Course Title: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder in Emergency Care
Course Context:
This specialized online course is designed with healthcare professionals working in emergency departments in mind, with the aim of enhancing their knowledge and skills when it comes to caring for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients and families. The course provides comprehensive coverage of various topics, including strategies for anticipating challenges, addressing sensory needs, and utilizing effective communication techniques during emergency visits. The course follows Bloom’s Taxonomy, a methodical approach to learning, to ensure a seamless and effective learning experience.
Foundational Knowledge Goals:
- Acquire a comprehensive understanding of ASD, including defining its characteristics, diagnosis, and prevalence.
- Able to identify key challenges faced by individuals with ASD in emergency care settings.
Application Goals:
- Analyze, explain, and evaluate potential challenges in emergency care for individuals with ASD.
- Develop and illustrate practical thinking skills to problem-solve, describe, and discuss conventional care strategies based on individual sensory needs.
- Demonstrate critical thinking in applying communication techniques to effectively interact with individuals on the autism spectrum during emergency visits.
Integration Goals:
- Recognize and make connections between ASD-related information and emergency care practices.
- Apply course material to real-life emergency care scenarios, integrating knowledge into daily professional experiences.
Human Dimensions Goals:
- Develop self-awareness regarding personal biases and assumptions when interacting with individuals with ASD.
- Understand the diverse needs and perspectives of individuals on the autism spectrum.
Caring Goals:
- Foster empathy towards individuals with ASD in emergency care settings.
- Develop a commitment to providing person-centered care to enhance the overall well-being of individuals with ASD during emergency visits.
Learning-How-to-Learn Goals:
- Share knowledge gained within the course through effective communication with peers and colleagues.
- Demonstrate the ability to be a proactive and informed healthcare provider when caring for individuals with ASD.
SMART Criteria:
Specific: The course focuses on healthcare professionals in emergency departments.
Measurable: Evaluation through online multiple-choice assessments, discussions, and monthly in-person meetings.
Attainable: Achievable by successfully identifying sensory needs and utilizing communication techniques via online assessments.
Relevant: Concentrates on emergency care settings and addresses specific challenges in this context.
Time Frame: 3 months, with monthly in-person meetings and weekly online discussions.
Measurable Learning Outcomes:
- By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify at least three sensory needs common in individuals with ASD and propose effective strategies to address them in emergency care settings, as demonstrated by an 80% or higher success rate in online multiple-choice assessments.
- Participants will be able to apply at least two distinct communication techniques and strategies tailored to the needs of individuals with ASD during emergency visits, evidenced by successful participation in online discussions and practical application scenarios during monthly in-person meetings.
Developing learning outcomes for an online course that focuses on understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the context of emergency department care for healthcare professionals has been a comprehensive and thoughtful process. The process begins with Bloom’s taxonomy, which helps to define the goals of the course. The foundational knowledge aspect focuses on key information about ASD and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the challenges and sensory needs specific to the ASD population during emergency visits. The application goals require critical and practical thinking skills to analyze, evaluate, and problem-solve in real-life scenarios. The integration goals encourage students to connect course material with their own experiences in healthcare settings. Human dimensions goals emphasize self-awareness and understanding of others when interacting with individuals with ASD, while caring goals focus on fostering empathy and interest in providing effective care. Finally, learning-how-to-learn goals emphasize knowledge sharing and becoming a proficient healthcare provider when caring for individuals with ASD. The SMART criteria are then applied to ensure that the outcomes are specific and tailored to healthcare professionals in emergency departments. The outcomes should be measurable and achievable through online learning methods, relevant to emergency department needs, and time-bound with a structured 3-month timeline including monthly in-person meetings and weekly online discussions. Two measurable learning outcomes could be (1) healthcare professionals accurately identifying sensory needs in ASD individuals during emergency visits through online assessments and (2) demonstrating effective communication techniques in overcoming challenges faced by ASD individuals in the emergency department through online discussions and multiple-choice questions. Overall, integrating Bloom’s taxonomy and the SMART criteria facilitates a well-structured, goal-oriented, and effective online learning experience for healthcare professionals in emergency departments caring for the ASD population.
