Cracking the Codes of Power: Executive Functioning as a Tool for Equity

Author and Text: Child Mind Institute, "What is Neurodiversity?"

Reflection & Connections:

Neurodiversity is defined not as a set of deficits, but as a natural diversity in how human brains navigate the world.  Looking back on my own academic experience, I recognize that there was an invisible "Game of School" being played every day.  I quickly learned how to perform and fit into the Factory Model this game operates on.  While my ability to "play the game" served me well as a child, I now wish that such a performance hadn't been necessary in the first place. 

It's far too common for neurodiverse students to be labeled as "problems" in classrooms simply because they are bored, overwhelmed, or frustrated.  In these cases, the classroom system is failing to provide a proper environmental fit. My own journey has reinforced that "trying harder" to fit a rigid mold can't be the goal.  Even when students successfully force themselves into that mold, it comes at an extremely high cost to their mental well-being, self-esteem, and overall happiness. 

I've found including direct modeling of executive functioning (EF) strategies to be life-changing in my personal journey and my students.  This connects directly to Delpit's "Codes of Power.  Delpit argues that the culture of power must be explicitly taught to ensure all students can succeed.  In neuro-inclusive spaces, EF strategies - like breaking a large project into a checklist or using visual timers- are those codes.  

Example strategies for teachers to use in their classrooms. 

Resources like the How to ADHD YouTube channel, Dani Donvan's Anti-Planner , an Eisenhower Matrix or the Centered Life Co. ADHD Planner are brilliant examples of this.  They provide a "manual" for brains that the Factory Model assumes everyone already has.  By teaching students how to navigate their own executive function hurdles -- rather than just demanding they "get to work" -- we move them from being overwhelmed to feeling capable. 

The Eisenhower Matrix: A tool for prioritizing tasks. 

The experience of being a "problem" or having disruptive behavioral outbursts connects directly to Shalaby's "Troublemakers." She argues that students who resist a classroom's rigid structures are often the most sensitive to a system's failures.  When we use Kohn's ideal classroom to measure success, we miss out on the students who have mastered the "game" but are internally disengaged.  

This also connects to Renkly & Bertollini's discussion of Asset-Based models of education.  Instead of focusing on what students are struggling with, we can follow their lead by identifying student strengths to drive engagement. By embracing the Child Mind Institute's lens and explicitly teaching the "codes" of executive functioning, we can move away from "managing" behavior and toward meeting students exactly as they are.  When we provide these executive functioning supports, we trigger the "Curb-Cut Effect" -- while these tools are essential for neurodivergent students, they provide a clearer, more equitable path for every student in the room.

A Question for the Class:

The Child Mind Institute suggests that we should focus on "environmental fit" rather than "curing" neurodivergence.  How can we use Delpit's "Codes of Power" alongside Renkly & Bertollini's Asset-Based Model to ensure that executive functioning supports are taught directly to every student, ensuring that the "invisible game" of school is finally made visible and accessible to all?