Presuming competence: troubling the ideal student

ABSTRACT

Using [Canary, D. J., & MacGregor, I. M. (2008). Differences that make a difference in assessing student communication competence. Communication Education, 57(1), 41-63. doi:10.1080/03634520701635133] prototypes of ideal and less-than-ideal student communication behaviors, I rhetorically analyzed participant interview transcripts from young adults with an autism spectrum diagnosis for representative behaviors to determine the implications of such prototypes. Participants revealed that they feel chronically misunderstood by their communication partners. This research offers communication instructors and scholars a better understanding of communication produced by students with an autism spectrum diagnosis. It also challenges use of a normative communication lens to read so-called ideal student communication behaviors such as motivation and participation. It calls for communication experts to expand their own communication competence and to be mindful of the opportunities students have available to represent their interests and skills in the classroom.

KEYWORDS:

• autism spectrum diagnosis
• critical communication pedagogy
• communication competence

Notes on contributors

Allison D. Brenneise (Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, 2018) is a Lecturer and Course Director in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities.

Acknowledgements

I express all my gratitude to the participants without whose generosity there would be no study. I want to thank Dr. Molly Wiant Cummins and Leah D. Kari for investing time and attention in support of an early draft of this essay. I have no conflicts of interest to report for this manuscript.