‘You don’t look Autistic’: Supporting Autistic Women’s Successful Transition to Postsecondary Education | Sandra Law
Introduction
My project will develop a toolkit that can be used by educators to support autistic women transitioning to postsecondary education. Women often do not receive an autism diagnosis until they reach their mid-thirties, forties or even fifties which means that they do not receive the educational, vocational and other supports provided to people who do receive an early diagnosis (e.g., in childhood). This delay is caused by parental and even professional misconceptions about kinds of behaviors that are typically autistic, which are generally only typical of males who have the condition, not of all autistic people. Autistic women are known for masking their autistic behaviors so that they can more easily ‘pass’ as neurotypical. However, the effort they make to ‘fit in’ can take a heavy toll on their mental well-being.
These masking behaviors have consequences for women, such as, increased frequency of melt downs and shut downs once the women or girls arrive home after a work or school day. A combination of masking and the likelihood of a later diagnosis can lead to the development of comorbidities like anxiety and depression, conditions that can complicate women’s successful transition to postsecondary education. It may also mean they will need a greater range of supports to persist and succeed in postsecondary education.
This exhibit will provide you, the visitor, with an opportunity to explore the experience of autistic women by viewing and listening to selected online content that has been created by autistic women from all over the globe. You will also have an opportunity to participate in a meme creation exercise that will allow you to explore your own challenges transitioning to postsecondary education (e.g. greater independence and responsibility) and compare them to the challenges faced by autistic women as recounted in memes, blog and Twitter posts, podcasts, and online videos.
Meet Sandra
Sandra Law
Learning Designer, Researcher, Writer
Sandra is a Learning Designer who currently works at an online university in western Canada. She has a background in the sciences, social sciences and education. Her interest in web accessibility began in 2003 when she was working as a technical writer and pursuing a Master of Education degree in Educational Technology from the University of Alberta. In her capacity as Learning Designer she has worked on several courses and projects advocating for greater accessibility of online instructional content, such as, developing online math content in MathML. She also chaired the eCampus Alberta Universal Design for Learning (UDL) subcommittee which created a series of modules for postsecondary educators on how to incorporate UDL in their practice. She completed a PhD in Educational Technology from the University of Calgary in 2011 with a focus on educational game-based learning. Her decision to enroll in the Master of Inclusive Design program at OCAD University was motivated by a desire to meet like-minded individuals and to explore the role that inclusive design can play in improving the participation rates of individuals with disabilities in postsecondary education.
