In today's world, the prevalence of autism affecting approximately 1 in 100 children underscores the scarcity of proficient professionals capable of aiding those with autism and other neurodiverse conditions. The absence of cohesive and interdisciplinary training programs exacerbates the hurdles faced by these individuals, impeding their access to high-quality care and assistance. Consequently, the needs of neurodiverse individuals remain insufficiently met, and those with autism confront impediments to realizing their full potential due to a deficiency in specialized expertise and comprehensive support. To counteract this issue, Autism, Neurodiversity, and Equity in Professional Preparation Programs, edited by Shanna Jamanis and Dawn Vogler-Elias, offer a transformative remedy. This publication offers a comprehensive and multifaceted examination of professional preparation initiatives centered on neurodiversity, integrating perspectives from disability studies, neurodiversity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, to furnish a conceptual structure that empowers professionals across diverse fields. The book's interdisciplinary approach aims to equip professionals and students across domains such as education, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, social work, and creative arts therapy. With its array of chapters encompassing case studies, instructional activities, and program narratives, readers acquire valuable insights and pragmatic tools for effectively supporting neurodiversity. The editors' commitment to embracing diverse viewpoints ensures a nuanced comprehension of neurodiversity support, fostering empathy, and elevating the standard of care. Autism, Neurodiversity, and Equity in Professional Preparation Programs by Shanna Jamanis and Dawn Vogler-Elias provides a much-needed resource to tackle the global challenge of aiding those with autism and neurodiversity. By advancing interdisciplinary knowledge and evidence-based practices, this publication not only tackles the dearth of proficient professionals but also champions a more inclusive and compassionate world. For academics, scholars, and practitioners spanning various disciplines, this book serves as a crucial steppingstone toward establishing more equitable and empowering environments for individuals with autism and neurodiversity.

Today’s institutions of higher education must continuously adapt to meet the evolving needs and expectations of each new generation of students. A significant and growing presence within academia is the LGBTQIA community. LGBTQIA individuals are now four times more likely to attend higher education institutions away from home. However, a substantial proportion of these students remain unseen, with more than half avoiding exposure of their identity to faculty and staff, and in some cases even to their peers. Perspectives on Transforming Higher Education and the LGBTQIA Student Experience is a comprehensive academic exploration of the intricate world of LGBTQIA students in higher education. This book sheds light on the multifaceted challenges and complexities that LGBTQIA students face, transcending the boundaries of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, and socio-economic class. This book is a seminal work designed to enlighten and inform students, faculty, student affairs practitioners, higher education administrators, and policymakers, and is structured to provide a holistic understanding, this book encompasses critical themes, including LGBTQIA student identity development, the intersectionality of identity, LGBTQIA student experiences within the campus climate, and the impact of laws and policies on their lives. This book also explores a diverse range of topics, spotlighting often under-researched and underrepresented communities and experiences.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, where the acquisition of knowledge is a lifelong pursuit, educators and institutions are redefining the paradigms of learning through innovative approaches. Global Perspectives on Micro-Learning and Micro-Credentials in Higher Education delves into the intricate tapestry of contemporary education, where the convergence of advanced pedagogies and cutting-edge technologies is reshaping traditional boundaries. As the realms of chatbots, gamification, and hybrid learning intersect, a new era of holistic education emerges, seamlessly blending theoretical prowess with experiential wisdom. The book unfurls with meticulous exploration of pivotal themes, embracing the nuanced realms of instructional design, learning analytics, and library services tailored for the modern educational era. From the granular landscapes of microlearning to the macroscopic view of global teacher retention strategies, the book leaves no stone unturned. This book is a symphony of intellectual rigor, orchestrated to resonate with educators, administrators, researchers, and all stakeholders vested in the future of learning.

Chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have captivated the academic world as tools for human-like interaction across various settings. Within the realm of education, AI-powered chatbots, such as ChatGPT, hold the potential to revolutionize teaching, learning, and research processes. By simulating human conversation through vast data and machine learning algorithms, generative AI has unveiled new opportunities for personalized and adaptive learning experiences. Facilitating Global Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing in Higher Education With Generative AI delves into the promising prospects and challenges of applying generative AI in education while employing a critical interdisciplinary perspective. The book offers comprehensive insights into the transformative effects of generative AI on teaching, learning, and research. However, the application of generative AI in education also brings ethical, pedagogical, and technical challenges to the forefront. Concerns over privacy, data protection, and the impact of automation on human interaction and creativity demand thorough examination and practical solutions. Intended for educators, researchers, and administrators in higher education institutions, as well as policymakers and industry professionals at the intersection of AI and higher education. The book encompasses a wide range of themes, including the impact of AI-generated content on student engagement and performance in online learning environments, ethical implications of automating education through AI-powered chatbots, personalization of learning experiences for diverse student populations, and the challenges of integrating generative AI into traditional classroom settings.

Collaborative approaches to special education that seek to provide innovative, creative, and novel ways to disrupt current structures and practices are necessary to move the field towards a more inclusive model for educating students with disabilities. Multiple professionals are involved in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities, extending the pool of stakeholders in special education far beyond the special education teacher. Achieving a strong understanding between the multiple professions involved in IEP development and implementation will improve data-based individualization, the fidelity of program implementation, and the sustainability of practices and services. The Handbook of Research on Interdisciplinary Preparation for Equitable Special Education explores and highlights interdisciplinary personnel preparation to advance special education and enhance outcomes for students with disabilities. This book also provides theories and frameworks, examples, and discussions around innovations and lessons learned from interdisciplinary preparation programs and practices. Covering key topics such as educator preparation models, equity, diverse students, and educator competencies, this premier reference source is ideal for administrators, principals, researchers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, instructors, and students.

Neurodiversity in the Workplace presents a timely and needed perspective on the role and responsibility of employers and those working to increase the effectiveness of workplace practices to examine the many ways we preclude large segments of the population from employment; minimizing opportunities for building a truly inclusive work environment. This collection provides an opportunity to look at how discrimination can occur across the employment process and what can be done to minimize the exclusionary practices that prevent neurodiverse individuals from getting into the workplace, advancing, thriving, and contributing as each of us desires to do. With expertise from leading professionals, this book provides a holistic look at the application of leadership theories in a neurodiverse context and how the workplace can be adapted to accommodate for neurodiverse employees. This book also explores effective recruitment strategies by looking into applicant screening as well as interviewing and selection, adapting internal organizational resources to a neurodiverse workforce, and legal and regulatory environment considerations for autism hiring programs. Each chapter provides an overview of existing knowledge on effective workplace inclusion practices across the employment process, specific implications of research to date for a more neurodiversity-inclusive workplace, and what future research is needed to further inform these practices. This volume is intended to increase awareness about the challenges and opportunities in making the workplace more neurodiversity-inclusive, making it instrumental for I/O and other psychologists. This book is also crucial for management and business consultants; employers; diversity, equity, and inclusion specialists; human resource professionals; and others interested in neurodiversity inclusion more broadly.

Rather than embracing difference as a reflection of wider society, academic ecosystems seek to normalise and homogenise ways of working and of being a researcher. As a consequence, ableism in academia is endemic. However, to date no attempt has been made to theorise experiences of ableism in academia. Ableism in Academia provides an interdisciplinary outlook on ableism that is currently missing. Through reporting research data and exploring personal experiences, the contributors theorise and conceptualise what it means to be/work outside the stereotypical norm. The volume brings together a range of perspectives, including feminism, post-structuralism, such as Derridean and Foucauldian theory, crip theory and disability theory, and draw on the width and breadth of a number of related disciplines. Contributors use technicism, leadership, social justice theories and theories of embodiment to raise awareness and increase understanding of the marginalised; that is those academics who are not perfect. These theories are placed in the context of neoliberal academia, which is distant from the privileged and romanticised versions that exist in the public and internalised imaginations of academics, and used to interrogate aspects of identity, aspects of how disability is performed, and to argue that ableism is not just a disability issue. This timely collection of chapters will be of interest to researchers in Disability Studies, Higher Education Studies and Sociology, and to those researching the relationship between theory and personal experience across the Social Sciences.