Autism Theory and Technology
Illuminates current theories about autism together with challenges faced by people on the autism spectrum. Theories in communicating, interacting socially, managing cognitive and affective overload, and achieving independent lifestyles are covered. In parallel, the course presents state-of-the-art technologies being developed for helping improve both theoretical understanding and practical outcomes. Participants expected to meet and interact with people on the autism spectrum. Weekly reading, discussion, and a term project required. Enrollment limited.
Spring 2011
This course illuminates current theories about autism together with challenges faced by people on the autism spectrum. Theories in communicating, interacting socially, managing cognitive and affective overload, and achieving independent lifestyles are covered. In parallel, the course presents state-of-the-art technologies being developed for helping improve both theoretical understanding and practical outcomes. Participants are expected to meet and interact with people on the autism spectrum. Weekly reading, discussion, and a term project are required.
Readings
- “MRC Review of Autism Research: Epistemology and Causes.” Medical Research Council. 2001.
- Kientz, J. A., R. I. Arriaga, and G. D. Abowd. “Baby Steps: Evaluation of a System to Support Better Record-Keeping for Parents of Young Children.” In the Proceedings of CHI 2009 . Boston, MA. 2009.
- Morris, Robert R., Connor R. Kirschbaum, and Rosalind W. Picard. “Broadening Accessibility through Special Interests: A New Approach for Software Customization.” In Proceedings of Assets 2010 . 2010.
- Herbert, Martha. “Autism: A Brain Disorder, or a Disorder that Affects the Brain?” Clinical Neuropsychiatry 2, no. 6 (2005): 354-379.
- Herbert’s (2005) review paper argues that we need to move away from a “strongly genetic, brain-based model” of autism in favor of a “genetically influenced, systemic model.” Describe some of the implications this shift would have on autism research and intervention efforts.
- Herbert (2006) likens autism to a “canary in a coal mine.” Describe some of the ways that autism can teach us about our modern-day environment.
- Briefly describe the “five levels of understanding” of autism that Herbert (2008) suggests can help integrate basic and practical research.
- Gernsbacher, M. “Learning in Autism.” In Cognitive Psychology of Memory. Vol. [2] of Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference. 4 vols. Edited by H. L. Roediger, III. Elsevier, 2008, pp. 759-772. ISBN: 9780123705044.
- Mottron, et al. (2006) argue that social brain-based models are too narrow to account for “islets of ability” often demonstrated by both savant and non-savant autistics. Name two ways an enhanced perceptual functioning model can better account for these abilities.
- Dawson has criticized the science and ethics of legal and political campaigns to mandate ABA-based autism interventions as “medically necessary” treatment. However, ABA is strongly advocated as “the only method scientifically proven to help autistic children learn.” Given your reading of Dawson, et al. (2008), provide at least two arguments you find compelling to support autistic learning outside of ABA.
- Baron, M. Grace, June Groden, Gerald Groden, and Lewis P. Lipsitt, eds. Selections from Stress and Coping in Autism . Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 70-81. ISBN: 9780195182262.
- Dawson, Geraldine. “A Psychobiological Perspective on the Early Socio-Emotional Development of Children with Autism.” Rochester Symposium on Developmental Psychopathology 3 (1991): 207-234.
- Considering the article by Russo, et al. (2010), what are the possible ramifications for a child with autism having difficulty with multi-sensory integration?
- Describe a technology you think could be developed to enhance one of the six main topic areas Mirenda (2001) describes in her review, i.e., Assessment, Staff/Family Training, Supports for Augmented Input, Supports for Augmented Input + Output, Supports for Augmented Output, and Assistive Technology for Communication and Learning.
- From the Bryson, et al. (2007) and Zwaigenbaum, et al. (2005) readings, come up with two questions: (1) A detail about the papers you’d like clarification on; and (2) A bigger question you have about the findings/work in this area.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: Permission of instructor G (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 2-0-10 units
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2011
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.