Nora Talks Panelist Presentations: Mitchell Robins
At this year’s Training Camp, The Nora Project welcomed a panel of esteemed individuals with disabilities to share their thoughts and perspectives about what inclusion should look like in schools. Each panelist provided a presentation with their own personal story, and later came together for a discussion facilitated by Torrie Dunlap of Kids Included Together. On the blog this month, we’ll be highlighting each of these presentations. Last week we posted Trisha Kulkarni.
Our next panelist is Mitchell Robins, a rising high school senior who was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune. Mitchell is also a blogger, and shares his thoughts regularly on his blog, Mitchell’s Life with Autism. His stated mission? “I want to share my life with the world in hopes that I can bring awareness of what it is like to live with autism. I believe spelling as a form of communication is not well understood and I hope to bring awareness to this lifestyle and change that for autistic people everywhere. I am on the move a lot because it helps me concentrate and apply myself. I don’t think it is a problem, I just think I am different. I want the world to see different as beautiful and not scary like they do now. I know I may not act like everyone else, but that is what makes me awesome!”
Mitchell put together an impressive presentation for The Nora Project’s Training Camp on the topic of Presumed Competence. In it, he explains that it is critical to presume that a person can “think, learn, and understand.” Because Mitchell is nonverbal, for years it was assumed that he could only communicate his needs and desires using a limited selection of pictures and signs. Fortunately, his family noticed that Mitchell could spell, and he now uses a letterboard and iPad as his primary methods of communication.
Mitchell’s presentation struck a chord with so many of our Training Camp participants. Participants reflected that Mitchell helped them realize the importance of collaborating directly with students to identify their needs and preferences so that the learning environment can be adjusted accordingly. Additionally, participants noted the power in Mitchell’s message that we should take a strengths-based approach to teaching. Many expressed that while they generally understood the concept of presuming competence, Mitchell’s presentation brought much more clarity and inspired them to examine their biases and practices more closely.
Please enjoy Mitchell’s presentation, and let us know what you think in the comments.