Supporting Students with Autism in Engineering Pathways
Presenter: Kanwardeep Singh, Citrus Circuits, Team 1678
This research addresses the underexplored area of supporting high school students with autism in whole class engineering instruction. Drawing on insights from eight high school First Robotics Competition teachers across the United States, the study employs a DisCrit and Social Cognitive Career Theory framework. Through interviews and surveys, the study investigates three key questions: the current employment of universal design for learning (UDL) strategies by STEM/engineering teachers, the challenges they encounter in supporting autistic students, and their methods for promoting inclusion and belonging. Findings reveal that teachers utilize multimodal instruction, anti-ableist mindsets, and methods for checking understanding.
About Kanwardeep
As a current high school Engineering and Robotics teacher, I focused my dissertation and research on diversity and inclusion. My dissertation focuses on strategies, accommodations, and best practices that support students with Autism, which is a research field I have been working since my undergraduate years at UC Davis, throughout my Masters and my Doctoral studies.