This course is part of the Autism: Developing Knowledge of Autistic Experiences ExpertTrack
Autistic Students and Education: Creating an Inclusive Classroom
Explore the experiences of autistic students and learn how to create inclusive and enabling educational environments.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it worksIncluded in an ExpertTrack
Course 4 of 4
Autistic Students and Education: Creating an Inclusive Classroom
Unpack education policy and common difficulties for autistic students
This four-week course will help you develop your understanding of the experiences of autistic people as you delve into common issues in education such as bullying and school refusal.
You’ll examine these obstacles to education to help you reflect on what autistic learners may encounter and how to help improve their experience.
You’ll also explore key legislation and education policy to understand what we should be doing according to policy, and what still needs to change.
Discover strategies for supporting autistic students in the classroom
To help address the barriers to education for autistic people, you’ll explore how to create enabling learning environments.
You’ll think about reasonable adjustments that could be made, including addressing sensory aspects of environments, before exploring a range of approaches to provide support in the classroom.
Gain specialist knowledge from experts at the University of Kent
Your learning will be guided by autistic and non-autistic academics at the University of Kent, who’ll share their expertise on how we can better support autistic students.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a greater understanding of how to support and enable the voice of autistic people. Through this advocacy, you’ll be empowered to take action to support the autistic voice.
Syllabus
Week 1
Education legislation
Welcome
Welcome to the course. To begin, we'll introduce ourselves and you'll have a chance to think about what you already know about education and autism.
Legislation
In this activity we consider legislation related to education.
Legislation in practice
Having looked at some of the key legislation, we now consider how it relates to practical experience. Image by woodleywonderworks https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/, CC BY 2.0
Week 2
Experiences and issues in education
Experiences of education
George and Damian discuss their own experiences of education - at school, at university, and as parents
Issues in education
In this activity we consider issues for autistic people in education - both as students and as parents. Image by Erlich Bachman via hdwallpapers.net, CC BY-SA 3.0
Social identity
In this activity we discuss the role of autistic social identity. Image by Nick Youngson, http://www.nyphotographic.com/ via Alpha Stock Images, http://alphastockimages.com/ CC BY-SA 3.0
Week 3
Learning environments
Sensory differences
In this actvity we think about autistic sensory differences, particularly with regard to educational settings.
Enabling learning environments
In this activity we examine principles underpinning good practice when supporting autistic people in education settings, thinking about how to create enabling learning environments.
Good practice
In this activity you are invited to discuss how you would go about evaluating an educational setting for its support for autistic learners. What would you be looking for as 'good practice'?
Week 4
Supporting autistic students
Support in practice
In this activity we think about practical issues in the support of autistic students, discuss the SPELL framework, and introduce two case studies.
Approaches to support
In this section we look at different approaches to support
Reflections
Reflections on legislation (Image: DayakSibiriak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
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Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Create enabling learning environment for autistic students
- Identify legislation relevent to autistic students
- Reflect on what good practice looks like and the barriers to implementing it in practice
- Describe the importance of autistic social identity
- Apply your knowledge to improve the sensory environment for autistic students
- Discuss the ethical issues around different approaches to support
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone interested in developing a deeper understanding of autistic experiences of education. It will be particularly valuable for autistic people, their family members, and professionals working in education or related areas.
Who developed the course?
The University of Kent
The University of Kent, the UK’s European university, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities. Established in 1965, it now has 19,850 students studying at its various campuses.
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