Autism

6-7 pages (include citation pg) A number of factors influence how a disability impacts a person. Some are unique to the disability as a neurological and/or biological condition. Other factors are socially related. Examples of neuro-biological impacts include whether the disability influences cognitive processing, sensory capabilities (e.g., hearing), orhealth. Social factors include how others and the environment plan for the individual, the individual’s sense of self-worth and well-being, and opportunities and supports made available, for example. Both neuro-biological and social factors contribute to a disability’s impact on a person. Certainly, one set of factors can interact with the other. For example, a student excluded from physical education due to a health impairment may be, and feel, socially isolated from peers, and may not learn about fitness practices that could improve her/his health; all of that could exacerbate muscle atrophy, and cause the student to become depressed due to lack of exercise, which may further isolate the student as well as cause her/him not to study. Both neuro-biological and social influences are context specific. Difficulty with certain movements may be more of a problem on the playground than in an office setting. The academic writing tasks of school may differ from those required in a student’s everyday life. Autism in a family that believes disability is punishment for ancestors’ transgressions will differ from a family that readily accepts it as just one human difference. It would be an almost impossible task to trace all of the ways that neuro-biological and social factors impact a person. Still, we can easily document specific instances of impact for some factors. How to Write Your Paper You will research a specific disability of your choice I. Brief Introduction (e.g., up to 1 page) Briefly describe a student/person with a disability, focusing on the nature of her/his own disability; that is, name the disability and explain the ways it manifests itself for that individual. This description does not have to be specific to the context you will describe (see ahead). If, for example, your student/person has mild intellectual disability, explain the types of learning strengths and challenges they personally have and any important personality traits or favorite activities; don’t just report the generic list of common characteristics of persons with this condition. Next, explain a specific context for that student/person learning or performing a task you identify (e.g., traveling to school on public transportation, living in a dorm, learning to solve word problems). Provide details of the context, such as the setting, resources available, how the context functions/how persons are expected to function there, and it’s appropriateness for your student/person performing the task you identify. Then, explain the task the student/person is expected to perform in the context you’ve described. If the task is learning to solve word problems in math class, for example, explain how the student is supposed to learn to do that, not just how word problems are solved. It might be a broad task, such as living in a dorm, or a very specific task such as learning to solve word problems. When you explain the task include reference to which aspects are particularly relevant to the person/disability you are addressing (e.g., don’t explain everything about dorm life [please!], just what is relevant for a Deaf student living in a dorm). II. Description of Disability Impact Next, explain how the disability does and could impact the student/person’s performance of the task in that context, cite both neuro-biological factors that influence the disability’s impact and social factors. Go into detail (e.g., don’t just state that persons with ID have memory challenges, explain the nature of those challenges). Provide examples. Also cite reliable sources that explain the impact this will likely involve an ERIC/EBSCO and/or PsycINFO 1 * search (yes, you may also use our textbook) Do Not only use websites. Be sure to explain how the various neuro-biological and social factors you name can relate to one another. Remember not to focus only on challenges. We often associate disabilities with diminished capacity and negative prospects. In some contexts, and for some tasks, disabilities are irrelevant. Also, disabilities can provide certain advantages. If this is true in your analysis be sure to include it. *Pay attention to the challenges that come with disabilities! ! not just challenge III. Outcomes Summary Finally, conclude your analysis with a brief summary of- or prediction of- the task outcomes for your student/person. That is, does the Deaf student live successfully in the dorm?; will the student with mild intellectual disability likely learn to solve word problems in the context you have described? Of course, explain why that outcome occurred/is predicted. Suggested length: 6-7 pages include citation, size 12 font, double spaced, 1” margins, justify (align) left margin only, plus a reference list Tip on Finding Cases If you are/know a student/person with a disability, that may be who you want to focus on. Otherwise, our textbook includes brief descriptions of persons with disabilities and sometimes indicates resources where more details can be found. Personal cases are often published, a little library research should turn up many interesting examples. Borrow a textbook from someone in classes such as Behavior Management, or Reading Methods. Explore the Internet. You may use popular media for this. An appropriate case for this assignment must have enough detail for you to include all of the required sections of your paper; if you are careful to be realistic, you may embellish the details of a case to make it appropriate for this task. Grading Description of the student/person 10 Description of the context 10 Description of the task 10 Explanation of the Behavioral & Affective impact of the disability on the student/person performing the task -detailed explanation of how neuro-biological functioning relates to the task 15 -detailed explanation of how social/affective functioning relates to the task 15 -cited resources for the detailed explanations 10 Outcomes summary -relates description of the student/person to the task and context 5 -clearly supported by information in the paper 15 (i.e., is logical & cites outside resources as appropriate)