Research & Training Blog
LCIRT Develops Learning Materials for Award-Winning Film NORMAL ISN’T REAL
As promoted by the diversity and neurodiversity movements, no two people are exactly alike. This makes for a richer, more complex society that can advance our world and the human experience. The powerful film NORMAL ISN’T REAL: Succeeding with Learning Disabilities and ADHD promotes this message as related to neurodiversity through the use of first-person narrative. NORMAL ISN’T REAL: Succeeding with Learning Disabilities and ADHD has been used in secondary and postsecondary classrooms across the nation. It offers viewers the opportunity to hear about the lived experiences of four adults who have navigated life with learning disabilities and/or ADHD. Check out the trailer!
In 2020, LCIRT partnered with Director/Producer Krys Kornmeier and the 4-D Productions, Inc. team to develop a supplemental toolkit that will support educators and expand upon the film’s themes. Consisting of a resource guide for instructors, lesson plans, projects, classroom activities, and a training PowerPoint for secondary and postsecondary educators, the toolkit has been piloted at secondary and postsecondary schools around the United States. One secondary educator remarked:
“My students enjoyed the use of the film and its connections to the projects. I’ve covered some of the topics like stereotype threat, previously, but the activities helped round out my teaching. It was a great supplement.”
Not only geared toward secondary students, the film and materials received this accolade from a postsecondary educator:
“We got amazing feedback about the film and the conversations after the screenings . . . we were able to mine the resources to find the best tools for our audiences; high school students, college students, faculty and staff, and parents.”
To learn more about NORMAL ISN’T REAL: Succeeding with Learning Disabilities and ADHD and the LCIRT-developed toolkit, check out: https://www.normalisntreal.com/