Goals of this presentation To situate our work in the specific context of Landmark College To examine some constructs of autism spectrum disorders To share various narratives about ASD, including the narratives of students at LC To contextualize our work as composition teachers

Lynne Shea John Kipp Sara Glennon Landmark College, Putney Vermont In Their Own Voices: Self-Reflection on the Composition processes of College students with Asperger’s or “High Functioning” ASD

Landmark College

Landmark College Narrative  Founded in 1985 for students with dyslexia, or specific learning disabilities  Students with ADD as dx. approximately 1990  2012: Explicit marketing to students on the spectrum  Learning diversity model rather than disease/disability model

Medical Narratives  Narrative of pathology  Current Diagnostic Categories: PDD-NOS, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism, Childhood disintegrative disorder  Labels are not that useful: diverse set of learners  Yet, a medical dx. helps students find Landmark, gives incentives, provides legal protection

Medical Narrative: DSM-V  May 2013: Merge sub-types of ASD into one disorder, distinguished by severity and features Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (2012) Proposed DSM- 5 criteria for autism spectrum disorders

DSM-5 Proposed Criteria  A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction  Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity  Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction  Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships  Need to meet criteria for all three

DSM-5 Proposed Criteria (cont.)  B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of the following:  Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects  Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change  Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus  Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment

Educational Narrative  School has often been challenging for our students  Students have failed elsewhere or there is sufficient concern to come directly from high school  A strengths based approach within a deficit model  Paradox: assimilation vs. focus on strengths

Theoretical Narrative Theory of Mind Weak Central Coherence Executive functioning

Here we presented a variety of writing samples from students with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. We do not have permission to use these outside the context of our CCCC presentation at this time.

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN OUR COLLEGE WRITING CLASSROOMS? Implications

Assignment Design: Topics 13 Support for Topic selection Clear objectives for assignments Flexibility in topic choice Bridges from familiar to unfamiliar topics

Assignment Design: Process 14 More and less explicit or directive suggestions Individualized and flexible strategies

Assignment Design: Form and Structure 15 Models and sample papers Genre expectations Use of templates

Support during the process 16 Checking in Discovering beliefs and “rules” for writing Coaching through “blocks”

Audience Awareness 17 Concepts of “writer-based prose” and “reader- based prose” Identify specific audience(s) Multiple readers

Response 18 Respond as a reader Options for modes of response Assignment goals and criteria

Student Metacognition 19 “Writer’s Memos” and reflective writing Writing as a tool for self-understanding

Writer Centers & Academic Support 20 Facilitating use of centers Self-advocacy Getting necessary support

Final Thoughts 21 Direct and explicit communication Rapport and understanding Developing college writers Diversity of needs and abilities