Speaking at Anthony Wayne Local Schools District
Creating a future where everyone belongs.
Anthony Wayne Local Schools District in Whitehouse, Ohio, invited executive director and founder of Humanities 101, Dr. Adam “Doc” Hazlett, to speak about his perspective as an autistic kid growing up in Ohio and the tools he as a professor utilizes to make education more accessible for students.
Anthony Wayne schools pride themselves on an approach to education that is “empowering students to be future ready” and hand selected Doc to speak because of the message behind Humanities 101 of neuro-inclusion.
The six schools in the district serve more than 4,000 students with nearly 800 of those students seeking services to give them the best possible academic outcome.
For many, this comes in the form of individualized education programs (IEPs), Section 504 services, and homebound instruction in response to learning disabilities, but also includes reasonable accommodations made for students with limited English proficiency.
In an attempt to go beyond the traditional approach to recognizing the needs of students with disabilities, Anthony Wayne Local Schools reached out to Humanities 101 for what they called “basic, civil ways to address students’ needs.”
Early Tuesday morning on August 20, 2024, Doc found himself traveling back to his home state to address an auditorium of fellow educators about his lived experience and the tools his autistic empowerment foundation champions.
Doc is an avid user of the app TikTok and to pass the time and calm his nerves in the moments he was waiting for the Anthony Wayne Open House to begin he made a humorous TikTok on the Humanities 101 account.
He also found using his noise-canceling headphones helpful in regulating the loud music that echoed throughout the auditorium before the keynote speakers were to begin.
Doc noted the atmosphere was welcoming to such behavior and later learned the district strives to be accessible to his neurodivergent and disabled students. Anthony Wayne Local Schools offer a number of resources to help those needing transition resources with employment and independent living.
When it became his time to speak he recounted a rambunctious childhood where his greatest academic memories were created from teachers who leaned into his eccentric personality traits, rather than shaming him for them.
He provided a graphic highlighting several tools Anthony Wayne Local Schools District could use in the 2024-2025 school year:
Doc included the Nonspeaking Communication Aide in an effort to remind staff to give students options for communicating their needs and concerns.
Doc included the PB and J infographic to encourage staff to lead with empathy and active listening skills.
Doc Deputed the newest micro-accommodation tool developed by Humanities101, Levels of Understanding Aide, to highlight of importance of students having the ability to convey their understanding of a subject or the instructions for an assignment.
After the presentation, Doc spent extra time at the event and talked with school board members.
Superintendent Kevin Herman said, “Dr. Hazlett did an outstanding job and the staff enjoyed his presentation. He gave a lot of great information just through what he shared in a conversational way. We were very pleased and hope to use him again!”
The Humanities 101 Foundation would be happy to work with the Anthony Wayne Local Schools District again and hopes that the micro-accommodations that Doc highlighted will inspire additional accessibility to the student body.
After the event, Doc was surprised to learn no photos had been taken while he was speaking and chuckled at the idea that everyone listening was so captivated they forgot to document the presentation.
Perhaps the next time Doc is talking to the Anthony Wayne Local Schools District he’ll capture more than a TikTok just in case it’s another absolutely captivating presentation.