A Comparative Study of Autism Communities Around the WorldCarmen Mitchell

University of LouisvilleBrown Fellows Class of 2014

Brown Fellow Enrichment Project Long-Term Goals:

1. To learn about the educational, clinical, and therapeutic resources as well as the presence of formal research and advocacy present in select Autism communities, both through formal classroom study and on-site exploration

2. To apply such knowledge into practical application through volunteer work and laboratory research in Autism

Louisville• Psychology major and Middle East & Islamic Studies

minor taking courses related to neuroscience, including developmental and physiological psychology, that provide the foundation for learning about Autism

• In 2011 ,began developing relationships with various organizations including the University of Louisville Autism Center, the Kentucky Autism Training Center, and St. Andrews Academy

• Learned that while the city has a wide range of services for people with Autism and their families, as a whole many of the services, especially therapies and private schools, are too expensive for the average family and there is a limited amount of financial support available

San Diego• Attended the International Meeting for

Autism Research • Met with multiple doctors and

researchers from the Middle East and Europe, as well as the United States

• Learned that most advanced neurobiological and genetic research is taking place at in the United States and the United Kingdom, but there is emerging research and also strong advocacy in the Middle East

London• Took course on comparative special education in

the US and the UK • Visited school where children with special needs

were well integrated into mainstream classrooms• UK has one of the best systems for services with

children for special needs, both public and private, and follows a tracking system similar with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in the US

2011

Summer 2012

2013

Amman• Studied at Al-Ahliyya Amman

University for ten weeks on a Benjamin Gilman Scholarship, taking four classes:• U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle

East – Evaluating the history of the political relationship between the U.S. and its implications on present day international relations

• Gender in Islam- Muslim women’s depiction in the Quran and in mainstream society

• Islamic Art and Architecture- The history and analysis of artwork throughout the major Islamic dynasties

• High Beginning Arabic

• Also participated in the East/West Initiatives Youth Forum, sponsored by the government

• For three days spent time touring Amman, volunteering in refugee camps, visiting religious monuments and exchanging dialogue related to culture and tolerance with participants from Jordan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, and the US

• Also had the opportunity to meet with two Autism advocates in Jordan:1. Architect forming an

advocacy group through social media for Autism Awareness in Amman

2. Washington D.C. based marketing executive who founded a support group for mothers of children with Autism; also an advisor for the Jordanian ministries of education and social work, wrote laws mandating better public services to children with Autism

2012 Project End Results:

1. Through experiences in and out of classroom, given in-depth exposure to Middle Eastern history, culture, and religion in the Levant Middle East, and understanding the history of the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East,

2. Made critical relationships with the emerging Autism leadership in Jordan and learned more about educational systems for Jordanians with Autism

Future Plans• Also while in Jordan, visited Doha for three days and met with several

doctors from the hospital and special needs centers• Shafallah Center for Special Needs one of the most advanced centers

in the region, and provides therapies and classroom services for children with Autism; minimal amount of people certified in ABA, or services for adults with Autism

• Received invitation to complete month-long dual internship in Doha for one month in winter 2012; Will be working in the pediatric clinical wing of hospital in Doha and the Autism unit of the Shafallah Center for Special Needs assisting in the early childhood intervention classrooms

• Working with Jordanian advocates and policymakers to hopefully institute in the future exchange programs between universities in Jordan and the University of Louisville Autism Center focusing on special needs educational training and professional development

• In the Summer of 2013, participating in full time research, either in the Infant cognition lab here at the University of Louisville, or in another state doing molecular, genetic or neuroimaging research