Nolan Gardner, Education Specialist at Kellogg Elementary School
April is Autism Awareness month and GEF wants you to meet Nolan Gardner, Education Specialist at Kellogg elementary school in the Intensive Program for 3rd through 6th graders. He has worked at Kellogg for the past 3 years and his favorite part is the special relationships with the students that are strong and lasting. Working with students across multiple grade levels, he has had the opportunity to see them grow and mature throughout the years.
At GEF we want to work to support all of our students regardless of their differences. Mr. Gardner said that some of the resources helpful for his students are technology like smart boards and other technological devices to serve the students so they have even more opportunities to succeed. This along with community relationships like community-based instruction for his students. The resources should work to benefit all students equally to ensure equitable education for all students.
Mr. Gardner hopes that the community knows the value of inclusion. Creating inclusive environments are so vital because we should learn and build relationships with neurodivergent people. Awareness is just the first step in acceptance and equity for all students and people. We want to celebrate our differences within schools and our communities to foster accepting environments.