Autism and intuitive practice as the art of the prevailing middle

Mike Murphy, Elizabeth J. Done*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Jordan insists that teachers should be free to exercise their professionalism and that respect for difference is integral to that professionalism. For Connor, this implies teachers who can critically consider the discourses available to them as practitioners. The authors draw upon the philosophising of Gilles Deleuze to develop an account of teaching and learning as an autonomous creative process in which teachers contribute to rather than strictly control outcomes. This account of teaching as processual following resonates with Jordan's vision of equity for autistic or neuro-atypical pupils and compassionate professionalism. It rests less easily with intensive behaviourist-training programmes and educational cultures premised on the assumption that outcomes can, and should, be pre-determined and precisely engineered. From a Deleuzian perspective, ethical practice is the interplay of conceptual, perceptual and affective knowledge, and it is suggested that intuitive practice involves a similar interplay along with numerous contextual considerations. A Deleuzian theory of simulation is initially outlined and accords with the emphasis placed by Jordan on reimagining an educational system in which all pupils are valued and supported to develop their varied talents and teachers are free to assess the suitability of particular methods for individual pupils.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)272-279
    JournalJournal of Research in Special Educational Needs
    Volume16
    Issue number4
    Early online date5 Nov 2014
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2016

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