Autism and Asperger's syndrome are part of a range of conditions incorporated under the term autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). This article will aim to define these conditions and explain the differences between them, clarify some of the myths about their aetiology and equip the reader with the specific knowledge to diagnose, refer and manage patients with ASDs as effectively as possible.
Background
Inclusion health groups experience a significantly larger burden of morbidity and mortality than the general public. Despite this, undergraduate medical education is often limited in its approach to inclusion health curricula, leaving students disengaged and lacking understanding.
Methods
We conducted two research studies to explore medical students’ experiences of inclusion health education. All participants were studying medicine at the University of Leeds at the time of data collection. We gathered experiences of both compulsory and elective inclusion health education via semi‐structured interviews. Interview responses were audio‐recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.
Findings
We identified several key findings across the two studies.
Firstly, medical students felt unprepared to work with inclusion health groups.
Further to this, medical students have a preference for interactive teaching and learning in inclusion health education.
Finally, encountering inclusion health groups by chance (on placement) or choice (optional initiatives) present different opportunities.
Discussion and Conclusion
Our research suggests that simply being exposed to inclusion health groups through lectures and on placement is not considered sufficient by medical students, and in fact can lead to the perpetuation of misinformation and stigma.
Participants perceived that optional initiatives or ‘choice encounters’ had profoundly positive impacts on attitudes and interest, particularly when there were opportunities to learn directly from individuals with lived experience of exclusion. We suggest that a flipped classroom approach to inclusion health education along with integrated experiential learning would provide medical students with comprehensive and patient‐focused learning opportunities.
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