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Graphical Abstract
Abstract
In the last two decades, precollege engineering education has become more prevalent. At the same time, the number of children diagnosed with autism is rapidly growing. Over half a million children with autism will enter adulthood in the next decade (CitationRoux et al. 2013). Therefore, more than any time before, it is important to provide effective and appropriate engineering experiences for children with autism so that they can gain technology and engineering expertise, as well as competencies to become users and innovators of technology. Although some researchers have investigated the engineering thinking of elementary-age children, very few have focused on that of neurologically different children. Therefore, there is a need and opportunity to develop research-based engineering resources for neurodiverse children. In line with the call to diversify engineering education and support the engineering learning of all children, a group of researchers at Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering has started investigating aspects of neurodiversity in engineering education and developed a set of engineering activities for children with autism. Below, we share a design activity developed to engage children with autism in engineering.
Author Contributions
Hoda Ehsan ([email protected]) is a graduate student in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Elizabeth Gajdzik ([email protected]) is the assistant director of the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Monica Cardella ([email protected]) is the director of the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering and an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Hoda Ehsan
Hoda Ehsan ([email protected]) is a graduate student in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Elizabeth Gajdzik
Elizabeth Gajdzik ([email protected]) is the assistant director of the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Monica Cardella
Monica Cardella ([email protected]) is the director of the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering and an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.