ASDecal: Understanding Autism is an introductory class to the basics and complexities of living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This class will go over the psychobiological aspects of Autism, such as underlying neurobiological mechanisms and differences in cognitive processing, as well as the sociopolitical side of ASD, such as healthcare inequalities, workplace discrimination and how racial prejudice influences lived experiences.

The class format will be made up of both guest speakers and mini-lectures given by our facilitators, as well as student presentations that allow students to explore topics that are most interesting to them! Presentations can be done in groups or alone, and can alternatively be submitted as a paper for those who do not wish to present in front of the class.

The official assignments for this class are:
- Intersectionality presentation (middle of semester)
- Autism in the Media presentation (end of semester)
- Two short reflection posts that will prepare you for each presentation

Since this is a course built on class discussion, attendance and participation will be the majority of the grade. Hybrid zoom options will be available as requested and attendance make-up opportunities will be offered in the form of participation with our associated club; Spectrum: Autism at Cal.

Overall, this class looks at Autism through an intersectional lens and helps students to not only better understand the lived experiences of Autistic individuals, but also think critically about how we categorize, label, and interact with people on all parts of the Autism spectrum.

Attendance Policy: Weekly attendance is mandatory. Attendance makes up the biggest part of your grade because the majority of learning done in class will be by attending and participating in lectures/class discussions. Attendance is marked via an attendance survey which will be given out at the end of each class. Survey questions will be about what you found interesting and a secret word given out by facilitators at the end of class. You must complete the survey to get attendance credit.

We also acknowledge that Disability can make it difficult to keep up with attending lectures or participate in class. Because of this, excused absence requests made due to Disability will always be taken seriously. If we think that your attendance rate is getting in the way of your comprehension of the material, we will reach out to you to see what we can do.

Enrollment will generally be given out on a first come, first serve basis, with priority given to students who’ve tried to enroll in a previous semester and/or are in their last semester. Enrollment form will close on Monday September 15th at 11:59 PM and applicants will be notified of their enrollment status by Tuesday September 16th by 2 PM at the latest. Please email spectrumdecal@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding enrollment. Thanks for being interested in our decal!