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From modification to mutuality in the education of children on the autism spectrum.

Milton, Damian (2013) From modification to mutuality in the education of children on the autism spectrum. In: North of England Education Conference, Jan 2013, Sheffield, UK. (Unpublished) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:62816)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.

Abstract

When reviewing educational research related to autism, it is clear that it is dominated by biological and psychological concerns, with autism being defined as a developmental deviance, dysfunction, and deficit. This perspective has become a hegemonic view to base notions of ‘good autism practice’ upon, with practices described as remedial ‘interventions’, focusing only on perceived functional deficits and refusing to acknowledge the possibility of autistic strengths or any attempt to harness them. Such literature overemphasises the transformative ‘power’ of cognitive psychology to inform practice, whilst giving no account of autistic subjectivities. The social model of disability is thus also ignored, and the autistic individual is framed within the ideology that they are in need of discipline and control (Foucault, 1973). This paper presents a theory of educational practice that highlights the need for a change in focus from a behaviourist paradigm to that based on building a mutuality of understanding.

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Paper)
Uncontrolled keywords: Autism, Education, Intervention, Double empathy problem
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Tizard
Depositing User: Damian Milton
Date Deposited: 15 Aug 2017 12:16 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/62816 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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