Key Information
About the content
Do you live or know someone who lives with autism? Explore diagnosis, the autistic spectrum and life with autism on this online course from the University of Kent.
First identified over 70 years ago, autism is a lifelong developmental disability affecting how a person communicates with and relates to others, and how they make sense of the world. It is a spectrum condition; all people on the spectrum share certain difficulties, but their condition affects them in different ways.
Around 700,000 people in the UK are on the spectrum, 1 in every 100 people. There are no blood tests or brain scans that will detect autism - so what exactly are we talking about?
Syllabus
- What is autism
- Social communication skills
- Sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours
- Co-occurring conditions
- Strengths and difficulties of people on the autism spectrum
- Lived experiences of people on the autism spectrum
Instructors
Jill Bradshaw
Dr Jill Bradshaw is a Senior Lecturer in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and a Speech/Language Therapist -Tizard Centre, University of Kent. She has been working in this field for 25 year
Fiona Gullon-Scott
I am An Associate Lecturer with the Tizard Centre and Lecturer at Newcastle University. A Chartered Psychologist, I have specialised in autism spectrum conditions for over 22 years.
Content Designer
Platform
FutureLearn is a massive open online course (MOOC) learning platform founded in December 2012.
It is a company launched and wholly owned by The Open University in Milton Keynes, England. It is the first UK-led massive open online course learning platform, and as of March 2015 included 54 UK and international University partners and unlike similar platforms includes four non-university partners: the British Museum, the British Council, the British Library and the National Film and Television School.
