Contemporary Concepts
Elderly People with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders in Japan: Life Story Analysis
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chiaki Iwata
In the decades since autism was first formally described in the 1940s, there have been major advances in research relating to diagnosis and treatment approaches for children with this condition. However, research into outcomes or effective interventions for adults and elderly people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASDs) is much more limited. Thus, research to gain a better understanding of these elderly people with HF-ASDs is clearly necessary. Based on the life story analysis of elderly people with HF-ASDs, this paper clarifies the difficulties and needs in their communities and to examine comprehensive social support for them. Life story analysis has been found to be particularly useful for individuals who are oppressed by society. Because of that, this study utilizes life story analysis of the elderly people with HF-ASDs. Life story analysis will highlight the importance of equitable and ongoing relationships as a means of giving primacy to the voice of people with elderly people with HF-ASDs in day-to-day practice. This study will clarify the special needs and difficulties among the elderly people with HF-ASDs and also newly identifies actual supportive conditions for them.
South Korea's Aging, Education, and Crip Futurity
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tammy Ko Robinson, Chaeuri Lee
Anticipated changes in senior citizen demographics in South Korea, characterized as both super aging and multicultural, suggests a future coexistence that will require participation from all sectors of Korean society to address. This research takes on the proposition put forward by a number of scholars who urge for a non-othering conceptual framework for how we approach and advocate on issues of access, aging, disability, and multiculturalism (Mingus 2011; Kafter, 2013). Specifically, this study takes on the inquiry of how our shared present can better integrate an understanding of our future selves in relation to who will all have a direct experience with aging and disability, and applies it to the fields of art education and wellness studies. Within the context of South Korea, although the government supports and implements art education programs via social welfare agencies, and despite the benefits identified by numerous descriptive studies on art and wellness, and art therapy and rehabilitation, very few senior citizens spend any of their leisure time engaged in art education activities. Beyond upholding the assumption of art serving as a source of vitality in everyday life, the main research question reconsiders the impact of the changing demographic on education. It follows that this study combines mixed-methods research--drawing on survey and then in-depth interviews with elderly participants, social workers, and teaching artists for insights. The findings thus far highlight specific potential for further research on designing, engaging, and evaluating aged and intergenerational learner experiences.
Gameplay of an Older Adult with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Yutaro Ohashi
This study investigates the manner in which older adults play digital games, the types of problems that they encounter while playing, and the significance that they associate with the playing experience. A female in her seventies who was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participated in an experiment in which she played a digital game (Reversi) on an Android tablet once a week. Each session lasted for one to one and a half hours, and the experiment was performed between April and August 2018. To date, she has played 322 games over a period of 16 days. Both her gameplay and utterances while playing were recorded, and her times and scores for each game were obtained from the recorded video. These results were further compared with those of an undergraduate student who played under similar conditions, which exhibited that the older participant required longer time for each game than that required by the student; further, the older participant found it difficult to understand the rules, especially during the early stages. However, her times and scores improved significantly with each session until her scores almost matched with those of the student. Qualitatively analyzing her utterances exhibited that she had set herself concrete numerical objectives and that she gradually set herself higher goals. Some barriers, such as advertisements that appeared unexpectedly and difficulties in using the tablet’s multi-touch functionality, were observed. In addition, the game had become her favorite and that she considered it to be an important activity.
