Macquarie University lecturers Dr Tai Neilson and Dr Helen Wolfenden delivered Australia’s first autism-friendly journalism course to participants of the ABC’s new series, The Assembly. Dr Neilson and Dr Wolfenden share their insights and reflections in this Q&A and in the videos below.
1. What was involved in the delivery of Australia’s first autism-friendly journalism course for participants of The Assembly?
Tai: Helen and I teach journalism and radio, so we adapted content from our regular classes to create the autism-friendly course. We wanted the students to receive a strong foundation in journalism, develop practical skills, and of course focus on interviewing before their date with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. We first created an overview of the course and then had conversations with experts from Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) and the producers of the show. Aspect provided training in the lead up and we also did our own research on universal design for learning and neurodiversity in tertiary education and spoke to experts across the university. We adjusted our lesson plans along the way to incorporate students’ interests and make sure the content was delivered in a way that accommodated their needs. In practice, this meant working late nights and making lots of revisions!
2. How was the course delivered to students and what was the final output?
Helen: The first step was to take part in a comprehensive training day, conducted by Aspect, before moving into the teaching element of the course. We were conscious that many of the students had difficult experiences of education, so we wanted to ensure we provided the opportunity to experience formal learning in a completely different way. At the start of each day, we had a check-in to ensure students felt welcome to be themselves and so they had a clear schedule for how the day would progress. After the initial three-day training intensive at Macquarie University, the filming weeks were split into a journalism training day, an interview prep day with Leigh Sales and an interview recording day. While we were shooting at Macquarie, students had hands-on access to the wonderful facilities in 10 Hadenfeld Avenue, including the green screen lab and the radio studio. It was incredible seeing the reactions of the students as they entered these spaces.
3. What were some of the main considerations when creating the course?
Tai: When we started creating the course we didn’t know who the students were or what specific accommodations they would need. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of things and, on top of that, many autistic people have other diagnoses. So, more than anything, we had to be prepared for different student needs and be prepared to change our approach. It was important for us that the students felt welcome and comfortable being themselves, so as Helen mentioned, we used an inclusion statement in the first class and made sure the structure and schedules of our lessons were always clear. We were explicit about the rationale for each lesson and exercise.
Helen: Aspect provided useful information for us to consider when creating and delivering the course which included always being clear about the ‘why’ behind what we were doing and structuring enough down-time and non-teaching spaces for students. We also learned about using ‘Easy English’ which focusses on simplified and concise communication. We incorporated multi-sensory experiences, so the course had a combination of visual, text, sound and even taste elements. In one class the students took part in a listening exercise while eating popcorn with eye masks. As we progressed through the course we adapted our materials to the interests of the students we were working with and included examples that related to their lived experiences.
4. How did the students respond to the course?
Helen: The students were so engaged and responsive throughout the course and found it really energising. They took joy in the way people were investing in their learning in a holistic way which was tailored, personalised and autism friendly. We learned so much from working with Aspect and how to adapt the course to ensure it kept accommodating to people’s needs. It was such a rewarding experience. A special ‘behind the scenes’ episode of The Assembly sees Leigh Sales meet up with five students to reflect on their time. You can watch this episode, and all episodes from the series, on ABC iview.
5. What are some of your key reflections from adapting and providing this course?
Tai: We needed to make learning a positive experience for the students, many of whom had experienced difficulty in school. Some had been told they could never attend university, yet here they were. Coming to campus was a momentous occasion for them and it was a joy teaching students who were just so happy to be here and have the opportunity.
Helen: It was a completely collaborative experience where each person, from Aspect, the production crew, the students and Tai and I, played a role in creating a supportive and productive environment. As the core Macquarie team, the partnership between Tai and I was key in supporting one another and building on each other’s expertise.
6. Are there any takeaways that will stay with you in your teaching?
Helen: Precision, clarity and language considerations are some of the biggest takeaways I have from delivering the course. In higher education there is a level of sophisticated language that should be prevalent in certain contexts, but not all, like describing assessments. Having a clear indication of purpose, clarity around processes and content pacing are things I will be mindful of in my teaching. There are a lot of things I’ve learned from this process that I would like to try in my conventional teaching and I’m looking forward to exploring what tangible adjustments I can make in the classroom for students. Aspect uses ‘visual stories’ to help prepare people for new situations and they are a valuable resource in helping students find classrooms, understand expectations and prompt boundary-setting conversations to take place.
7. Why is The Assembly such an impactful and important show?
Tai: The show will increase the visibility and the opportunities for neurodiverse people working in the Australian media. All the students who completed our course were offered internships with the ABC after the show wrapped. Most of the students who took part already had an interest in the field. The group included community radio hosts, students from Bus Stop productions, and authors. There were also neurodivergent people working behind the scenes as part of the production crew. I think it’s safe to say The Assembly was transformative for all involved. I hope its legacy will include continued collaboration among the partner organisations and that it will open more doors for autistic people.
Stream all episodes of The Assembly now on ABC iview. Check out more behind-the-scenes content below.
