General Education (GE) Theme courses are designed to provide undergraduate students in all colleges across campus with the opportunity to examine a complex issue of the 21st century through multiple perspectives and disciplinary lenses. Because Theme topics are broad and interdisciplinary, students can choose Themes that complement their major program or that provide them opportunities to explore an outside interest.
Dr. Allison Bean's Introduction to Autism course (SPHHRNG 4530) provides students with an overview of autism through the lens of Health and Well-Being. This means that in addition to learning about the characteristics of autism, students take a critical look at how the social and medical disability models differ in their approach to health and wellbeing in neurodiverse individuals (including individuals with autism) and critically consider how to potentially reconceptualize evidence-based practice given that evidence-based interventions like applied behavior analysis can negatively impact the health and wellbeing of autistic people.
Introduction to Autism is proving to be quite popular, with 212 enrolled between the two sections offered in the AU23 semester.
