The Inclusion of Autistic Children in the Curriculum and Assessment in Mainstream Primary Schools

Lead Research Organisation: King's College London
Department Name: Social Genetic and Dev Psychiatry Centre

Abstract

Due to national and international legal and policy agreements supporting educational inclusion, more autistic children are now being educated in mainstream settings, particularly primary schools. However, despite some significant drivers towards the inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools, they are subject to high levels of exclusion. And even when in school, autistic children might experience different forms of segregation, or partial participation only in some parts of the curriculum. In fact, when I examined data from the Department for Education (DfE), I learned that not only were autistic children* performing poorly in primary school tests, but that they might not be taking those tests at all. Therefore, I wanted to find out if and how autistic children were participating in the curriculum and tests in mainstream primary schools, and with what sort of support. I spent five months gathering data in five mainstream primary schools in England, talking to school staff, autistic children and their parents. I also recruited a sample of autistic adults from across the UK: all of my participants provided me with their viewpoints on the issues relating to the education of autistic children. My findings provided some striking insights into the ways in which autistic children access the curriculum and tests, and the factors which influence this. The support they receive emerged as particularly significant, impacting on a range of issues such as their communication, independence and socialisation, as well as their learning. For example, nearly all of the ten autistic children involved in my study sometimes missed lessons to take part in intervention groups or for one-to-one work with their teaching assistant. This factor alone meant that they didn't access parts of the curriculum, providing an important potential explanation for their poor performance in national tests. Or, sometimes it was an issue of their learning style, which was at odds with the teaching methods typically used in schools. In addition, I was interested to find out how the different adult participants understood autism, and what, if any, impact this had on issues such as the educational priorities for autistic children. In the event, my findings suggested that to unquestioningly link autism with difficulties can create problems for autistic children in schools. It can mean, for example, that well-intentioned school staff apply interventions aimed at helping the autistic children, which don't actually help them at all. Therefore, all of these issues, and others that I discovered, have implications for both education and research practices in the context of autism. Over the next year, I will be writing papers on how autistic children can access tests in schools, how to facilitate the involvement in research of autistic children and adults, and the impact of the interests of autistic children on their time in school. In addition, I will be completing a book based on my PhD findings, which is aimed at autism practitioners, school staff and researchers. My intention is to attend conferences, both at home and abroad, where I will present on key aspects of my PhD and make further connections with other interested researchers and relevant user-groups in the autism education field. I will also be writing short pieces for online journals and engage with social media. I plan to develop networks with other research institutions and organisations which deal with the education of autistic children, and extend links with the autistic community. In addition, I plan to further my teaching experience by delivering lectures, seminars and holding workshops. I plan to run a seminar which explores non-verbal communication and how autistic people who do not use speech as a primary means of communication might be able to participate better in research projects, an area I hope to develop further in an academic context in the future. *autistic children as defined in DfE data.
 
Title How I Communicate conference 
Description I organised a conference called 'How I Communicate' in order to showcase and explore in greater depth some of the key findings from my PhD in relation to autism and communication. The entire event was funded by my award: for example, the event was free to attendees and I was able to provide expenses and a small fee for the autistic presenters who were not employed by an academic institution. The ideas behind the conference had been initially developed at the 'Autism Fringe' event in Glasgow, as part of the Scottish Autism conference in 2018, where I ran a session on autism and communication (as summarised in the 'Engagement Activities' section). Although there were some academic presentations, 'How I Communicate' was not a typical conference, as I aimed to reflect the theme of the conference in its content and format. It took place at the Westminster Quaker Meeting House, chosen because it is a quiet environment which would be suitable for the high number of autistic presenters and attendees. Most of the presenters were autistic and presentations included art work, theatre performances (via video) and music which demonstrated not only the creative talents of the autistic presenters and others, but exemplified the many ways in which autistic people communicate. Another presentation, by a member of the Deaf community, added a further dimension to this event. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact Feedback forms were given to delegates and the approval ratings were very high. I wrote an article in The Psychologist about the presentation. I hope to organise another, similar conference for 2021, where the ideas and approaches from 'How I Communicate' will be developed further. I am in the early stages of planning this event in conjunction with a colleague from University College London, who I was able to develop further links with during the UCL Changemaker event (summarised on the 'Engagement Activities' page. 
URL https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/how-i-communicate
 
Description A major part of the award was intended to enable me to develop and disseminate my research findings from my PhD. Therefore, the main aim was not to create new research findings as such, but to explore in greater depth those from my doctorate in relation to autism, education and inclusion.
Through the various activities of the postdoctoral Fellowship funded by this award, especially those relating to public engagement, I was able to disseminate broadly the key aspects of my research, both nationally and internationally. This process included small, local events and larger, international stages.
Being based at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre of King's College London was beneficial to me in a number of ways. I was fortunate to have as a mentor a senior academic with a high international standing in the autism research field, and I learned a great deal from her and other colleagues. The atmosphere I worked in was one of academic excellence and professionalism, but it was also supportive and nurturing, enabling my self-confidence to grow. I attended several seminars at the university on a range of research topics and was involved with groups such the Diversity and Inclusion group at the ASD-Special Interest Group at Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. In addition to my current full -time senior lectureship at the University of East London, I am also a visiting Research Fellow at King's and a member of an autism research lab, led by my former mentor.
During the time of the award, I was also able to extend considerably my networks with universities, charities, professional bodies and stakeholder groups. These activities, combined with my publications and presence on social media, meant that I was able to facilitate a shift in perceptions and contribute towards a better understanding of how to successfully include autistic children and young people in school. I believe I also demonstrated that essential insights can be gained by incorporating the perspectives and views of autistic children and adults in autism education research. I was also able to highlight the importance of including autistic people with limited speech in research, an area which is often neglected in the autism research field. Moreover, amongst the various researcher, professional and stakeholder networks I was able to develop and extend, those which are autistic-led have been the most significant, as they are run by the community that my research is intended to serve.
I am now regularly invited to speak at conferences and other events: this was not the case prior to the award. Therefore the award has contributed considerably to my public profile. I am also a reviewer for a number of journals: Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research; Educational Review; Journal of Early Childhood Research; Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Autism.
During the course of the award, I also applied for two further, externally funded fellowship awards and, although I was not successful, the process was useful and instructive and would not deter me from applying for similar awards in the future. I also applied for university posts, and was successful in being appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of East London.
The various activities associated with the award also enabled me to develop a new research project, which was initiated during the current award and launched subsequent to it, in relation to autistic school staff. This project marks an important new phase in my research and I hope to apply for further funding to be able to develop my initial findings, using the knowledge and insights I gained during the postdoctoral Fellowship funded by this award.
Exploitation Route The background to my PhD study was the high level of educational exclusion experienced by autistic children in the UK. I hope that my findings, which are now available in various formats, will enable relevant stakeholders to understand how to improve the well-being, learning, educational inclusion and longer-term outcomes of autistic children and young people. My findings particularly apply to staff in education settings, but are also relevant to associated professionals, medical practitioners, local authorities, charity workers, parents, academics and early career researchers, as well as autistic people (who may well also fall into the previous categories). In particular, I hope that the shift towards a strengths focus, rather than an impairment focus, in autism practice and research, will continue to be developed by relevant stakeholders. I also hope that further insights will be developed to help the agency and participation of autistic people with limited speech in both research and practice.
My new research project aims to explore the factors which enable autistic educators to be confident and fulfilled in their work. Supporting a more diverse workforce in schools will also potentially have a reciprocal, enabling impact on autistic children and young people in schools.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare
URL https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inclusive-Education-Autistic-Children-Classroom-ebook/dp/B07Q4RBR2Y
 
Description In 2019, I won the postdoctoral prize for impact with non-academic audiences at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre of King's College London as a result of my public engagement work. My book was published in 2019 in London and New York by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. It has received five-star reviews on Amazon. One review, from a parent, includes the following comment: 'I already know this book will be an incredibly useful tool to help me navigate my child through his education.' An endorsement states 'I urge all educators to embrace the key messages in this book', and a senior academic advises that 'Dr Wood's highly readable book deserves to become a classic.' I have also been invited to speak at conferences in connection with my book, and have been invited to give a talk at the Autism Show at the Excel Centre in London on the key themes of my book. The attendees at speaking events I have already detailed include practitioners and autism trainers, some of whom inform me that my research will influence their work. As well as the book, book chapters and journal articles published during the time of the award, it has been important to disseminate my findings in accessible formats. These have included an article in The Psychologist magazine (published online July 2019), an article in the BERA blog and another in Share magazine (the latter two both published December 2020). In addition, I have published accessible summaries of my research on my own blog (woodbug.blog), which receives reads from over 60 countries, with the US representing the second highest number of views. I have also been active on Twitter, where I have 3K followers. During the course of the award, I gained over one million Twitter impressions, most of which were linked to my research. For example, a single tweet about a journal article received 23K Twitter impressions; another about an article in The Psychologist gained 14K impressions and one about a book chapter in a book about the Radio 4 programme 'The Archers' received 25K Twitter impressions. I have also been in touch with one of the producers of Radio 4 in connection with my research. I have received numerous complimentary tweets from readers of my book in different countries, including from education practitioners, who assert that the book will influence their practice and be used as part of training. Thus, while it is difficult to provide more concrete evidence of impact at this stage, the responses on social media are an indication that this is taking place. During the time of the award, I also carried out some teaching activities for autism and special education practitioners at the University of Birmingham, as well as mental health practitioners at the Anna Freud Centre in London, where one of the students wrote that it was an 'incredibly interesting and well-delivered topic.' I also ran a seminar on my research at the ASD-Special Interest Group at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. The audience consisted predominantly of medical practitioners, such as psychologists, psychiatrists and speech and language therapists. Some attendees reported that the findings from my research would have a positive influence on their work and clinical practice in relation to autistic children and adults. My research informs my own current role as a Senior Lecturer in Special Education, where my book is now on reading lists. I have also been able to update course modules, establish more inclusive approaches to assessment (which was part of my research) and introduce students to the most recent findings, debates and methodologies in the autism and inclusive education fields. Many of the students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, work in education settings, usually in a special education role. I also supervise a PhD student who I am able to guide in a similar way. I have been informed by course leaders at other universities that my research, including my book, is on the reading lists of autism courses. The conference I organised, called 'How I Communicate' was successful in its own right, as indicated by the feedback forms and the response on social media. A high number of attendees were autistic, and delegates also included parents, practitioners and researchers. 100% of those who completed feedback forms (n = 42) rated the presentations as either 'good' or 'excellent', and one tweet read 'Privileged to be listening today to artists, researchers, composers, advocates etc. at #HowICommunicate conference today - all such excellent presentations, and so much for me to learn. Thank you for organising'. I hope to plan further conferences and events, building on the work of the 'How I Communicate' conference. I have also managed to develop links with national charities such as Autistica, the National Autistic Society (NAS) and Scottish Autism who are all aware of, and supportive of my work. I have presented at a number of their conferences, and the NAS and Scottish Autism have both hosted book launch and signing events as part of their conferences. In addition, my research has been disseminated with the Pan London Autism Schools Network- Research, of which I am a member. This group, run by the Centre for Research in Autism Education at University College London, consists of practitioners, researchers and senior academics, and so represents an important forum for the discussion and dissemination of research.
First Year Of Impact 2018
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare
Impact Types Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Appointed expert advisor to National Autistic Society
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Dogs for Good charity: training session. I carried out a training session with the charity Dogs for Good who train support dog for people with disabilities and autistic children.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact When running the training session, I discussed how adopting more of a social model approach, rather than a medical model, would enable those training dogs to support autistic children to better target their support needs. This means that there is more of an emphasis on enabling access, rather than remediating impairments. The charity reported that this would help them to change their support model: this was also evidenced in some of their social media outputs immediately following my training session. They also recorded the session with a view to using it in their own future training.
URL https://twitter.com/DogsForGoodUK/status/1085486312419921920?s=20
 
Description Autistic School Staff Project
Amount £97,877 (GBP)
Organisation National Autistic Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2019 
End 12/2022
 
Description Autistica 
Organisation Autistica
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution I was appointed to the Autistica Language and Communication group. Autistica is a national autism charity with a strong focus on research. The Language and Communication group consists of academics, early career researchers, speech and language therapists and community members (i.e. autistic people) and parents. The purpose of the group was to establish research priorities for autistic people in the area of language and communication. It was therefore, in principle, an opportunity to share my research findings and to discuss those of others, and for these to be incorporated into research projects aimed at supporting autistic people across the age range.
Collaborator Contribution I am not aware of any direct outputs at the current time.
Impact No outputs to report with which I was involved. However, this activity did enable me to extend me links with the charity.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Pan London Autism Schools Network - Research (PLASN-R) 
Organisation University College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This is a network of educators and researchers in autism across the south-east of England which meets three times a year. It is run by the Centre for Research in Autism Education at University College London. Some of the schools represented also conduct research, and so it is very much a two-way process, ensuring the research informs practice and vice versa. Since joining this network, I have shared my research findings on two occasions. I have also shared with them my work with the charity Dogs for Good, who train dogs to support autistic children in schools. The practitioners in this group were particularly interested in this aspect of my research, because many of them work in schools where there is a therapy dog. The group also held a book launch for me soon after my book was published. The network also helped to circulate a survey I developed as part of the current award (but was finalised and launched after it was completed). Therefore, this network has enabled me to keep abreast of current issues in relation to autism and schools, to disseminate my own research findings, as well as to learn about other research projects, both from schools and academics, at a very early stage of their development.
Collaborator Contribution The work of PLASN-R is very important as it brings together research and practice in the education field in a very dynamic way. This has resulted in a number of projects by members of the group, both nationally and internationally, and has been linked to publications too.
Impact PLASN-R operates, inter alia, as a forum within which research projects can be discussed and developed. It helps schools and researchers to develop research priorities and faciliates the research of autism education practitioners. However, there are no specific projects linked directly or solely to the group.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) 
Organisation Participatory Autism Research Collective
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution This is an autistic-led group which runs seminars and conferences. I have attended some seminars and presented at both of their conferences in 2018 and 2019.
Collaborator Contribution I was able to present and discuss my research with an autistic-led community: this is important because my research is intended to serve that community. I was also able to extend links with individual autistic researchers and activists. Although I became involved with the group before the current award started, the funding I received from the award enabled me to develop further my links with the group and present at their conference in 2019.
Impact I believe that the links I have been able to form with this group were a factor in having a book chapter accepted for publication (in press, edited by members of PARC), and in being invited to submit a further book chapter (in preparation, co-edited by the co-ordinator of PARC).
Start Year 2017
 
Description Respect Lab 
Organisation King's College London
Department MRC Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (SDGP)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Research lab run by Professor Francesca Happe at King's College London\
Collaborator Contribution A research and discussion group focusing on key topics in the autism field.
Impact No specific outcomes to report
Start Year 2019
 
Description Can You Teach Me As I Am? 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This was an online conference run jointly by Scottish Autism and As I Am Ireland in which the focus was how to understand autistic children in school settings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Conference presentation: Autism Europe 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Autism Europe' is the largest autism conference in Europe and takes place every three years in a different city in Europe. This was in Nice, and the venue was a very large conference centre. The auditorium where I gave my presentation spread over six floors and can hold 2,400 delegates. This was therefore the largest platform I have ever been given for my research. Some presentations (including mine) were recorded and uploaded onto the internet for free access. The main impact and reach was across social media. My book had also been published at this point, and so this event helped with the international publicity for my book.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjNq73Iyv...
 
Description Conference presentation: Autistica 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I gave a presentation at the Autistica conference at the University of Reading. Autistica is a national autism charity and their conferences are the only autism conferences in the UK devoted entirely to research. Therefore my presentation was part of a number of presentations on the most up-to-date autism research in the UK. Presentations are uploaded onto the internet, and so have a much wider reach than the immediate conference audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.autistica.org.uk/get-involved/research-conference/discover-conference-livestream/session...
 
Description Conference presentation: Participatory Autism Research Collective 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was a presentation on my research at the Participatory Autism Research Collective conference at South Bank University in London.
My presentation was well-received by an enthusiastic and responsive audience, many of whom were autistic. I also learned about some important areas of research from the autistic presenters who are based at different universities in the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://participatoryautismresearch.wordpress.com/2019/05/12/parc-conference-4th-june-schedule-annou...
 
Description Conference presentation: Scottish Autism 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact I carried out two activities at the Scottish Autism 2018 conference. The first was a joint presentation with an autistic colleague who had helped me to recruit participants for my PhD. The topic was some of my research findings, combined with my colleague's insights on the same area.
As part of this same conference, there was an 'Autistic Fringe' event which was run by autistic researchers. As part of the Fringe, I ran a session on autism and communication, a key aspect of my PhD findings and an area I wished to develop in the future. This event helped me to develop my ideas for my own conference (on autism and communication) which I organised the following year as part of the current award (summarised in the 'Artistic and Creative Products' section).
This was a relatively small event (approximately 200 delegates), and the Fringe was even smaller. However, the presentations were made available on the internet and the fringe event was highlighted on autistic-led websites. It was interesting and gratifying to present to an autistic audience, who were interested in and supportive of my research.
I was subsequently invited by Scottish Autism to give a key note presentation at the following Scottish Autism conference in 2019. The deputy CEO of Scottish Autism also provided a strong endorsement for my book which was published the following year (during the current award). She has continued to promote my book in various ways since that event, including arranging a book signing at the Scottish Autism 2019 conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://participatoryautismresearch.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/scottish-autism-parc-fringe-programme-f...
 
Description Connected by Autism 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact Sparked discussions online about the issues concerning autistic teachers and other autistic school education staff.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I presented on my research into autism and communication to this three day autism festival which included a number of creative activities and workshops as well as academic presentations. A high number of the participants and attendees were autistic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Keynote address Reframing Autism (Australia) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I was asked to present on my research into autistic children (in connection with this award), as well as to talk about my more recent research.
The feedback, via the conference organiser, was very positive:
"We've just wrapped up your keynote and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your wonderful presentation. Without gushing too much, it was powerful and thought-provoking, and the audience were so engaged with what you presented! We had so many Autistic teachers in our audience, and what you said resonated so deeply with them."
"Thank you Dr Wood - excellent!"
"Thank you to Rebecca Wood (if you read this). I'm a bit of a blubbery mess right now and your work is so valuable"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://gems.eventsair.com/2023-reframing-autism/
 
Description Presentation: ASD-SIG group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact I gave a presentation to the ASD-Special Interest Group at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. The audience consisted of students and professional practitioners such as psychiatrists, psychologists and speech and language therapists, as well as some senior academics. My presentation was well-received and some attendees asserted that my research findings would have a positive influence on their practice.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Quality of Communication: University of Kent 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact I was invited to attend a workshop entitled 'Quality of Communication' in which researchers from the University of Kent shared their research into communication with people with learning disabilities in care settings. I also learned about other projects in relation to autism and communication support, and was able to engage with a number of researchers during the event. Overall, it was a very interesting and instructive event which was useful to me as a researchers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Seminar Queen's University Belfast 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I was invited to meet a group of Masters students to discuss my first book, which was part of their core reading list. The students asked me questions about the book.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Seminar: ARCH 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was a seminar at King's College London as part of the ARCH autism research group. The group reported being interested in the different perspectives that my research brought.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Seminar: Autism Rights Group Highland 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact This was an event in Inverness, organised by Autism Rights Group Highland (ARGH) in order to present my research. Two members of ARGH also gave talks. Funded by my postdoctoral fellowship, this was a way of thanking ARGH who had supported me in my recruitment of participants for my PhD. Although it was a very small event, it was very important from the point of view of engaging with (and thanking) an autistic-led group. It was useful to be able to show them the outcome of their support. The same group has continued to support my postdoctoral research since that event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL http://www.arghighland.co.uk/inclusiveeducation.html
 
Description Seminar: SGDP Centre 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I gave a presentation on my research at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, where I was based at King's College London. Given that the audience were of varying degrees of seniority and many had expertise in medical research, this was an interesting opportunity to present on my qualitative research study to such an audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Workshop presentation: UCL Changemaker 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I was asked to present on my research at University College London as part of their 'Changemaker' series. The focus of this event was participatory research. My presentation sparked some interesting conversations with attendees and it also enabled me to further my links with colleagues at other universities as well as with autistic advocates.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018