About Me

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I have been an elementary and secondary school teacher and administrator. Currently, I am a faculty member in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. My M.Ed. and Ph.D. had a focus on the educational and linguistic experiences of children who moved from other countries to Canada.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Article on autism and social skills

I recently collaborated with two colleagues at other Ontario post-secondary institutions to write this article on supporting the development of social skills with children on the Autism Spectrum:

Education Canada - Autism

Although we have seen a dramatic increase in the prevalence of autism in North America, it's interesting to consider whether this is a "local" phenomenon or is it something being witnessed globally?  There is very limited diagnostic evidence examining autism in the developing world.

One very interesting study looked at Somali children and the rise of autism rates when they live in North America. The study considered the "gut factor", that is, how a change in diet may contribute to autism. Check out this documentary from CBC that was broadcast in 2012:

The Autism Engima - Nature of Things

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