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1 – 10 of 139
Article
Publication date: 20 February 2019

William James Zuber and Colin Webber

The purpose of this paper is to examine current research on self-advocacy and self-determination of autistic students in order to provide an overview of the research and to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine current research on self-advocacy and self-determination of autistic students in order to provide an overview of the research and to critically evaluate researcher’s methods of inclusivity of autistic people. Additionally, this paper will critically analyse the discourse of the current research to assess the extent of deficit, stigma and pathology discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

Research will be selected from a list of criteria which is to seek research that is inclusive of autistic people. The research will be analysed using elements of critical discourse analysis, critical disability studies and critical autism studies. The critical autism studies approach used in this paper is emancipatory to promote autistic scholarship, autistic inclusivity and autistic led research methods.

Findings

The result of this paper is that by prioritising, and including autistic individuals in the studies about them provides valuable educational insights and often challenges assumptions, stigmas and stereotypes of autistic individuals.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the paper may be limited by the selection of literature reviewed and generalizability, therefore, researchers are encouraged to explore further.

Practical implications

This paper holds potential implications that question the consistency of current discourse and research into self-advocacy for autistic individuals in addition to providing effective research, teaching and support strategies based on insight. This paper also highlights some research that challenges assumptions of autistic individuals.

Social implications

This paper challenges assumptions and stigmas associated with autistic individuals and demonstrates the importance of self-advocacy and self-determination. This research transforms the paradigm of autism and education practice that has the potential to improve autistic individuals’ education and ultimately, improve their lives.

Originality/value

This research is important and valuable as there is limited research in this area. The potential of this research is that it can shift the broad perceptions of autism and make improvements in education and autistic individuals lives.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2019

Damian Elgin Maclean Milton, Susy Ridout, Marianthi Kourti, Gillian Loomes and Nicola Martin

The Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) was initially set up with the purpose of bringing autistic people, including scholars and activists (but not exclusively)…

1168

Abstract

Purpose

The Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) was initially set up with the purpose of bringing autistic people, including scholars and activists (but not exclusively), together with early career researchers and practitioners who work with autistic people, with the aim being to build a community where those who wished to see more significant involvement of autistic people in autism research could share knowledge and expertise. This paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the development of the PARC network, reflecting upon its activities and ethos within current higher education practices and structures.

Findings

In supporting autistic individuals in their attempts to establish themselves within academic systems that may not always be considerate or accommodating, the existence of PARC creates a structure with which autistic people can influence social change. PARC serves as a network of support, strengthening the presence of autistic scholars in academia. It also provides a structure through which autistic people are able to demonstrate helpful practices with which to engage more broadly.

Originality/value

The PARC network is the first autistic-led venture of its kind in the UK to have a sustained impact. PARC is growing to become an important element in the field of autism studies both by supporting emerging autistic academics and by promoting ethical and participatory research methods and practices.

Details

Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-5474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2022

Turea Michelle Hutson, Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick, Sherira Fernandes, Jessica Walton, Kathryn Bouvier-Weinberg, Antoinette Radcliffe and Ayana Allen-Handy

Limited research focuses on the challenges that exist at the intersection of race and dis/ability for Black men on the autism spectrum in encounters with law enforcement. An…

Abstract

Purpose

Limited research focuses on the challenges that exist at the intersection of race and dis/ability for Black men on the autism spectrum in encounters with law enforcement. An interdisciplinary approach is necessary to fully comprehend and mitigate the complex challenges. This conceptual article presents Critical Dis/ability (DisCrit) Theory, a framework usually applied to education, as a lens through which to think about encounters between Black autistic men and police officers. The article concludes with recommendations for collaboration between social scientists, police scholars, law enforcement and the public to improve the outcomes of police encounters involving Black men on the autism spectrum.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a literature review and analysis of current events, this conceptual article explores the intersections of race and disability, specifically neurodiversity, in policing using Critical Dis/ability (DisCrit) theory, and its predecessors, Intersectionality Theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Findings

An interdisciplinary approach might be a potential solution to improve police encounters with Black autistic men. Expanding the theoretical frameworks utilized in scholarship about policing might allow for innovative approaches to examine current practices in law enforcement. Collaboration and critical dialogue may yield opportunities for further research and shifts in practice.

Originality/value

This conceptual article uses two incidents from recent events to highlight the need for increased scholarship around the intersections of autism and race, with a particular focus on Black autistic men. It advocates for the use of social science frameworks, namely DisCrit Theory, as a novel way to approach new research regarding race and dis/ability.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 45 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 February 2022

Anna M. Hinder

This chapter provides an insight into the career paths of autistic professionals in large private practice law firms. Rather than being a result of efforts to recruit autistic

Abstract

This chapter provides an insight into the career paths of autistic professionals in large private practice law firms. Rather than being a result of efforts to recruit autistic people for the first time through targeted hiring programmes, it is suggested that corporate law firms recognized these strengths early in their formation and developed a type of employment both well suited to autistic strengths and able to make accommodations. Six career stages from Law Student to Retired Partner are described with their opportunities and challenges to illustrate the career paths of autistic professionals who work in law. A call is made for an approach to inclusiveness of the autism community by employers and professional associations to create a system of employment system that supports the employment of many while meeting the unique needs of individuals.

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2021

Karl Nunkoosing

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”.

Design/methodology/approach

The commentary considers the issues raised in Cockain’s article primarily from a focus on Goffman’s concept of “stigma”. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of stigma are examined and its wider relevance considered.

Findings

There has been less research on the stigma of learning disability than on that of mental health, despite a very early study of learning disability (Edgerton, 1967) using the concept only four years after the publication of Goffman’s (1963) seminal work. A number of points of relevance of stigma are identified including to social role valorisation, visible and invisible stigmas, the concept of “passing”, microaggression, disablism and labelling.

Originality/value

The commentary illustrates the relevance of the concept of stigma to other aspects of learning disability and disability scholarship.

Details

Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-5474

Keywords

Abstract

Organizational researchers studying well-being – as well as organizations themselves – often place much of the burden on employees to manage and preserve their own well-being. Missing from this discussion is how – from a human resources management (HRM) perspective – organizations and managers can directly and positively shape the well-being of their employees. The authors use this review to paint a picture of what organizations could be like if they valued people holistically and embraced the full experience of employees’ lives to promote well-being at work. In so doing, the authors tackle five challenges that managers may have to help their employees navigate, but to date have received more limited empirical and theoretical attention from an HRM perspective: (1) recovery at work; (2) women’s health; (3) concealable stigmas; (4) caregiving; and (5) coping with socio-environmental jolts. In each section, the authors highlight how past research has treated managerial or organizational support on these topics, and pave the way for where research needs to advance from an HRM perspective. The authors conclude with ideas for tackling these issues methodologically and analytically, highlighting ways to recruit and support more vulnerable samples that are encapsulated within these topics, as well as analytic approaches to study employee experiences more holistically. In sum, this review represents a call for organizations to now – more than ever – build thriving organizations.

Details

Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-046-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2023

Nicholas Andrew Hudson, Jake M. Linnane and Kelly Rayner-Smith

Social media use in autistic people has been identified as a potential avenue for less pressured social contact. Given shifts towards online socialisation, this study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Social media use in autistic people has been identified as a potential avenue for less pressured social contact. Given shifts towards online socialisation, this study aims to systematically review the available literature on how autistic people experience and use social media.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review was carried out using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses system, with relevant literature reviewed and synthesised using a narrative approach. Inclusion criteria included adults and/or adolescents as the sole sample, a focus on autism and social media use as the sole/main topic.

Findings

A total of 1,278 research studies were initially identified; following screening, 15 papers were reviewed. Studies demonstrated some support for the positive role social media can play and presented its use as a smart adaptation for the challenges of neurotypical socialising. For autistic people, social media may provide a balance between meeting the need to be connected to people without the pressure of managing aspects, such as tone of voice or body language.

Research limitations/implications

Most studies were questionnaire-based with substantial threats to validity. Samples were self-selecting, with autism status not always confirmed. Individual studies used a broad approach to the definition of social media, including online gaming and other online activities, precluding firm conclusions being made.

Practical implications

There may be a Goldilocks “just right” level of social media contact that could maximise connectedness to others without impacting negatively on mental health, offline relationships and activities of daily living.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel account of research from case studies and larger scale questionnaire studies.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 9 November 2020

Abstract

Details

Disability Alliances and Allies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-322-7

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2022

Danielle Wallace and Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick

In this paper, the authors summarize the empirical and theoretical gaps in understanding of police contact with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities at…

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the authors summarize the empirical and theoretical gaps in understanding of police contact with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities at the individual, interactional, organizational and systems level and introduce the special issue papers which address these gaps. The authors close with a discussion of future directions for research in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ objective in producing this issue was to create a platform to generate and facilitate research in this area. The authors chose papers that represented research that could “move the needle” around the understanding of policing and intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Findings

The papers in this special issue reflect four thematic areas: (1) the nature of interactions between the police and individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities; (2) police interactions about individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities with criminal justice systems, social services and mental health services, (3) experiences of the police when encountering individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and finally, (4) the experiences within police encounters of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Originality/value

Research on intellectual and/or developmental disabilities is still in its infancy, particularly within the field of criminology and criminal justice. This special issue brings together innovative international research that adds critical information surrounding the nature of interactions between the police and individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, the experience for both parties during that interaction and the context of these interactions in the larger organizational ecosystem of criminal justice organizations and social service agencies.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 45 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 February 2022

Natalie Persadie

Neurodiverse conditions, or developmental disorders, are neither well-known nor understood by the general population in Trinidad and Tobago. Awareness of, or sensitivity toward…

Abstract

Neurodiverse conditions, or developmental disorders, are neither well-known nor understood by the general population in Trinidad and Tobago. Awareness of, or sensitivity toward, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in particular, is lacking in Trinidad and Tobago. Generation A is those persons who will reach adulthood in the next decade or so and be seeking employment opportunities. Given the current challenges faced by persons with ASD in securing and maintaining employment and the fact that this is a generally underexplored area of research, focusing on Generation A provides an opportunity to explore what provisions are in place for individuals with ASD to assist with future transitions into the workplace in Trinidad and Tobago. This chapter focuses on the existing policy, legal, and institutional framework in Trinidad and Tobago for ASD in the workplace, with particular reference to Generation A, to determine how it is currently addressed and what accommodations are being made to facilitate this demographic. A review of ASD-related data and select, relevant policy, law and institutions in Trinidad and Tobago has revealed that very few preparations, if any, are being made to facilitate Generation A individuals' entry into the workplace. The most relevant sector for addressing ASD needs falls to the NGO movement, but these organizations do not focus on employment preparation. Several recommendations for the key stakeholders in this process have been made that can assist in this regard.

Details

Generation A
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-263-8

Keywords

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