERE

 

For more information on Tourette’s Syndrome, click on the links below:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Tourette’s Action UK

NHS webpage for Tourette’s

Documentary about Tourette’s Syndrome

I just want to share this brilliant documentary about Tourette’s Syndrome, called ‘Tourette’s Uncovered’. I don’t know much about Tourette’s Syndrome and these videos showed me what it’s like to have the condition. The documentary is enlightening and educational.

These youtube videos are uploaded by M111771. Enjoy:

A brilliant book about the ‘Self’

      

When asked the question who are you, what would your reply be? Would you say your name? Your gender? Your job? What about when asked to describe yourself, what would your response be? There has been many attempts by psychologists, philosophers and even religious authorities to define who we really are. In my opinion however, none of them have successfully defined and explained what the Self consists of.

In the Ego Trick, Julian Baggini described and dissected existing theories of what the Self is. Topics such as gender, memory, personality amongst others were discussed in his aim to find what the core of the self is. This book was written in accessible language and the arguments are presented in logical sequence. There is a balance between empirical and anecdotal evidence althroughout the book. What made me like it even more is that almost every point raised more questions than it answered.

Whether you’re a psychology/philosophy/theology student or teacher or maybe someone who is looking for a good read, I highly recommend this book.

Communication difficulties in Autism- my personal view.

First things first. I want to wish everyone of you a happy World Autism Awareness Day!

Autism affects between 1/100 to 1/88 individuals and yet those who are affected are still often misunderstood. Indeed, students with Autism are more likely to be bullied in school compared to any other ‘groups’ of students. Perhaps a reason for the high rates of bullying stems from people’s lack of understanding of the condition. Individuals with Autism experience difficulties in Social Interactions, Communication and Imagination/Flexibiity of Thought. It is also important to note that it is a lifelong disorder- a child with Autism will become an adult with autism. Furthermore, Autism manifests in many different ways. As Francesca Happe said recently, “once you’ve met one person with Autism, you’ve met ONE person with Autism”.

An individual with Autism’s difficulties in communication (in my experience) is the one that makes day-to-day activities challenging. For instance, a student with Autism might burst out crying in the middle of a lesson in school because he/she is tired or bored. In extreme instances, individuals with Autism may physically hurt another person just because they wore a different pair of shoes which unsettlled them. in other cases, people with ASC may not speak at all (either by choice or not). I know that these are extreme, bordering on ‘stereotypical’ and I acknowledge that not every single person with Autism will behave in these ways. These are just examples.

Whilst it is important to be aware that communication difficulties is a part of Autism, to me it is important to acknowledge that we too have a difficulty. They know what they want and don’t want. They know what they want to get across. They know what they feel. What they find challenging is finding a way to let us know what those thoughts and feelings are. Whilst they have a difficulty in producing the ‘right’ ways of communication, we struggle with understanding what they want to get across. Communication is a two-way process and since it is us (“neurotypicals”) who (ideally) have more capacity to be flexible and adaptable to situations, the responsibility to communicate effectively falls into our hands.

It is of paramount importance for us to actively search for ways of  understanding those who have Autism that we regularly have contact with. As I’ve mentioned earlier, people with Autism are as unique as you and I. Communicating with one will almost definitely be diferent from another. We should take time to understand the patterns of their behaviour, know what triggers distress and observe body language. Our initial guesses may be wrong, but an active pursuit will go a long way.

😉

More on Autism:

He flaps his hands and screams a lot but he doesn’t mean to annoy you

Optimum Outcomes for people with Autism

DSM 5 and its implications to ASD diagnosis

Diagnosing Autism: What you need to know

Vote for Miss Montana 2012, Alexis Wineman

What does Autism mean?

What is PDD-NOS?

Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?

Still unsure if Sheldon has Asperger’s?

DSM-V and Autism

The Autistic Me: BBC Documentary

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

Autism in the classroom:

Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school

Common signs of Autism in the classroom

First day back to school: Top tips for parents of children with Autism

Practical tips to make your classroom Autism-Friendly

Inspiring People with Autism:

Dr. Temple Grandin

Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)

Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon creator)

Carly Fleischmann

More on Savants:

The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters

Artists with Autism

The Einstein Effect: Is there a link between having Autism and being a genius?

 

“That’s gay”: evidence for the continued existence of homophobia

Having worked in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, I’ve had my fair share of lunchtime and breaktime duties. These times are spent supervising pupils on canteens and playgrounds, listening to their conversations and observing the way they interact with one another. One of the most striking things that I have noticed is their use of the expression “that’s gay” when pertaining to something negative. For instance, a child might say “I’ve got English next”, to which another child would reply “oh that’s gay! I have PE next”. Not only do I hear this in school playgrounds, but in adult conversations as well. People use the word ‘gay’ interchangeably with negatively charged words such as “bad”, “terrible”, etc. I couldn’t help but ask why. Is this a reflection of how we as a society see homosexuals?

According to Cox et al. (2010), society still assumes that everyone is heterosexual unless proven otherwise and that sexual minorities are seen as deviant. With gay rights activists and legalization of gay marriages in certain countries, one would hope that homosexuality is lessened substantially nowadays, but expressions such as the one mentioned still shows that people openly display homophobia and/or a negative attitude towards sexual minorities.

I know from researching this very area that we have moved on from total negativity towards sexual minority to accepting and acknowledging their existence. However, whether you are aware of it or not, using the expression in question does not help the move away from the horrible past. So please, stop using it.

What’s the point of going to school, sir?

As Formal Education is compulsory for children up to 16 years old (in the UK), students of this age have no choice but to attend school. This often leads them to ask their family, teachers and peers for opinions about the importance of school and whether or not education is really needed in life. This entry outlines some possible responses to the question posted above.

Knowledge

Common sense would immediately lead us to think that the reason why people go to school is to acquire knowledge. After all, basic numeric, literacy and (nowadays) ICT skills are some of the first lessons taught in school, and these are the basic requirements needed to get almost any job. But doesn’t a child first learn how to speak, read, write and count at home? Yes they do, however, it is in school where they hone their grammar skills and complex math skills.

Schools however cannot and do not teach students everything there is to know (I cannot remember a single Philosophy lesson in school during my 20+ years of education). Some argue that students will never use half of what they learn at school other than to pass their assessments. On the other hand, the varieties of lessons taught in school (I believe) are aimed to spark students’ interest in a specific subject and hope that students carry on studying it through college.

Education leads to Individual Economic Achievement

Another popular answer to the question above is that better education (often a degree level education) leads to better-paid jobs. Most parents find that education is the only way for their children to go up the socio-economic ladder. A recent study found that four years of college increases an individual’s earning by 65% (Topel, 2004). In addition, Dr. Roger W. Ferguson, the former Vice-Chairman of the Bureau of the Governors of the Federal Reserve System (USA) stated that college education was indeed one of the factors that narrow the employment gap between African-Americans and White Americans. According to him, in 2005 “the jobless rate for black adults (25 years and older) with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 3.5 percent; for white adults, the jobless rate was 2 percent”.

One might argue that having a degree does not guarantee someone a well-paid job and that not having a degree does not automatically mean low-paid job. Well-publicised examples of the second point are Sir Richard Branson and NBA superstar Lebron James, who both have no university degrees but are both earning more than the average degree-educated person. Nevertheless, not everyone has the smarts and guts of Mr. Branson, and the physique and raw talent of King James. It is a fact that a university degree does not guarantee big bucks but it almost certainly can give one a chance of earning it.

The Confucian Argument

‘Education can make you a better person by teaching you proper social skills’. This belief can be traced back to the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.) who argued that education leads to moral development. Indeed schools teach students about respect, safe sex, negative effects of drugs and alcohol, amongst other things.

The flip side of this argument is that moral development starts and can be maintained at home. If a child’s parents taught him manners that are socially acceptable and maintained this teaching throughout his childhood, chances are, however hard his teacher reverses this, he will carry on doing so because he sees his parents doing it.

In addition, bullying in school can torment one’s life for a very long time. Nansel et al. (2004) surveyed school bullies, victims and bully-victims in 25 countries and found that bullying can lead to poor emotional and social adjustment and health problems, compared to those who did not experience bullying. Further, Brunstein-Klomek et al. (2007) found that bullying leads to high risk of depression and suicide attempts and ideation. After reading these findings, one cannot help but question whether the Confucian Argument still hold true.

What’s the verdict?

Arguments are still going on whenever this question is asked. Personally, I believe that formal education is essential but is not for everyone (specifically, further education). I am also convinced that formal education will only yield positive results if delivered properly. What do you think?

Useful links and references:

Brunstein-Klomek, A., Marrocco, F., Kleinman, M.S., Schonfeld, I.S., and Gould, M. (2007) Bullying, Depression, and Suicidality in Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 46(1):40-49.

Nansel, T. R., Craig, W., Overpeck, M. D., Saluja, G.; Ruan, W. J., and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Bullying Analyses Working Group (2004) Cross-national Consistency in the Relationship Between Bullying Behaviors and Psychosocial Adjustment. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 158(8):730-736.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/ferguson20060224a.htm

The Private and Social Values of Education (891 KB PDF),

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000856/index.shtml