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Establishing A Presumption Of Competence In The Ela Classroom: One Teacher’S Story Of Creating Space For Autistic Culture, Christopher Bass
Establishing A Presumption Of Competence In The Ela Classroom: One Teacher’S Story Of Creating Space For Autistic Culture, Christopher Bass
Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture
Much has been written about the exclusive nature of inclusive teaching (Allan 2015; Owen & Gabriel, 2010; Smith 2010; Ware, 2004). Many general educators approach neurodiversity with a deficit approach (Smagorinsky, Tobin and Lee, 2019; Myers, 2019) As an active ELA teacher, I argue that teachers must first establish a presumption of competence (Biklen, 2005), then model and promote asset-based rhetoric around ability. Once students engage with asset-based rhetoric, the classroom may become more inclusive of autistic culture. This article shares the story of my attempt to establish a presumption of competence through student tattoos.