Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum

There is a need to rethink functioning and the role of universities that implement inclusive education, understood as high-quality education for everybody, available at all levels of education  because of the increasing number of neurodiverse people (with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other disorders...

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Main Authors: Ryszarda Cierzniewska, Dorota Podgórska-Jachnik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ignatianum University Press 2021-12-01
Series:Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://czasopisma.ignatianum.edu.pl/jpe/article/view/2006
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author Ryszarda Cierzniewska
Dorota Podgórska-Jachnik
author_facet Ryszarda Cierzniewska
Dorota Podgórska-Jachnik
author_sort Ryszarda Cierzniewska
collection DOAJ
description There is a need to rethink functioning and the role of universities that implement inclusive education, understood as high-quality education for everybody, available at all levels of education  because of the increasing number of neurodiverse people (with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other disorders classified as neurodevelopmental).. The aim of our hermeneutical work is an attempt to identify opportunities and limitations on an empirical and theoretical level for creating conditions for the inclusion of students defined as neurodiversity. The research material consists of published own and other authors' studies, and the direction of exploration is determined by the following questions: Are there theoretical and empirical premises for the claim of full inclusion in the academic education of neurodiverse students? What are the research-related limitations that constitute a barrier to the academic inclusion of neurodifferent adolescents? The theoretical background of our work is the theories of social constructivism as defined by Alfred Schűtz, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The research revealed theoretical and empirical premises confirming the validity of the claim regarding the inclusion of neurodiverse students in academic education due to the intellectual potential of young people, their high self-awareness and the need to provide a growing number of neurodiverse students with conditions for maturing to self-determination in adult life. In Poland, but also in other European countries, the number of students diagnosed with an autism spectrum is not monitored at the national level. Single studies conducted in Poland indicate the similarity of the problems of this group of students with the results of explorations carried out in other countries, and include dropout during the first year of studies, difficulties in relationships with peers, a feeling of loneliness, and a low level of employment after graduation. A large number of people with autism spectrum does not study at all. One of the barriers may be the availability of higher education, which is related to the cultural and economic status. This aspect has not been taken into account in Polish and international research. There was also little dissemination of the idea of neurodiversity, which may be important for the perception of students with the autism spectrum.
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spelling doaj.art-7b7847d4a0ef4ae78cb3a75a45cf05b02022-12-22T02:05:41ZengIgnatianum University PressMultidisciplinary Journal of School Education2543-75852543-84092021-12-01102 (20)10.35765//mjse.2021.1020.04Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism SpectrumRyszarda Cierzniewska0Dorota Podgórska-Jachnik1Jesuit University Ignatianum in KrakowUniversity of Lodz, Poland There is a need to rethink functioning and the role of universities that implement inclusive education, understood as high-quality education for everybody, available at all levels of education  because of the increasing number of neurodiverse people (with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other disorders classified as neurodevelopmental).. The aim of our hermeneutical work is an attempt to identify opportunities and limitations on an empirical and theoretical level for creating conditions for the inclusion of students defined as neurodiversity. The research material consists of published own and other authors' studies, and the direction of exploration is determined by the following questions: Are there theoretical and empirical premises for the claim of full inclusion in the academic education of neurodiverse students? What are the research-related limitations that constitute a barrier to the academic inclusion of neurodifferent adolescents? The theoretical background of our work is the theories of social constructivism as defined by Alfred Schűtz, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The research revealed theoretical and empirical premises confirming the validity of the claim regarding the inclusion of neurodiverse students in academic education due to the intellectual potential of young people, their high self-awareness and the need to provide a growing number of neurodiverse students with conditions for maturing to self-determination in adult life. In Poland, but also in other European countries, the number of students diagnosed with an autism spectrum is not monitored at the national level. Single studies conducted in Poland indicate the similarity of the problems of this group of students with the results of explorations carried out in other countries, and include dropout during the first year of studies, difficulties in relationships with peers, a feeling of loneliness, and a low level of employment after graduation. A large number of people with autism spectrum does not study at all. One of the barriers may be the availability of higher education, which is related to the cultural and economic status. This aspect has not been taken into account in Polish and international research. There was also little dissemination of the idea of neurodiversity, which may be important for the perception of students with the autism spectrum. https://czasopisma.ignatianum.edu.pl/jpe/article/view/2006neurodiversitybarriersautismdyslexiaADHDuniversity
spellingShingle Ryszarda Cierzniewska
Dorota Podgórska-Jachnik
Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education
neurodiversity
barriers
autism
dyslexia
ADHD
university
title Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
title_full Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
title_fullStr Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
title_full_unstemmed Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
title_short Neurodiversity and (Semantic) Space for the Academic Inclusion of People on the Autism Spectrum
title_sort neurodiversity and semantic space for the academic inclusion of people on the autism spectrum
topic neurodiversity
barriers
autism
dyslexia
ADHD
university
url https://czasopisma.ignatianum.edu.pl/jpe/article/view/2006
work_keys_str_mv AT ryszardacierzniewska neurodiversityandsemanticspacefortheacademicinclusionofpeopleontheautismspectrum
AT dorotapodgorskajachnik neurodiversityandsemanticspacefortheacademicinclusionofpeopleontheautismspectrum