Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum

There is a need to rethink functioning and the role of universities that implement inclusive education, understood as high-quality education for everybody, available at all levels of education because of the increasing number of neurodiverse people (with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other disorders classified as neurodevelopmental).. The aim of our hermeneutical work is an attempt to identify opportunities and limitations on an empirical and theoretical level for creating conditions for the inclusion of students defined as neurodiversity. The research material consists of published own and other authors' studies, and the direction of exploration is determined by the following questions: Are there theoretical and empirical premises for the claim of full inclusion in the academic education of neurodiverse students? What are the research-related limitations that constitute a barrier to the academic inclusion of neurodifferent adolescents? The theoretical background of our work is the theories of social constructivism as defined by Alfred Schűtz, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The research revealed theoretical and empirical premises confirming the validity of the claim regarding the inclusion of neurodiverse students in academic education due to the intellectual potential of young people, their high self-awareness and the need to provide a growing number of neurodiverse students with conditions for maturing to self-determination in adult life. In Poland, but also in other European countries, the number of students diagnosed with an autism spectrum is not monitored at the national level. Single studies conducted in Poland indicate the similarity of the problems of this group of students with the results of explorations carried out in other countries, and include dropout during the first year of studies, difficulties in relationships with peers, a feeling of loneliness, and a low level of employment after graduation. A large number of people with autism spectrum does not study at all. One of the barriers may be the availability of higher education, which is related to the cultural and economic status. This aspect has not been taken into account in Polish and international research. There was also little dissemination of the idea of neurodiversity, which may be important for the perception of students with the autism spectrum.

Download Full-text

Site as a tool for pedagogical support of parents of students with autism spectrum disorder

Informatics in school ◽

10.32517/2221-1993-2020-19-2-46-51 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 46-51

Author(s):

M. V. Kolmakova

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Educational Organization ◽

Education Environment ◽

Students With Autism ◽

A Site

The article considers an innovative form of interaction between an educational organization and parents of students with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive education environment. A site developed by the author is presented, on the basis of which it is planned to implement pedagogical support for parents of students with autism spectrum disorder. The structure and approximate content of such a site are described. Each section of the site corresponds to certain areas of activity within the framework of pedagogical support of parents.

Download Full-text

Can pictorial narration offer a solution to teacher training on the effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in low-resource settings? Investigation on knowledge and stigma change

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361320984899 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132098489

Author(s):

Hui Min Low ◽

Tze Peng Wong ◽

Lay Wah Lee ◽

Somchay Makesavanh ◽

Bountheing Vongsouangtham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Teacher Training ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Developed Country ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Students With Autism ◽

Effective Inclusion

The main aim of this article is to explore whether pictorial narration could offer a solution to teacher training on the effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in a low-resource context in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. For this purpose, pre- and post-training knowledge data were collected from 87 Laotian teachers who participated in teacher training using a pictorial narrative e-module called The Story of KhamdyTM. The teacher training included a half-day orientation workshop, followed by 4 weeks of online learning. Statistically significant improvement in autism spectrum disorder knowledge and reduction in autism spectrum disorder stigma was recorded for the teachers after completing the teacher training. The findings on social validity pointed to high acceptance toward the pictorial narrative method and the content designed for the purpose of this training. The teachers’ acceptance of the training method was found to have positive effects on their knowledge changes in the diagnosis and etiology aspects of autism spectrum disorder knowledge. The findings supported the use of a pictorial narration approach in imparting knowledge about inclusive education and autism spectrum disorder to teachers in a least developed country. The findings offered insights to explain the knowledge change and stigma reduction recorded. Lay abstract In this study, we explored whether pictorial narration could offer a solution to teacher training on effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. For this purpose, pre- and post-training knowledge data were collected from 87 Laotian teachers who participated in teacher training using a pictorial narrative e-module called The Story of KhamdyTM. The teachers’ knowledge test results and feedback were analyzed. The findings indicated that teachers’ acceptance toward the training method had positive effects on their knowledge changes and supported the use of a pictorial narration approach in imparting knowledge about inclusive education and autism spectrum disorder to teachers in a least developed country.

Download Full-text

Getting up to SpEED: Special Education Embodied Design for Sensorially Equitable Inclusion

EDUCATION SCIENCES AND SOCIETY ◽

10.3280/ess1-2021oa11818 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 114-136

Author(s):

Sofia Tancredi ◽

Rachel Chen ◽

Christina Krause ◽

Dor Abrahamson ◽

Filippo Gomez

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Learning Opportunities ◽

Special Education Students ◽

Whole Body ◽

Education Students ◽

Design Based Research ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Design Speed

We present the implications of a novel approach to design-based research, Special Education Embodied Design (SpEED), for inclusive education. SpEED is a new way of thinking about how Special Education students can learn through whole-body participation (Tancredi et al., in press). The goal of SpEED is to update our thinking about special education and inclusion based on the latest developments in cognitive science. We illustrate the utility of embodied design to teaching and research on issues affecting learners in Special Education through examples centering different Special Education populations, including Deaf learners, learners on the autism spectrum, and sensory-seeking learners. Each project focuses on deepening the learning opportunities we offer students by using learners' existing embodied resources. We conclude with a commentary on considerations for implementing SpEED within the Italian educational system.

Download Full-text

The Moderation Role of Being Valued by Teachers Over the Association Between School Children Motivation and Need for Competition

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/21582440211044179 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 215824402110441

Author(s):

Cristina Maria Bostan ◽

Tudor Stanciu ◽

Răzvan-Lucian Andronic

Keyword(s):

School Children ◽

Social Constructivism ◽

Social Economic ◽

Economic Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Economic Status ◽

Motivation For Learning ◽

The Social ◽

The Family

Concordant with classical theoretical guidelines (i.e., social facilitation, social constructivism theory, and the Pygmalion effect) we tested the need for competition and perception of being valued by teachers to be better motivated for learning in school. We extend knowledge by testing these associations mediated by the social economic status given by the well-being of the family (i.e., controlling for gender and socio-economic status). A total of 214 Romanian students (45.3% boys) with ages between 13 and 17 years were administered the PEER questionnaire (i.e., perception of being valued by teachers, school-children motivation, and the need for competition). Results show a positive relation between the need for competition and motivation for learning. We also found positive relations between the perception of being valued by the teacher and motivation for learning and the need for competition. We conclude that motivation is higher when the need for competition is higher and the perception of being valued by teachers is higher.

Download Full-text

Perspectives on Inclusive Education of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disabilities in Iran

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15102307 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. 2307 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sayyed Samadi ◽

Roy McConkey

Keyword(s):

Inclusive Education ◽

Preschool Education ◽

Feasibility Studies ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Special Schools ◽

Head Teachers ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Values And Beliefs ◽

Iranian Children

Background: Iranian children with disabilities invariably attend special schools and many may be excluded from education entirely. Information on preschool education is limited but probably mirrors the situation in schools. There is a lack of information in terms of parental preferences for schooling and teachers’ experiences of inclusion in Iran. Method: Two feasibility studies were undertaken; one with 89 parents of children with autism or intellectual disabilities, and another with the head teachers of two private kindergartens. Results: Two-thirds of parents favored inclusive schools; most parents whose children had autism or were verbally proficient were in favor of their child attending ordinary schools, even if their child had been placed in a specialist preschool facility. The head teachers justified inclusion in terms of children’s rights but identified three main challenges: coping with the diverse level of functioning, the need for special devices and training of teachers, and challenging the negative reactions of parents of non-disabled children. Conclusions: Further exploration of the views of those who have experienced inclusion would further challenge existing practices. Moreover, the training and preparation of teachers is key to reforming schools. However, wider social values and beliefs towards disabilities also need to change.

Download Full-text

TEACHER EDUCATION FOR INCLUSION - THE PREMISES FOR IMPLEMENTING A NEW INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME / PRIELAIDOS ĮGYVENDINTI NAUJĄ MOKYTOJŲ RENGIMO PROGRAMĄ: INKLIUZINIS UGDYMAS MOKYKLOJE

SPECIALUSIS UGDYMAS / SPECIAL EDUCATION ◽

10.21277/se.v1i35.267 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (35) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Elena Marin

Keyword(s):

Teacher Training ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

School System ◽

Policy Development ◽

National Level ◽

Training System ◽

Font Size ◽

Initial Teacher Training ◽

Starting Point ◽

Training Programmes

This paper attempts to highlight and examine the Romanian perspective regarding inclusive education by presenting some statistical data and the steps that have been made in order to make the switch from a school system lead by the segregation principle to a school system based on inclusive principles. Moreover, the attention focuses on schools` key actors, the teacher, more specifically on the initial teachers training programmes available in Romania. The starting point when it come to the initial teacher training programmes is based on the assumption that there is an acute need for training when it comes to the implementation of an inclusive educational system in Romania. Using a qualitative approach, we aimed at presenting specialists’ opinion on priority issues in policy development regarding the teacher training in the field of inclusive education, focusing on the premises for implementing a training system that is mandatory for every teacher in the inclusive education and on the aspects that relate to the rethinking of the teacher’s training process at a national level. Straipsnyje bandoma analizuoti inkliuzinio ugdymo diegimą Rumunijoje: pateikiama statistinių duomenų ir aprašoma, kokių veiksmų buvo imtasi pereinant nuo segregacijos principu pagrįstos ugdymo sistemos mokykloje prie inkliuzijos principais grindžiamos sistemos. Dėmesys kreipiamas į mokytojus ir mokytojų pirminio rengimo programas. Mokytojų pirminis rengimas Rumunijoje remiasi prielaida, kad, siekiant įdiegti inkliuzinio ugdymo sistemą, tokių mokytojų rengimo poreikis yra labai didelis. Kokybiniu tyrimu buvo siekiama pateikti specialistų nuomonę dėl inkliuzinio ugdymo mokytojų rengimo politikos prioritetų, atkreipiamas dėmesys į tokių specialistų rengimo, privalomo kiekvienam inkliuzinį ugdymą taikančiam mokytojui, sistemos įdiegimo sąlygas ir aspektus, susijusius su mokytojų rengimo proceso reformavimu nacionaliniu lygmeniu.

Download Full-text

Certain Inclusion Problems in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.17759/autdd.2020180106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 51-61

Author(s):

S.A. Morozov ◽

S.S. Morozova ◽

T.I. Morozova

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Ceteris Paribus ◽

Inclusion Process ◽

Great Achievement ◽

Patterns Of Behavior ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

The Stability ◽

Autistic Disorders

The term “Inclusion” is not identical to the concepts of “Inclusive education”, which is much wider. The educational system of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Russia is only developing and the focus on inclusion is a great achievement. Inclusive education in autistic disorders is a special case. The most difficulties in organizing of inclusion of children with ASD caused by main symptoms — communication and social interaction disorders, repeated stereotypical patterns of behavior, interests and activities. After all, these symptoms create a special development situation that makes necessary to solve the following problems: improving the organization of the inclusive process, feasibility and possibility of inclusion process. Typical difficulties faced by domestic and foreign experts reviewed, for example: increased social anxiety in children, lack of trained personnel, and lack of diagnostic in children. Emphasized that the success of inclusion process depends on several things: the readiness for inclusion of the child with autism, the readiness of the environment where inclusion carried out, the level of its tolerance and, finally, the competence of psychological and pedagogical staff. The age of the child and the environment plays a large role: ceteris paribus, the early onset of inclusion contributes to the stability of inclusive readiness of the environment.

Download Full-text

Pregnant women with severe anemia reporting in labor: prevalence, socio-demographic and obstetric determinants

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20190194 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 701

Author(s):

Ruchika Singh ◽

Mamta Gupta ◽

Vandana Saini

Keyword(s):

Primary Prevention ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Economic Status ◽

National Level ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Calorie Intake ◽

P Value ◽

Severe Anemia ◽

Her Family ◽

Obstetric Factors

Background: Severely anemic women reporting in labor remains one of the most important challenging situation for the obstetrician as well as for the mother and her family due to its adverse feto-maternal outcome. Various socio-demographic and obstetric conditions need to be explored which are important to tackle them, for primary prevention of anemia. The aim and objectives of the study were to estimate prevalence of severe anemia in pregnant women reporting in labor in a tertiary hospital of Delhi and to evaluate various socio-economic and associated obstetric factors associated.Methods: This is a hospital based, prospective, case contol study. Hemoglobin was estimated at the time of labor room admission. Fifty consecutive antenatal women with severe anemia (Group A) and 50 non-anemic women (Group B) were enrolled in early labor. Socio-demographic and obstetric factors, were recorded and analyzed.Results: Prevalence of severe anemia was estimated to be 2.23%. Determinants of severe anemia were found to be socio-economic status (p value 0.001), education (p value 0.001), rural living (p value 0.016), calorie intake (p value 0.001), BMI (p value 0.046), booking status of pregnancy (p value 0.001), gravida (p value 0.024), inter-conception interval (p value 0.002) and regular iron-folic acid intake (p value 0.001).Conclusions: Primary prevention of anemia by targeting these factors at the community/state/ national level, by the policy makers is important. Early booking and screening for anemia in antenatal clinics, providing iron supplements to anemic women for secondary prevention of severe anemia is recommended so that no woman reports with severe anemia in labor.

Download Full-text

Students With ASD in Mainstream Primary Education Settings: Teachers' Experiences in Western Australian Classrooms

Australasian Journal of Special Education ◽

10.1017/jse.2012.10 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 97-111 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Rebecca Soto-Chodiman ◽

Julie Ann Pooley ◽

Lynne Cohen ◽

Myra Frances Taylor

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Primary Education ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Teachers Experiences ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Students With Autism ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Mainstream Classroom ◽

Western Australian

The shift to inclusive education within Australia has resulted in increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) being placed in mainstream educational settings. This move has created new demands on teachers who are not necessarily trained to meet the challenge. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop an understanding of how 12 Western Australian primary school (K–7) teachers adapted to the challenge of having a student with ASD in their mainstream classroom. Using an interpretivist framework, data from semistructured interviews revealed that teachers perceived a need to first recognise and accept the challenges associated with having a student with ASD in their mainstream classroom before they could move to accessing avenues of support. The implications of this finding are discussed.

Download Full-text