Teaching students to effectively evaluate scientific evidence and advocate for research in the context of autism spectrum disorder and the neurodiversity movement

Connecting socially relevant topics with biological content can boost student engagement and comprehension. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an increasingly prevalent diagnosis with a number of intersecting topic areas between developmental biology and social justice. Here I describe two exercises that I developed to engage students in learning opportunities that link scientific process learning goals with real-world applications. First, students examine scientific research practices and work on connecting scientific evidence with conclusions by evaluating the retracted 1998 article by Andrew Wakefield that falsely linked the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination with the development of ASD. Second, students participate in a role-playing exercise to learn about the multiple viewpoints and perspectives that are involved in determining funding levels for scientific research in the United States, including learning about the neurodiversity movement and its impact on establishing ASD research priorities. By explicitly discussing appropriate scientific practices, analyzing the consequences of scientific misconduct and the spread of misinformation, and demonstrating how students can use their voices and their votes to support science funding, we can prepare students to become knowledgeable, empowered, scientifically literate citizens.