Pedagogical intersubjectivity, autism and education: can teachers teach so that autistic pupils learn?

ABSTRACT

Effective pedagogy and inclusive practice are located within the quality of learning relationships and the context-sensitive, moment-to-moment professional judgements made by teachers within learning interactions. In particular, good teachers are able to align themselves with pupils’ subject positions, though this experience of relatedness within learning interactions is a bodily one that is mundane and mostly overlooked. The aim of this article is to explore whether this account of learning, that crucially involves a shared way of being minded, is adequate to describe the learning of pupils on the autism spectrum. Problems with the idea of ‘pedagogical intersubjectivity’ in relation to autism are noted. Using personal accounts of learning interactions and recent micro-level research findings about the competences of autistic children in favourable interactional ecologies, it is argued however that experiences of relatedness in learning should be considered as important for autistic pupils too. It is concluded that a key aspect of good practice in relation to autism and education is that teachers are able to critically reflect on their bodily experiences of interaction with autistic pupils as a way of deepening their understanding and developing their professional practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism
• pedagogical intersubjectivity
• experiential body
• teacher understanding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Carmel Conn is a senior lecturer in the School of Education, Early Years and Social Work at the University of South Wales in the UK. Her research focuses on processes and practices in inclusive education in relation to disabled children and children with additional learning needs (ALN), particularly those on the autism spectrum. She is currently working on a number of research projects including postdoctoral research into the learning interactions of autistic pupils who are achieving within the mainstream sector. She is also working on a large-scale evaluation of ALN systems in Wales and research to investigate the impact of recent curriculum reforms on pupils with ALN.