Lily’s Story

Below is a vignette of one of our current Lower School students who would identify as being neurodiverse. We are grateful for Lily’s honesty and openness, and for being a shining example of how and why neurodiversity is important:

Lily J. is a student in the Lower School. She came to HTS in Grade 1, and she says she struggled through Grades 1 and 2. She did not understand why reading was so difficult. Even though she worked hard with Louise Fisher, our reading specialist, she continued to find it challenging once she was identified as having dyslexia, Lily's world opened up. She began to recognize her abilities. As humble as Lily is, she knows she is great in math, giving presentations, and collaborating in group projects. Working with her family and teachers, Lily learned to advocate for her needs. Through in-class accommodations, reading support and teacher education, Lily felt more supported.

Lily says it is not easy to struggle with reading, but she finds the most helpful tool is to build relationships. When reflecting upon her years in the Lower School, she says the most important thing that has helped her is the relationships with her teachers. When they understand her, check in with her and provide varying kinds of instruction, she knows they are supporting her. According to Lily, her teachers began using Google Classroom more, chunking lessons and instructions into smaller parts, and providing quiet, focused work opportunities. These techniques have helped her develop strategies for coping with a growing workload as she progresses through the Lower School. Lily works hard, takes responsibility for her learning and is proud of her excellent academic performance over the last five years at HTS. Lily hopes to mentor other students and is Prefect and a leader in the Lower School.

Lily is just one of many children at HTS receiving support and encouragement from the amazing teachers and Student Success Team in the Lower School.