More than a decade ago, mobile internet transformed the way people access information, making it possible to instantly retrieve most of the information needed in daily life through online searches—a practice now adopted by nearly everyone. Over three years ago, large language models brought artificial intelligence into our daily lives, enabling people to use everyday language to seek knowledge and explore the world. Among these changes, our education system has been the most profoundly affected. Everyone is asking: What exactly should our children be learning in today’s schools, and what skills should they be developing to better prepare them for society and ensure they are not left behind?
Indeed, technological advancements and the use of artificial intelligence are forcing society as a whole to seriously confront the question: What should schools be teaching children?
Less than fifty years ago, Hong Kong and China introduced compulsory primary education, establishing that parents have a responsibility to send children under the age of 14 to school to receive an education. However, regarding children with autism, the two fundamental questions of “what should they learn?” and “how should they learn?” have likely seen little in-depth discussion or research, even in a country like Australia, which introduced universal education over a century ago. The reason for this is that Western society’s understanding and research on autism have only gained significant attention in the past two decades. In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), implemented in 2013, has provided more resources for the development of children with autism and created opportunities in this area.
Different Theories of Learning
Chinese culture places great emphasis on education, including family education and exam-oriented education. Before the age of 15, children were taught by their parents or in rural private schools, covering everything from basic literacy to knowledge of daily life and family responsibilities. Confucius himself said, “At fifteen, I set my heart on learning,” meaning that by the age of 15, he had begun to form certain expectations and plans for his future, and thus decided to delve into the teachings left by the sages of old; by the age of 30, he had developed a firm perspective on his life. However, Chinese educational culture emphasizes that students must first reflect on the classics of the sages and engage in dialogue with their teachers, then review and reflect further to truly understand and master the material. Therefore, learning is the result of personal effort and perseverance, not a game or a casual endeavor. When it comes to abstract concepts, learners gain insight and mastery through recitation and copying, repeatedly engaging in personal reflection.
Modern Western school education is based on various learning theories, among which social constructivism is particularly prevalent in Australia. Educational psychologist Lev Vygotsky proposed that knowledge is constructed through learners’ social interactions both inside and outside the classroom, rather than passively received from teachers. Consequently, Australian schools emphasize students’ engagement in activities that involve communication and discussion to build context-relevant and culturally shaped knowledge. In this process, teachers serve as facilitators and catalysts rather than sources of knowledge or instructors tasked with ensuring individual students master the material. In this context, learners’ language skills and their ability to interact with others become critical factors in the success of their learning.
Research indicates that individuals on the autism spectrum typically prefer structured and rule-based systems and excel at logical and analytical thinking, but may face challenges in processing ambiguous information and discerning the implied meanings within language. Consequently, when participating in social constructivist learning activities, individuals with autism may experience a certain degree of learning pressure.
However, with personal effort and parental support, most high-functioning individuals with autism can acquire language skills. Many demonstrate the ability to build a solid knowledge base and develop learning capabilities through extensive independent reading. However, in most cases, individuals with autism prefer to learn and study only topics that interest them. Consequently, they often face difficulties in comprehensively learning about the world around them and frequently struggle to acquire a broad knowledge base.
Social Skills
Because individuals with autism have limited experience with social interaction and verbal communication, their ability to form social relationships with others is often affected at various stages of development. This does not mean they are unwilling to interact with others or that they are antisocial; rather, many of them struggle to understand others, or their behavior may seem strange, unpredictable, and difficult for others to respond to. They often have few friends, and their relationships can be strained; their emotions are also easily affected by their friends’ reactions.
Many people mistakenly believe that since individuals with autism prefer solitude, they naturally dislike social life; however, this is not the case. People with autism still hope to be respected, cared for, and able to communicate with others. They may appear to prefer solitude, but this is simply because they are sensitive to others’ reactions, leading them to maintain a certain social distance; furthermore, when feeling stressed, they may struggle to express themselves or maintain self-control.
When they are young, individuals with autism often struggle to adapt to situations involving contact with strangers, and consequently, they may not learn how to interact and communicate with others. However, as adults, if they possess a certain level of learning ability—such as those with slightly higher intelligence—they can often develop the capacity for social interaction and communication through training. This type of training in adulthood reflects the different philosophies and methods of learning compared to those used in school during childhood.
Theory of Adult Learning
Malcolm Knowles, a leading figure in the Theory of Andragogy, emphasizes that adult learning is driven by the following factors: self-directed learning, intrinsic motivation, goal-oriented learning, and the application of prior experience. For high-functioning individuals with autism, who possess strong personal interests and prefer to control their own learning pace and methods, learning approaches designed through social constructivism may feel ineffective.
When individuals with autism transition out of school or complete their university education to enter the workforce, a program designed according to their learning preferences and adult learning models—one that focuses on communication and collaboration, and equips them with the cognitive skills and adaptability needed to navigate society and the world—would provide significant assistance in their transition to the workforce.
Australia’s NDIS program provides resources for people with disabilities to access such training services. Unfortunately, these services have traditionally been designed primarily for people with physical disabilities, training them to perform repetitive, simple tasks so they can have employment opportunities in a sheltered environment. Most of these jobs are provided by volunteer organizations, which break down tasks into steps that individuals with disabilities can manage. Wages for these positions are typically paid through government subsidy programs. This type of training is not suitable for individuals with autism who possess academic qualifications and professional knowledge; what they need is training in functional social interaction skills and an understanding of society in daily life.
“Adapting to the World of Work” Training Program
The “Adapting to the World of Work” Training Program, currently offered by Joy Organization, is specifically designed for high-functioning bilingual individuals with autism based on evidence-based practices. Through participation in media production, participants can understand the expectations of the workplace in a low-pressure environment and, through hands-on involvement, learn and master the skills of collaboration. Furthermore, by processing and expressing media content, participants broaden their understanding of society and the world while practicing communication and presentation skills.
This training program aligns with NDIS personal development needs. Those who have already applied for NDIS may consult with their support liaison to determine if participation fees can be covered by their individual plan funding.
If you have further inquiries about this program, please feel free to contact me.
For those interested in the program, contact raymond@sameway.com.au or 0422 871 799 for more details.
Mr. Raymond Chow