An official website of the United States government
A growing body of literature suggests that neurodiverse learners may possess assets that are highly desirable within engineering disciplines. Even so, despite the potential of neurodiverse individuals to contribute to innovation in science and engineering, neurodiverse students, such as those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or dyslexia, remain highly underrepresented in engineering majors. We argue that the predominant perception of neurodiversity as a disability limits the participation of neurodiverse students in engineering education, ultimately impacting the diversity and creativity of the engineering workforce. In this paper, we review the emerging literature on neurodiversity that takes a social ecology approach and moves away from deficit-based models. We then describe the potential benefits and challenges of neurodiversity in the context of engineering education. We conclude with a concept analysis of how a strengths-based perspective of neurodiversity may be integrated within engineering education in particular, as well as in higher education overall, as we present our vision for a transformative education system that moves beyond mere accommodation of learning differences and empowers all students to leverage their unique strengths. In presenting a strengths-based approach to neurodiversity, we aim to contribute to a paradigm shift that transforms how university faculty and staff understand and perceive neurodiversity, improves the educational experiences of neurodiverse students in higher education and enhances the creativity of the engineering workforce.
more »
« less
Neurodiversity: An Important Axis of Diversity in Ocean Sciences
Neurodiversity refers to variations in the human brain that affect information processing; it includes conditions, or “neurotypes,” such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia, among others. Neurodiversity can be conceptualized as significant differences in the ways that individuals process information; such differences may concern written or verbal language, sensory information, body language, or social interactions. These differences have been historically viewed within the medical model of disability, for example, as deficits in ability through a diagnosed condition, often associated with a goal of curing or managing the condition.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2231647
- PAR ID:
- 10544036
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Oceanography Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Oceanography
- Volume:
- 36
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1042-8275
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The purpose of this research was to study the experiences of middle-school teachers of autistic students during the co-design of neurodiverse pedagogies for computational thinking (CT) within the context of a research practitioner partnership (RPP). This knowledge building partnership was founded on the neurodiversity paradigm and challenges the assumption that individuals with disabilities are exceptions for which accommodations must be made. Neurodiversity, here, is viewed as the natural variation of neurological differences and as such is proposed to be the baseline in every educational setting (Silberman, 2016; Walker, n.d.). When neurodiversity is seen as a baseline for an educational community, the focus is on educating diverse (whole) individuals rather than planning and teaching a standard computational thinking curriculum, while adding accommodations or adaptations to meet the needs of individual students. Our paper presents the results from a critical event analysis using qualitative data collected during the first year of a three-year mixed methods study, which includes teacher workshop mini-interviews and teacher embodied interviews. In this study, we ask: How do teachers experience the co-designing of neurodiverse pedagogies for computational thinking in a research practitioner partnership? And, how do these teachers modify and diversify their teaching practices of CT?more » « less
-
Abstract Background Informal learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can enhance STEM learning that occurs in formal educational settings and curricula as well as generate enthusiasm for considering STEM careers. The aim of this systematic review is to focus on the experiences of neurodiverse students in informal STEM learning. Neurodiversity is a subgroup of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological conditions. The neurodiversity movement regards these conditions as natural forms of human variation, as opposed to dysfunction, and recognizes that neurodiverse individuals possess many strengths relevant to STEM fields. Methods The authors will systematically search electronic databases for relevant research and evaluation articles addressing informal STEM learning for K-12 children and youth with neurodiverse conditions. Seven databases and content-relevant websites (e.g., informalscience.org) will be searched using a predetermined search strategy and retrieved articles will be screened by two members of the research team. Data synthesis will include meta-synthesis techniques, depending on the designs of the studies. Discussion The synthesis of the findings resulting from various research and evaluation designs, across the K-12 age span, and across various informal STEM learning contexts, will lead to depth and breadth of understanding of ways to improve informal STEM learning programs for neurodiverse children and youth. The identification of informal STEM learning program components and contexts shown to yield positive results will provide specific recommendations for improving inclusiveness, accessibility, and STEM learning for neurodiverse children and youth. Trial registration The current study has been registered in PROSPERO. Registration number: CRD42021278618.more » « less
-
Purpose:The presented work was invited following the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association SIG 19 Virtual Talk “Speech Science in Diverse Populations” that occurred on September 2, 2021. The purpose of this article was to introduce the historical and theoretical frameworks of gender and race from a decidedly North American (United States) perspective to an audience that may be less familiar with those topics as they relate to the practice of communication sciences and disorders. Race and gender are huge topics. Entire fields of study and lifetimes of work are dedicated to understanding these constructs. Therefore, it is hoped that this brief review of race and gender will prompt the reader to evaluate how the two constructs are used to categorize people and whether being a member of a marginalized or a minoritized group affects the person's access to or use of intervention services. A critical theoretical discussion of race and gender is beyond the scope of this text. In this limited space, this work presents an overview of current and historical discussions of gender and race and a challenge to the reader to accept that their perspective is indebted to a specific belief system. In the United States, that belief system often evaluates human differences into binary categories on a weighted continuum. Speech-language professionals often use that continuum to identify and measure difference into either acceptable variation or disorder. Conclusions:The profession of speech-language pathology was established during a time when variation from middle-class White American communication norms was frequently defined as undesirable and sometimes as disordered. The communities and individuals we encounter deserve to be accepted as they are. We must resolve to expect and accept wide variation in human communication without pathologizing its existence, to expand our thinking about disorder in speech and hearing science, and to accept culturally competent communicators as competent communicators.more » « less
-
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), is a neurocutaneous disorder, associated with a high prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD; ∼50% of individuals). As TSC is a leading cause of syndromic ASD, understanding language development in this population would not only be important for individuals with TSC but may also have implications for those with other causes of syndromic and idiopathic ASD. In this mini review, we consider what is known about language development in this population and how speech and language in TSC are related to ASD. Although up to 70% of individuals with TSC report language difficulties, much of the limited research to date on language in TSC has been based on summary scores from standardized assessments. Missing is a detailed understanding of the mechanisms driving speech and language in TSC and how they relate to ASD. Here, we review recent work suggesting that canonical babbling and volubility—two precursors of language development that predict the emergence of speech and are delayed in infants with idiopathic ASD—are also delayed in infants with TSC. We then look to the broader literature on language development to identify other early precursors of language development that tend to be delayed in children with autism as a guide for future research on speech and language in TSC. We argue that vocal turn-taking, shared attention, and fast mapping are three such skills that can provide important information about how speech and language develop in TSC and where potential delays come from. The overall goal of this line of research is to not only illuminate the trajectory of language in TSC with and without ASD, but to ultimately find strategies for earlier recognition and treatment of the pervasive language difficulties in this population.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.103
