Study Leave Feedback-ASD

As you are all aware this year I have been away on study leave to complete my Master of Education qualification. I want to use this blog and our community newsletter to pass on some of my learning and insights from this study for those of you who are interested. This is the first of 4 posts I will publish.

Postgraduate study is the term used for study beyond that of a Bachelor degree.  Essentially you cannot complete any postgraduate courses unless you have a Bachelor degree and grades/work experience that make you eligible.  In my case I completed my Bachelor of Education in 1994 before starting my teaching career and then in 2009 I started my first postgraduate qualification, a ‘Postgraduate Diploma in Education’ (endorsed Leadership).  From 2009 through to 2012 I completed four postgraduate papers relating to educational leadership and e-learning while I was working full-time.  This left me another four papers to complete my Masters degree.  

A key feature of postgraduate study is that students are asked to explore research completed by other academics in a critical manner and apply their learning to a context that is relevant to their chosen area of specialty.  Examples of the types of assignments set to display learning include:

• Case-studies that examine a context alongside research
• Literature reviews that require you to synthesise research from a variety of authors and critically evaluate it
• Annotated bibliographies that require you to summarise a range of different academic texts relating to a specific topic
• Pilot studies that require the implementation of a researched approach or technique and a critical analysis of it’s impact
• Essays that ask you to answer a question relating to a theme or topic

In the overviews below I have linked the assignments I have completed as part of the courses just in case you are interested in the topics.

Course One:  Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been something I have encountered within my role as a classroom teacher and in leadership roles over the past 20 years and I have always felt like it was a condition I wanted to know more about so this course presented me with the perfect opportunity to do so.  The course covered the definition of what ASD are, the evolution of the condition as defined by the growing body of research within the field, the many faces of ASD and identifying, assessing and treating ASD within schools.

ASD is a complex disorder that has had quite a turbulent history in terms of how it has been viewed as a condition and how it has been treated.  Did you know that Bettleheim, a self-proclaimed expert in the field in the middle of the twentieth century believed ASD was caused by inattention from parents, in particular mothers and an important part of his treatment was removing contact from the parents!  However the field has moved on from there considerably.  ASD is essentially a condition that can involve a range of impaired development in the areas of social development, communication and other behaviours.  The term spectrum has been used since the late 1990s as it describes a disorder that can be presented in a range of ways, to varying degrees.  My first assignment describes ASD and its evolution through to today if you want to learn more:  Leo Kanner’s Autism

In the second part of the course I was able to explore how the use of technology has impacted on the treatment and education of people with ASD.  As you can imagine there are now a range of technologies that can enhance the lives and education of people with ASD.  Although research into the impact of various technology is still in its infancy there are some tools out there making a real difference.  There are a range of applications available now on iPads and other tablets that can enhance the lives of those with ASD.  Here is my second major assignment from the course, a literature review, that explores the field of ASD assistive technology:  Technology to Support ASD Investigation

Overall the course gave me a good understanding of ASD and also highlighted the complex nature of the spectrum.  A lasting impression of what I learnt was the growing movement from within the ASD population to be treated as normal human beings with a difference.  This movement is called the neurodiversity (brains that work differently) movement and advocates for the understanding treatment of people with ASD, many whom can live what they consider to be normal healthy lives.  As an educator it is a reminder to be open to this diversity and to ensure we appreciate the differences that all students bring to our community.  Is it fair to impose our belief of what is ‘normal’ onto others or should we personalise what constitutes a normal and productive life according to the individual?  The course I would do in the second semester, ‘Teaching and Learning in Inclusive Settings’ would add to this thinking.

Just as an aside to finish, take a look at this; TED talk by Temple Grandin (there are other shorter clips if you just do a search with her name on YouTube), who is a bit of a celebrity in the autism world and living proof of why we need to appreciate the diversity in our communities.