Kathleen McCarthy
Research Details
Thesis Name
Proficient by whose standards? Do teacher education programs and accreditation processes marginalise Autistic teachers, and how might the Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012) reframe professional standards toward a neuroinclusive practice.Thesis Abstract
Background: In Australia, all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses require the completion of a portfolio of capstone tasks to determine teacher accreditation and proficiency. Now a proficient Autistic ADHD (AuDHD) teacher, I began interrogating the intersection of my AuDHD identity with the ITE accreditation and proficiency process (the accreditation process). A review of the literature revealed a gap in addressing the intersection point of AuDHD teacher’s experience with the accreditation process. This autoethnographical research critiques this gap through neuro affirming frameworks and theories, contributing to the discourse of ITE accreditation, and teacher education more broadly.
Aim: This research will interrogate the intersection of my AuDHD teacher identity and experience with the ITE accreditation process through a neuro-affirming lens, contributing to a more inclusive approach to the ITE accreditation process.
Methods: Initial data collection methods include text and audio journaling, completed capstone tasks and feedback, all collected during the completion of the portfolio of capstone tasks. The data analysis method used is reflexive thematic analysis; an iterative process that will engage with Critical Disability Studies (Minich, 2016; Schalk, 2017), Critical Autism Studies (O’Dell et al., 2016; Woods et al., 2018), and the Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012) to construct themes that will interrogate my experience of the ITE accreditation process.
Significance: The significance lies in positioning Autistic lived experience as valid professional and Autistic expertise, contributing to the development of a neuro-affirming accreditation framework and a practical roadmap for inclusive policy and practice.
