Building engineering interest and resilience through maker programming in autism-inclusion schools
Ariana Riccio, Wendy B. Martin · 2024
Maker programs, which involve hands-on production of physical or digital artifacts, are an engaging way to have youth pursue their personal interests as they learn the engineering design process (EDP) [1], [2].Autistic youth often have deep interests related to STEM [3] and autistic college students are drawn to majors in STEM fields at higher rates than the general population [4].However, young autistic adults often have difficulty joining or remaining in the STEM workforce [5].With the goal of creating maker programming to enable autistic youth to engage in the EDP with peers and to prepare autistic youth for future careers, a multidisciplinary team created the Inventing, Designing, and Engineering for All Students (IDEAS) Maker Program.IDEAS brings together experts in maker education, autism inclusion, engineering, co-design, and research to bring interest-driven maker clubs into autism-inclusion public schools in New York City.The following paper describes the ways in which IDEAS supports autistic learners in both in-person and online formats, and how IDEAS teachers responded to adversity by redesigning the curriculum for remote learning, editing materials to best suit their students in a remote environment, finding opportunities for students to socialize and share their maker projects online in unique ways, and ultimately providing an enriching and unique experience for students during Maker Club.