adapting philosophical dialogue to support the epistemic agency of neurodivergent children

This reflection, presented at the 25th World Congress of Philosophy during the symposium People Excluded from Philosophy, is rooted in a weekly practice of philosophical dialogue (PD) with primary school students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD); a communication disability that impacts the understanding and use of language, social interactions, and learning. Given the challenges associated with DLD, philosophical practice may seem ambitious on account of the language skills necessary for dialogue as well as the pervasive ableist culture which exists within schools. As a school speech-language pathologist (SLP) and as a philosophy facilitator, the author of this article believes it is essential to provide students with DLD opportunities to improve their language skills, enhance the quality of their interactions, and develop their thinking, thus contributing to the conditions necessary for their intellectual emancipation. Guided by interprofessional collaboration and the principles of educability, she worked with a team that began adapting the practice of PD to meet the specific needs of students with DLD as part of a one-year exploratory project. This work has opened new perspectives for students and prompted a reconsideration of certain prejudices embedded in our societies. To broaden the reflection on the stereotypes that persist regarding neurodivergent children, this discussion invites a critical examination of societal representations and discourses about these children’s perceived limitations in understanding, transmitting, and producing knowledge. Drawing on the conceptual framework developed by Catala, Faucher, and Poirier (2021), particularly the concept of “epistemic enablement ,” the issue of neuronormativity and its consequences is raised, along with the notion of “epistemic neglect” highlighted by the author of this article. Taking neurodivergent children’s thinking seriously by adapting PD in the community of philosophical inquiry (CPI) to their needs and strengths as learners and communicators could contribute to their intellectual emancipation and lead to a rethinking of their epistemic agency in the era of neurodiversity. After sharing observations on students’ progress in mobilizing philosophical thinking tools, as well as insights into educational benefits and the children’s own reflections, the adaptation process of P4C is discussed. Specific “pre-dialogical” practices designed by the author are introduced to support the prerequisites for dialogue with children with DLD, along with scaffolding strategies that facilitate co-construction and metacognition. Finally, the benefits of interprofessional collaboration are highlighted, emphasizing the key role of the school SLP who as a communication facilitator can actively support the epistemic agency of students and their participation in philosophical inquiry.