Welcome to the neurodiversity room

Hi Steve.

How strange.

I see you yesterday for the first timne in a long time then stumble upon this forum via Facebook and register and the first message that I happen to look at is from you!

I seem to be your first punter on this section of the forum.

I'll try to spread the word a little.

Russ.

Hello all,

I have only just joined this forum today.

I was diagnosed last year with Asperger's at the age of 36, having spent a few years thinking about going for the 'official bit'.  My son was diagnosed when he was 2.  He is now 7 and lives with me during the week and his mum at weekends.  The doctor described me as 'obviously very high-functioning and able' - although I am now doing a PhD in autism education and part time degrees in Psychology and Philosophy (and already have an MA and BA in Sociology etc.) - I also have many weaknesses and difficulties - like keeping hold of a job!

My son would be described by some as 'low-functioning', although I don't like this label and don't think it is entirely accurate.  My son also has abilities, not anything 'amazing', yet pretty special to me and often unrecognised by others.

I like your quotes, here are my favourites:

'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind' - Gandhi

'I'm going to wave my freak flag high' - Jimi Hendrix

'The actions of all the people who lived in the past, weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living' - Karl Marx

"...my bad spelling in youth up to the age of about 18 or 19, is connected with the whole of the rest of my character (whole of my weakness in study)...I never more than half succeed in expressing what I want to express.  Actually not as much as that, but no more than a tenth.  That is still worth something.  Often my writing is nothing but 'stuttering'"

Personally, I think Ludwig Wittgenstein's 'stuttering's' were pretty good and worth quite a lot!

Damian

Hello Sara,

I am doing it part-time with the Uni of Birmingham.  I like my supervisor which helps a great deal in these kinds of things + they have a department dedicated to research into autism and education (where my research generally speaking is).

Damian

Hello Sara,

Doing a proposal for a PhD can be a bit daunting (O've done it twice now!) - and I know what you mean about forms (the bane of my life and probably many others).  The supervisor I've got is called Mitzi Waltz - she is excellent and most likely to help etc. - try and get hold of her and blame me if you like for disturbing her!

I live in Kent, which is difficult, as I miss many lectures that would help with my studies (although thankfully the subjects I did before help cover much of the material).  I go up about once every month and a half (quite a journey).  They also do courses online at degree level etc. (as do Sheffield Hallam Uni) on autism - if the travelling is too much.

I would like to set up a research / educational group of people on the spectrum (like a neurodiversity room - but activist and practically coming up with ideas + ideally running courses).  It is difficult when everyone lives all over the country, yet with technology the way it is, who knows?

Can I ask what your research ideas are?  It doesn't matter how vague they are at this stage - it is good to discuss these things with people also interested in similar plans.

Damian

Hello Sara,

I did my PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church, so know it fairly well.  Glenys Jones is my second supervisor - although I have not met her yet (from what I understand, she would take over if I had a problem with the first one - thankfully, doesn't seem to be needed).

How did you get on the steering group for the Autism Education Trust?  I would like to do something like that.  I know Birmingham were assigned to do some research for them (as I used it in my proposal).

I like your ideas - the first one would be easier to undertake (although difficult to measure).  The second one would be an interesting tool for teachers - this could be done using 'action research' as a theoretical backdrop - and seeing if it helps teachers and pupils with follow-up interviews etc.

I want to teach people with ASCs - particularly college/uni level.  My interests are Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology, Politics, Health, Education etc. etc. - I think there is so much unlocked potential - due to barriers that put people off (distance to appropriate courses / form filling - to name two!).  Mmm...this links to the other string about barriers to transition.

I am skeptical about mainstream education (partly due to my own awful experiences - although I hope there is some improvement since then).  Mapping my needs would have been difficult - I would have started with replacing all of my teachers sparing the History one (who was fantastic)!

My main research interest is the subjective views of AS people regarding education / school or college / the purpose of it all etc. - the idea being to help give AS people a 'voice' in the debate (following critical theorists such as Habermas).  Also - to examine the various discourses from a social constructionist point of view to see what themes are within the debate + whether there are any conflicts between various interest groups (professionals / parents / AS people), with an eye an doing an ideological critique of current practices / finding common ground + way forward etc.

I don't think there is any universal panacea - as you say each person is different.  Generally in education, I have always seen differentiation and standardisation as polar opposites (no surprises which way I would turn!).  Thus, I like your pragmatic ideas in your second research idea (another example of why we need AS voives regarding our own education!).

I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome last year (yet suspected for some five years - following research after my son's diagnosis of ASD).  He goes to a special school in Canterbury, which is pretty good (although improvements can always be made), yet provision for Asperger children in the Medway area is not good.  I hear the local unit is good - yet it is attached to one of the biggest schools in the area (which has reputed difficulties etc.) - this kind of social structural idiocy needs to be addressed - most of the literature looks at social psychological ideas and what an already overstretched teacher can do, rather then the context we put them in.  I hope my 'sociological' take will add something to the debate too.

Damian