EDUC9737 · Education

Contemporary Issues: Neurodiversity, Ableism, and Learning

Lynch School of Education & Human Development

In this seminar, we will explore the concept of neurodiversity in relation to theory, research, educational practice, and disability advocacy. The term neurodiversity originated in the 1990s, and wasintroduced to challenge the notion that neurodivergent people (at the time,referring primarily to autistic people) were broken and in need of fixing.Borrowing from the concept of biodiversity, neurodiversity involves the radicalstipulation that autism and other forms of neurodivergence represent natural forms of human variation, and neurodivergent people should be granted full human rights, autonomy, and support. After taking this course, students will understand the past, present, and potential futures of the neurodiversity paradigm of disability, and the neurodiversity movement. Students will alsolearn how neurodiversity advocates have transformed disability research, and the possibilities for transforming our conceptualization of teaching and learning through a neurodiversity lens. Through a course paper, students will have the opportunity for deeper reflection on current debates within neurodiversity scholarship and connect their learning in the course with educational practice.