Someone's URSA Experience 2022

For the past two weeks, I have been studying and researching Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and all of its facets. It has been fascinating researching and really diving into the many theories and conclusions that scientists have come to over the years. ASD has been studied for over 40 years, when the original diagnosis appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980. ASD came to be known in 2013, where Asperger’s disorder, Autism disorder, and Pervasive Personality disorder and others were converged into the umbrella term of ASD. I focused my research in specifically ASD, and I tried to stay away from looking into those other disorders since they are outdated.

I started with the basics and took a dive into the symptoms and known facts of autism. ASD is usually charictarized by social behaviors and restrictive behaviors. Some social behaviors that are common are: making little or inconsistent eye contact, not responding or seemingly being uniterested in conversation, difficulties in imaginative play, and difficulties in adjusting behaviors in social situations. Repetivite behaviors can include: repeating words or specific phrases, being more sensitive to light and sound, and being intensly interested in specific topics such as facts or numbers. People with ASD are often very talented in certain areas such as art and math, and often can remember things in detail for long periods of time. The cause of ASD is not known, although there are known genetic factors that may be linked to a child developing ASD. Such factors are: having older parents, having a sibling with ASD, and having low birth weight. There are many theories on other factors, such as chemical exposure, but these have not been studied enough to be sure. A common misconception is that vaccines cause autism, but this theory has been proven wrong many times.

While looking into the causes of autism/ ASD, I found some correlations between ADHD and ASD and an overlap between ASD and Depression. I found two studies done on these occurrences, and the results are fascinating. The first study I found, on the comorbidity of ADHD and ASD, goes over the differences between the disorders, but also looks into the correlation between the two, and found that approximately 1 in 8 youth who had ADHD also had ASD. They also reported that 40-70% of children with ASD had comorbid ADHD. The study went over the many similarities and differences between these and went over why these are still separated. Some of the main similarities that were found between ASD and ADHD are difficulties in communication/social interactions and Executive Functions. The study also found that neurotypical children make snap decisions about other children with ASD/ADHD and do not continue to engage with those children, but they do this for completely opposite reasons, “The social difficulties of individuals with ASD appear more due to the absence of positive behaviors (e.g., social approach, eye contact) rather than the presence of negative behaviors [52]. Conversely, the social difficulties of individuals with ADHD are more likely due to the presence of negative behaviors such as interrupting and intruding on conversations [53] suggesting differences like social impairment across diagnosis.” Nonetheless, it was extremely eye-opening to read about how often these disorders occur with each other, and how much they overlap. It leads me to wonder how often a child gets a wrong diagnosis based on how much they overlap with each other.

The study on the correlation between Depression and ASD tells a similar story as the previous study. This study was conducted mainly by self-reports from two groups, people diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, and people diagnosed with ASD. Unsurprisingly again, the symptoms were found to overlap significantly, and it was also found that adults with ASD often have worse depression and have more feelings of sadness and stress than the other group. This can be due to several reasons, the biggest one being that adults with ASD often feel socially inept, and have a much harder time communicating and interacting with other people due to their autism. They also studied two phenomena of ‘worry’ and ‘mastery’. Worry is described as a dysfunctional cognitive emotion regulation strategy for dealing with stressors. Mastery is described as the extent individuals consider that they are in control of their own lives. The study mentions another study on worry in autistic adults, ” In one study, it was reported that worry is (moderately) correlated with autistic traits (r = 0.34; Liew et al., 2015). In another study, it was shown that autistic adults’ perceived control over stimuli impacts their reported sensory sensitivity (Robertson & Simmons, 2015). Especially, how stressful one perceives life, that is, how difficult to master and cope with life’s stressors, seems to have an impact on quality of life of autistic adults”. Mastery has not yet been studied in autistic adults, which is very surprising. The results of these tests showed that the depression group reported more autistic traits, more worry, and less mastery than the same-age control group. This shows that there is indeed a strong relationship between depression and autism, as the study expected.

One piece of my research took a darker turn, as while I was researching autism and organizations that research and try to help those with ASD, I found an organization called Autism Speaks. This organization was founded by the grandparents of an autistic child, who wanted to fund research and spread awareness of the disorder. Though they may have started with good intentions, they, unfortunately, took a wrong turn down the line and now are known for their bad promotions and fear-mongering videos. One such video, titled ‘I am Autism’, is set up in a similar way that horror movies are and paints a bleak picture of autistic children and people. The founder, Bob Wright, has also supported anti-vax protestors and propaganda, stating that ‘there is no definitive answer’ when speaking on whether vaccines cause autism or not. This only spread more misinformation on vaccines and autism, which is the exact opposite of what this organization was built for. A video series on youtube is available on Autism Speaks, chronicling much more than what I described here. The series also covers other groups that spread misinformation and one group that even supports drinking bleach as a cure for autism and other mental disorders. Most of the information in these videos is extremely disturbing, so I chose not to write about it. However I reccomend watching and sharing this information, as I feel it is very important that I put the word out about this organization so more people know to not support Autism Speaks.

Even though my research took many turns where some were darker than others, this was still extremely fascinating to learn about. I intend to learn much more about ASD, as there is so much to learn and more to discover. This research also helped me discover things that I had never really thought about. It was interesting to learn about this and I hope that I can apply what I have learned to my social and professional life.

More to come soon,

-Chloe

This week I dove deeper into how neurodivergent students learn, specifically I focused on ADHD and how teachers and parents can be better for their children and students. I also interviewed my roommate, who has ADHD themselves. I asked them about their education thus far and what worked well and didn’t work. I asked them what needs to be changed for the better, and what they said was nearly the same as my research concluded this week.

My research before the interview was mainly on being better for the students from the point of view of teachers and parents of children with ADHD. I tried to find out first what students need in the classroom and see what the adults around these children can do to ensure that these students feel comfortable and can learn just as well as any other child. The first thing that all of my research suggests is that keeping the learning environment comfortable and calm is a huge priority. If a student with ADHD is ‘acting out’ or making distractions then it is key that the teacher does not make the student feel guilty or embarrassed. Teachers should not shame any child or do activities that can lead to an environment where grades determine status or intelligence. An example that explains my point is posting grades of students for everyone to see or telling students who scored lowest on an exam/test. These types of activities pit students against each other and foster an environment where grades determine worth and intelligence. Some students with ADHD may feel ‘dumb’ or less than already because they have a harder time focusing and remembering material so making sure that they know they are not less than any other student.

Some other things that are extremely helpful in terms of classrooms are:

• Focusing on child’s needs like getting rid of distractions or giving them extra help on activities 
• Helping with organization
• Seat a student where there are fewer distractions.
• Give instructions that are clear and brief.
• Have simple classroom routines and rules.
• Be warm, encouraging, and positive.
• Praise efforts.
• Guide kids to slow down and take their time.
• Give prompts to stay on task.
• Give breaks to move around in the classroom.
• Give extra time to complete work.
• Teach students how to check their work.
• Teach study skills such as taking notes, reading aloud, and prepping for tests.
• Break down multi-step projects and assignments into smaller parts.

These are simple things that can also help other students regardless of if they are neurodivergent. Some of these things also just create a positive learning environment which is extremely important for all students. Teachers can also take a course online about how to further support ADHD students through CHADD’s Teacher Education Course. CHADD is the national resource for ADHD and they also have a Teacher to Teacher hotline where teachers can ask for advice on how to better support their ADHD students.

During my interview with my roommate, I asked them what needs to be changed in the school system today. They said that the biggest thing that helped them in school was when teachers checked in. They said that clear communication between students and teachers on expectations, needs, and going over one on one about plans (such as a 504 or IEP) are the most helpful things teachers can do. They also mentioned the same things my research before had concluded, clear instructions and expectations, breaking down assignments, praising efforts, extended time, and they also said that hands-on activities are helpful. Many neurodivergent students are tactile learners, so this is not surprising. At the end of our interview, they said that when they really enjoy learning a topic, they hyperfocus on it and therefore, retain most or all of the information. They said they really enjoyed Algebra 1 in High School, so they hyper-focused on it and succeeded greatly in that course. This connected back to my previous research on play in learning. It seems that through my experience and research so far when learning is fun and intriguing, all students succeed more than average. I anticipate that the rest of my research will conclude the same thing, but I am yet to discover what is next.

Until next time,

-Chloe

This week was an interesting one in terms of who I got to meet and my research. I was very lucky to meet Cyra Sadowl of Airway Science for Kids, a non-profit based in Portland that is currently changing the aerospace industry. I also got to do some research on different techniques of teaching. In my research this week I focused on what neurodivergent actually means and I began to dig into how people learn, starting from early age and preschool.

When discussing what I should research this week, my mentor sent me to a video series on Swedish preschools. It sounds odd at first, but these videos were very eye-opening to me. People who have grown up in the United States or in other similar countries know that early education is prioritized heavily and that learning how to read and write is seen as crucial for young children. They do it a bit differently in Sweden. In their preschools, they focus on learning through play and letting the children be children. In fact, most children in Sweden don’t learn to read or write until around the age of 7. It is simply not a priority to these schools. They are given activities that are fun and adaptive, where the children are learning about the world around them, but without testing, questions, or analyzing any of the information. One quote that stood out to me in the videos was one of the first things said, “imagine a school where play and relaxation are paramount”. I think that is a perfect description of their preschool system. The whole idea is to teach without teaching, and learn without learning. That may sound contradictory, but it really just means is they let the children adapt to their environment and learn about the world around them.

Another thing that I think is important to keep in mind when analyzing the Swedish preschool system is the amount of trust placed in the teachers. The teachers are not held to any standards, state mandated curriculum, or anything. The teachers are trusted as the professionals that they are. It allows each teacher to adapt their teaching and teaching style to their specific group of children, which builds on the idea of personalized and better education. There is no mandated pace at which the kids have to learn at or test at, so it also removes all of the stress from the environment. This lets both the teachers and students feel comfortable and at ease during the school day. The Swedish system lets the children learn without requiring proof of learning, so once they begin reading and writing they do not see it as stressful and have all of the skills necessary to succeed already. Their system is adaptive and intuitive, something desperately needed in the U.S.

Learning about the Swedish preschool system really opened my eyes, and it helped me further understand what is needed for education in the U.S, especially for neurodivergent students. After doing some research on neurodivergent conditions and the side effects of them, it made me reflect on my own education as a neurodivergent person. I also asked my roommate, who is also neurodivergent how they dealt with and taught neurodivergent students. We both agreed that they expect us all to be the same. The curriculum, the teaching styles, and sometimes even the pace is the same as all other classes, even when its a class for students who are behind or neurodivergent. I also noticed that in the Swedish preschools, they make the schools feel like a home. The school has soft lighting, and comfortable chairs and it is laid out much like a house is. The school is a comfortable place to be in, which is exactly what neurodivergent students need. Neurodivergent students succeed when they are given the tools and environment to relax and decompress. For example, soft lighting helps make environments comfortable and relaxed, and helps with visual disorders. Another example is comfortable seating, which is better for students who tend to move around more or have ADHD. There are a lot of things that we can take from the example of Swedish preschools and adopt them into neurodivergent education.

Hope you enjoyed reading, and I’ll see you next week,

-Chloe

This week I was lucky enough to meet and talk to Crya Sadowl of Airway Science for Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing aviation education and experiences for underserved youth. They’re based in Portland, and through their hard work, they give kids wonderful experiences all for free. Cyra is a leading member of their team and is dedicated to making all of their experiences and education as accessible as possible for all students to enjoy. I asked Crya some questions about her job at the nonprofit, to see how they are catering to underserved and neurodivergent youth to better my understanding of where the industry can go forward and help my research on neurodivergent students.

I first asked her how she got into this industry since her background is in middle school education. She found a connection, and they started up the aerospace education program now known as Airway Science for Kids. She says that the field is extremely exclusive now, but the current line of professionals is largely made up of older men, so there is a need for a new age of employees. I asked Cyra about the favorite parts of her job, and the least favorite parts. She said that the joy of being able to bring these experiences to all types of children is her favorite, and that she can always see their grin that just says, “I did this” after their flight experiences. With the least favorite bits, she says that the field is not very inclusive and its always an uphill battle to get more diversity in the aerospace industry, saying, “They are comfortable with their control” and that many changes are needed such as inclusivity and accesibility.

Since my research is based on neurodivergency, I asked Cyra how they cater to neurodivergent students and make sure that their activities are accessible for everyone to enjoy. She said that they do different things for different situations, for example, with on site activities in their building, they use softer lighting and alternative lighting to soften the room. They also use white noise in the background, and they have ‘brain breaks’ where the kids can go to a separate room and do different calming and relaxing activities. When they are doing presentations in a classroom, they have copies of the information printed in the font verdana, which is proven to be easier to read for people with dyslexia. In the presentations themselves, the use graphics and each slide only has a single piece of information, to declutter the screen and make it easier to read and understand. She said that she tries to put in the idea of “learning your own way” in these different situations, and that many neurodivergent people have their own specific ways of doing that and the best way to help them is to let them do just that. In these simple ways, they are creating an accessible and innovative program that all students can enjoy.

Towards the end of our conversation I asked how she deals with the hardships of the field. Because of how exclusive it is, people are waiting for their failures and when they inevitably happen it is something that those individuals point to as example for why the field can’t change. She said, “there is liberation in owning your own failures”, and that as long as you keep your head up it will get better. I also asked her how she deals with that and what people should know about the field. She said that they do things now, and apologize later. She also wishes that people would know that there are resources for everything, and you just have to dig to find what you need.

This interview was very eye opening to me, as I had no idea that the field was so exclusively male and unadopting to change. However, it is people like Cyra and organizations like Airway Science for Kids that are changing the game. They are working tirelessly to change that exclusiveness and bring forth a new age of pilots and aerospace professionals. I highly encourage everyone to go check out their page and see how this Portland-based operation is changing this industry in the most positive way.

See you next week,

-Chloe

Learning in today’s school systems is often one-sided. Usually, after someone passes kindergarten, play is seen as something that is distracting. It’s not used in classrooms anymore and it is almost demonized after that age. Why is that? Schools are so afraid of play and informal learning, and it’s an awful thing. Informal learning is one of the best ways that people and children retain information. This week I did research on informal and experiential learning in all ages. I found that learning through play and experiences is one of the best ways for learning, and not just in children.

As we know, children learn through their play. They learn through trying things and they learn to think creatively and interact with other people and other children. Play is extremely important for development in small children. Play is also important for adults, maybe not for learning necessarily, but for interacting socially and for relieving stress. So the question is, how can we shift learning for adults into this stress-free play? Experiential learning is by far the best answer. Experiential learning is learning through doing things. Much like children learn through playing house and chase, adults learn by doing. Some examples of experiential learning include hands-on experiments, fieldwork, research, internships, and more. (Experiential Learning Article)Experiential learning has a couple of things that it needs to accomplish to be the most useful and memorable for the people participating in it:

• Reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.
• Opportunities for students to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for the results.
• Opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or physically.
• A designed learning experience that includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes, and successes.

This is what makes a successful experience for learning in adults. The most important of these are the opportunities to engage creatively and socially. Thinking back to how children play, they learn those same skills in their play. With that in mind, experiential learning is really just playing with skills that adults learn later in life such as analysis, initiative, and reflection.

What have we learned from this? Adults need play too. We need to be silly sometimes and we need to get rid of the stress that comes with daily adult life, but this doesn’t have to be swinging on a jungle gym or just purely playing. It can be through experiences. Anything that stimulates our brain to think creatively, to engage in a different way than we usually would. That is play for adults, and it is also learning for adults. We often forget that adults are just grown-up children, so maybe it’s time we find that again and start engaging with others in a new way.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next time.

-Chloe

My first week working as a URSA mentee was an interesting one, to say the least. My mentor asked me to study the differences between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, *arts*, and math). At first glance, one might think that the Arts in STEAM are all focused on traditional arts such as painting and dance. It’s not. The arts in STEAM are taught through soft skills. Art is being able to think creatively and communicate new ideas. STEAM is trying to reintroduce the skills that schools didn’t deem necessary as part of STEM education.

I found a quote that really helped make it understandable, “When looking at STEM vs. STEAM, the difference lies in the way they approach scientific concepts. STEM focuses explicitly on the hard scientific, technological, engineering, or mathematical skills to drive progress or create a new concept. In STEAM curricula, per The Conversation, students leverage both hard and soft skills to solve problems.” (https://www.ucf.edu/online/engineering/news/comparing-stem-vs-steam-why-the-arts-make-a-difference/). That one letter difference is extremely important, as those soft skills are really what makes us human. Those skills are being able to communicate your ideas and present them, being able to work efficiently in a team, and also thinking creatively and when trouble comes by you can think of a new solution. That’s why it is so important, and right now companies and businesses are looking for people who have both the right technical skills and those exact soft skills.

Another way I could explain it is by using the example of Leonardo da Vinci. possibly one of the greatest artists ever known, but also an inventor. Leonardo’s inventions were ingenious, but what would those inventions be if he didn’t have the creativity to think of them in the first place? How would he have been able to come up with those ideas if he didn’t already have a creative skillset? These are the type of things that companies are wanting in employees.

So that’s what I learned this week, but next week I hope to build on that. I hope I can get to see the arts education more and maybe start looking for an opportunity to see this in action. Maybe with enough research, I can build a better curriculum to teach to students. I’m not sure. either way, I’m excited for what this week has in store for me.

Till next time,

-chloe

My name is Chloe. I’m a mechanical engineering major, and I’m in my second year here at Oregon State. I have a lot of interests,  but sadly no time for them usually. I love to run and be outside, it's where I find my peace and where I can just exist. I also love music and being a musician. I've played the flute for nearly a decade and I was raised around music my whole life, it's another thing that comforts me when I need an escape. 

My goals and dreams are not far off from many others, I want to be happy and do what I love, and if it helps others too it's perfect. My ultimate goal is to be a robotics engineer, and build things never seen before or use what has been done and make something better. If I were to get my dream job I would work at disney, and design and build rollercoasters and the animatronics inside and around the parks. As for my education, I want to just be able to graduate and go on to do what makes me happy and chase my aspirations. 

Many have asked me why I applied to the ursa program. I applied to grow my connections and begin finding out what it really means to be an engineer. Classes are just in theory, hardly ever do you get to really use the skills we learn in the true format that they are used in. I specifically applied for this project because of one other passion I failed to mention previously, my love for sharing my passion of STEAM. I love being able to share that piece of me with others, and being able to be the type of person who inspired me to go on in the steam subjects. If I were able, I would spend my life not only building rollercoasters and giving people joy, but also teaching and helping others learn. I know it is lofty, but what else are we supposed to dream of besides lofty aspirations we one day hope to achieve? I hope that through this program I can begin to achieve those lofty goals I have. I hope to grow into an engineer, and not just study the skills of one and drown myself in physics and calculus homework. I want to be better, and know better for my future. 

This all might sound like a tedtalk, so forgive me for being ambitious and passionate. I hope you stick around to see the journey, and I hope my progress and knowledge I gain through this can be of help to you to, dear reader. 

More to come soon,

-Chloe