Introduction to my research

This Blog is intended to introduce and keep people up to date about the progress of my doctoral research into the effectiveness of video as an educational tool for autistic people.

The current qualifications I hold which are relevant to this task are a CertHE in Autistic Spectrum Disorders and a PGCert Autism Adults from the University of Birmingham School of Education and an HND in Media (moving image).

I have also assisted with and produced two autism videos/DVD's myself.

My other personal involvements with autism include being a trustee and councillor of the National Autistic Society and a participant in various on and off line groups of autistic people

My research is based with the Autism Centre for Education and Research at the University of Birmingham and my supervisor is Dr Mitzi Waltz.

My research will involve an extensive literature review within the fields of education and media/film studies combining the two areas of my interest and expertise in an innovative way.

The methodology will involve two groups of autistic people, and one control group of non autistic people, who will be watching specific videos, answering questions and being involved in specific tasks.

In addition there will be research of a more qualitative nature utilising focus groups and more general interviews, looking also at the perspectives of the industry and markets for education videos in autism and the current use of video in education.

Research subjects will be drawn from as wide a demographic base as possible and the innovation I intend to introduce, for those research subjects who are interested is the ability to comment. critique and inform the work in progress via a separate electronic mailing list which I have set up for this purpose.

I believe this research is of some importance and relevance, when one considers the amount of video material that is being produced, the presumed power of media in our lives and the lack of a research base into how autistic cognitive styles affect the perception of and ability to learn from the moving image.

Laurence Arnold FRSA