inspire a world of good BIOETHICS OF AUTISM Securing Children’s Moral Compass Mona Indargiri, Graduate Student & Felicity Crawford, Ed.D Wheelock College, Boston The UNESCO Chair in Bioethics 9th World Conference, Naples, Italy November 19, 2013

inspire a world of good The capacity to understand others’ subjective mental states – A crucial skill for negotiating social relationships – Supports emphatic systems (Kidd & Castano, October 2013, Science) THEORY OF MIND

inspire a world of good AUTISM AFFECTS MOSTLY MALES The impact of deficits in one’s Theory of Mind (ToM) can have far-reaching consequences. Example: Leads to breakdown in one’s interpersonal and intrapersonal skill development

inspire a world of good SEL Involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to: – understand and manage emotions, –set and achieve positive goals, –feel and show empathy for others, –establish and maintain positive relationships, and –make responsible decisions. (National Research Council, 2009, 2012; Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki,Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Goleman, 2005; Greenberg et al., 2003) as cited by Center for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, 2013, p.6. DEFINITION: SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

inspire a world of good The intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies identified on the previous slide (i.e. managing emotions, feeling and showing empathy, setting positive goals, establishing positive relationships and making responsible decisions) can be taught and measured. Research shows that students with these skills do better in school and in life. INTRA AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

inspire a world of good Dr. Pedro Noguera identifies why SEL is important: Dr. Mary Helen- Immordino Yang, neuroscientist, identifies cognition (thinking) and emotion as inseparable: See video Emotion and Cognition: ?dis=U&num=02 Video on social and emotional development: ence.html JUSTIFICATION FOR SEL (EXAMPLES)

inspire a world of good Single most important factor in one’s life outcomes – 5 core competencies in SEL Self-management Self-awareness Responsible decision-making Relationship skills Social awareness SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)

inspire a world of good Explicit SEL instruction Integration with academic curriculum Teacher instructional practices ESTABLISHED APPROACHES TO SEL

inspire a world of good WHAT HAPPENS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHERE RESOURCES ARE SCARCE?

inspire a world of good Implies a reflective example of ethical issues When it comes to disparities in resources and access to established approaches in developing countries, what is our collective responsibility? BIOETHICS…