I hate the term learning difficulties. It is the system that is difficult refusing to let children learn in their own style. In a technology different world these different ways of learning and thinking will be critical to our success, whilst the old linear way of thinking will have little use in a computer driven society. This poem was written to teach my students how their talents, energy, creativity and out of the box thinking will rule the New World.
Mirror Mirror on the wall ,
watching four little monkeys call.
The first little monkey has ADHD,
rattling the cage he wants to be set free.
Mirror mirror just opens the door,
and the first little monkey falls out on the floor.
Now he is free he doesn’t need to shout.
His energy is unleashed there is no doubt,
Mirror mirror gives him things to do,
lets him move around and start anew.
He runs and jumps and creates so many things,
and a joy of life to everyone brings.
His energy is quite infective,
and he finds new ways for things ineffective.
Now on the floor sits monkey two
twiddling his thumbs figuring out what to do.
Monkey two can’t learn by rote.
Monkey two can’t write a note.
But monkey two is resilient and smart.
Its his dyslexia that sets this monkey apart.
Mirror mirror sees monkey’s potential,
and knows in the new world his skills are essential.
She gives him different kinds of tools,
so monkey two can out think you fools.
He solves problems in inventive new ways,
Sees the big picture, invents the new craze.
Monkey three sits all alone.
His hopes his fears remain unknown,
but mirror mirror asks to come in.
She sees the person. She sits with him,
He says he likes the same routine,
He says he likes a familiar scene,
Now monkey three feels safe and secure,
He is free to achieve so much more.
His autism means he can see the detail,
think like no other, blaze a new trail.
“But mirror mirror what about monkey four?”
“Come over here and stand before.
Look hard into my glass and you will see “
“Monkey four! You say monkey four is me?
But I don’t rattle my cage and shout.
I can write a note and ask to get out.
I can form relationships with no trouble
I’m not a monkey I am in my perfect bubble.”
Mirror Mirror says don’t be quick to judge.
Just look in the mirror if you need a nudge.
You have your own cage holding you in.
Just open your mind and see what’s within.
The world has moved on and only you can set you free.
You no longer seem so perfect to me.
You don’t have that energy, your not creative.
We need ADHD. We need innovative.
We need someone who can take some hard knocks,
Be resilient and think out the box.
We have dyslexia so we don’t need you.
The days are gone when we had to make do.
We need someone with obsessive interest we can’t curtail.
Who will follow through on every detail.
Others don’t deliver so we must reject ‘em.
Better find someone on the autistic spectrum.
Your talents now are quite outdated.
You have been replaced. You’ve been automated.
But the things we need we still can find,
so its time to change for those of your kind.
We need someone exciting and funky.
We need a different kind of thinking monkey!