By: Gregori Dobie and Caleb Allen
One of our school’s beloved English teachers, Dr. Clark, decided to work toward her doctorate in 2010 after her two-year-old son was diagnosed with autism.
Dr. Clark realized many teachers didn’t fully understand how students with neurological differences learn, and she wanted to help change that. This led her into six years of hard work to earn a doctorate in autism.
Her research, published in 2017, is called Secondary Educators’ Perceptions of Challenges for Inclusive Students Diagnosed With Autism. Dr. Clark chose this topic to learn more about how teachers see the challenges autistic students face in regular classrooms.
Dr. Clark said the hardest part of earning the degree was the dissertation because it required a lot of reading, writing, and organizing. Even though it was difficult, she had an “aha” moment when she started to understand how differently the brain can process information.
Balancing her school work with her personal life was tough. She relied on her calendar and often had long days with very little sleep. Dr. Clark also had a professor who encouraged her not to give up.
Dr. Clark thinks that finishing her doctorate changed how she teaches. She now creates lessons that support different learning needs and connect more easily with students.
Dr. Clark’s advice for anyone thinking about advanced degrees is simple: it’s worth it. “Be a game changer,” she said. “There will be ups and downs, but don’t quit.”
