A study comparing the way undergraduate textbooks on adapted physical education and autistic self-advocates discuss autism shows there's a major disconnect between the two.
As these textbooks often play a large part in shaping the perspectives and knowledge of future educators and practitioners, the researchers highlight a need to re-evaluate these materials to cultivate more inclusive, supportive environments for all students.
"Textbooks are often the first introduction for many people into a certain field or a certain area," says An Nguyen, lead author of the study published in the journal Quest.
Nguyen, who led the study as part of her master's thesis under the supervision of Danielle Peers, initially had the goal of combining the two sets of information to create a resource that could be used to support physical education practitioners who are looking to create a more inclusive environment.
