Parla is advancing towards the forefront of high-capacity neurodivergence in our region. This was evident at the High Capacities Conference organized by the Department of Education, with the collaboration of the Parla EOEP (Orientation Team) and CREACIM (Regional Center for Educational Enrichment for Students with High Intellectual Capacities in the Community of Madrid).
An event where experts highlighted the presence of enrichment classrooms in a dozen centers in our city, in addition to sharing experiences and workshops to delve into the models of action and best practices for these cases. The conference was a huge success with over 300 attendees, including professionals and families.
Understanding and Acting
Students with high capacities have a specific and unique cognitive and emotional profile. Recognizing and understanding these characteristics is essential to provide them with a learning environment that enhances their abilities and allows them to reach their full potential.
This conference held on Saturday at the Pedro Zerolo Youth Center was aimed at both education professionals and families to raise awareness, sensitize, and break the stereotypes surrounding high capacities.
At the opening, Mayor Ramón Jurado emphasized the importance of addressing issues like this in a city with a large school-age population and one of the youngest average ages in all of Europe, «highlighting the enormous future we have.» In the same vein, because talking about education is talking about the future, as well as equal opportunities, Education Councillor Isabel Ávila stressed the goal of this event: to combine inclusion and high capacities to promote a more equitable educational system adapted to the reality of our students, providing resources to stimulate, motivate, and promote the learning and personal growth of everyone.
Identification and Educational Response
Identifying and understanding the thoughts and perceptions of individuals with high capacities is essential to provide the appropriate stimuli for them to develop their full cognitive potential, always from an inclusive perspective, as diversity enriches us.
Thus, Javier Bornez (educational guidance teacher and director of the Specific High Capabilities Team) explained how to understand and comprehend the mind of a person with high capacities, moving away from the often unfair stereotypes: «A person with high capacities simply processes information differently,» he emphasized. Therefore, he added, it is important to detect it, learn to generate the appropriate motivation, and not impose expectations that could lead to disappointment. «That is understanding and acting on high capacities.»
Based on these premises, the specific team in Parla has made significant progress in identifying students with high capacities and providing educational guidance and response for them and their families.
In this sense, as highlighted by the experts participating in this Conference, it is worth noting that over a dozen centers in our city have enrichment classrooms: María Moliner, Pablo Picasso, Giner de los Ríos, Rosa Luxemburgo, Rosa Montero, Teresa de Calcuta, Los Lagos, and Virgen del Carmen Elementary Schools, as well as Aquila Community Center and Enrique Tierno Galván and Humanejos High Schools. Some of these centers presented their projects during the conference, demonstrating that Parla is advancing towards the forefront of high-capacity neurodivergence in our region.
Workshops and Experiences for Families and Professionals
Throughout the day, there were workshops focusing on identification and support measures for students with high capacity, and educational experiences in high-capacity students in educational centers in Parla.
Finally, in the afternoon, workshops were held: one aimed at families, focusing on personal support in promoting the emotional well-being of individuals with high capacities; and another aimed at professionals, focusing on developing individualized curricular enrichment plans (physical, cognitive, sensory, and emotional accessibility).
