TESOL Spain Convention 2025 , Burgos: Agnieszka Dzieciol-Pedich - Classroom Management and Materials Development for Autistic Students
TESOL Spain Convention 2025, Burgos Agnieszka Dzieciol-Pedich Classroom Management and Materials Development for Autistic Students On the final morning of the TESOL Spain Convention in Burgos, Agnieszka Dzieciol-Pedich gave a simple yet powerful presentation on working with autistic students in ELT. Autism is now included under the umbrella term ‘neurodiversity’ first coined by the Australian sociologist Judy Springer in 1997, which acknowledges that there is natural variation in how people's brains work. Agnieszka’s talk didn’t make any great promises and was devoid of bells and (technological) whistles, but offered some plain, solid advice, thoroughly grounded in personal and professional experience. One of the first things she mentioned was the now-common desire to reframe autism as a gift or the power to see things differently. As tempting as it is to look for the positive, we also need to recognise that it can be a burden. Let’s be honest and call it a difference. Senso...
