feature
Education
lecturers and
researchers
Raj Brij, Assoc
Prof Kerry
Bissaker, left,
and Dr Julie
McMillan,
right, with Prof
Robert Saint
and Minister
Katrine
Hildyard.
Autism friendly schools
Teachers across South Australia are better equipped
to educate students with autism thanks to a State
Government-funded professional learning program for
teachers at Flinders University.
T
he special autism
qualification for 80 South
Australian school teachers
Dr Julie McMillan said
preliminary analysis had
demonstrated increased teacher
Boosting
employment
The University of Queensland
(UQ) is conducting research
to boost employment rates
for Australians on the autism
spectrum.
R
esearchers at UQ Business
School were awarded funding
under the Autism Cooperative
Research Centre (CRC) and Australian
Institute for Business and Economics
was funded over two years at the confidence to develop quality Flinders College of Education, educational programs for students (AIBE) programs to assist in making
Psychology and Social Work. with autism. significant inroads into employment
“The preliminary analysis has rates, which currently sit at 40.8 per
in partnership with Autism SA, also demonstrated development of cent for working age people on the
which provided expert support in whole school teams to support and autism spectrum. This compares
schools to complement the course monitor progress for students with to 53.4 per cent for the disability
learning content. autism and students with special sector generally (Australian Bureau of
needs,” she said. Statistics, 2017).
The course was conducted
The participating teachers from
mainstream and special schools
“We’ve seen improved inclusive
A collaboration by Autism CRC,
across metropolitan and regional school policies; improved school DXC Technology and UQ Business
SA completed the post-graduate teaming, collaboration with School, the research project – which
certificate under the Flinders families, allied health professionals is an Australian-first – will investigate
Autism Scholarship and Research and processes for developing the challenges, learnings and best
Project. personalised learning programs practices of large organisations in
that address the specific needs sustaining autism employment.
Funded by the Department for
The research will be used to
Education and Child Development of students with autism; and in SA during 2016 and 2017, the school social programs designed develop a framework to encourage
program was designed to provide specifically to foster relationships organisations to embrace workplace
sustained, long-term professional with peers and provide supported neurodiversity by recruiting, hiring
development for teachers. play and leisure activities during and retaining adult employees on the
free time. autism spectrum.
Course coordinator Dr Julie
McMillan said teachers developed
“There was also demonstrated
UQ Business School’s Dr Anna
the confidence to support the progress on learning goals for 90 Krzeminska will lead the international
social, communication, sensory, per cent of students over a 10-week research team. She said the study
behavioural and learning of benchmark period.” will help organisations to tap into an
students with autism.
www.flinders.edu.au
otherwise under-utilised and highly
productive talent pool.
44
autism
linkonline.com.au