Develop your insight and skills to better understand how attention works in autistic people.
In this course, you will explore the concept of attention and its impact on autistic people. Given the potential benefits of attention on broader academic attainment and inclusion for this population, this course will help you reflect on your own practices and develop and use tools to assess and teach attention in autistic children at school.
What topics will you cover?
- Autism
- Models of attention
- Attention and learning
- Technology and autism
- Attention in autism
- Attention training
- Computerized progressive attentional training (CPAT): how it works and case studies
Learning Outcomes
- To get an understanding of key areas of difficulties for autistic people but also the uniqueness of each individual
- To be introduced to the different attention functions
- To understand why attention is a key factor in learning
- To get an overview of the unique ways attention is presented in autistic people
- To understand how attention can be taught
- To reflect on the main reasons technology can be an effective tool to teach autistic individuals
- To be trained in how to use an evidence-based App to improve attention in autistic children
Week Titles
- Week 1: Introduction to autism and attention
- Week 2: Attention and learning in autism
- Week 3: Technology and attention training
- Week 4: Computerized progressive attentional training (CPAT)
Entry requirements
The MOOC is open to everyone who has an interest in autism or/and attention but it is highly recommended for educational professionals and therapists who work with individuals with autism from all over the world.
Lead educators
In collaboration with Lilach Shalev (Tel Aviv University) and Gerardo Herrera (University of Valencia). The MOOC is one of the deliverables for Erasmus+ Programme, KA2, Project Agreement Number 2019-1-UK01-KA201-061560.
How to apply
Apply now at the FutureLearn website.
Related courses
If you enjoy this course, why not take your studies further. For those interested in extending their learning, you may be interested in the MA Inclusion. This programme offers 5 pathways, (including Autism Adults and Autism Children), to investigate inclusive practice through multiple lenses and specialisms.
You may also be interested in the new MSc in Development and Neurodiversity, which will be introduced in the 2023/2024 academic session. In this program you will learn about conceptualisation of development and neurodiversity across the lifespan using advanced research methods for studying development. The program is designed to equip you with up-to-date tools for understanding development and individual differences in development (including autism and ADHD). For more information contact: I.A.Apperly@bham.ac.uk.
What is a MOOC?
A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course - these are free, open, online courses designed to offer a taste of Higher Education to learners from across the UK and the world. The University of Birmingham is delivering new MOOCs in partnership with FutureLearn, the UK’s first MOOCs provider established by the Open University.
Delivered by world-class academics from the University of Birmingham, the courses enable learners worldwide to sample high-quality academic content via an interactive web-based platform from a leading global University, increasing access to higher education for a whole new cohort of learners.
The courses have been developed by senior academic staff and their content is quality-assured in line with our other programmes. The courses do not offer credits towards admission to the University of Birmingham.