Research has found that females on the autism spectrum often spend years not understanding why they are different resulting in experienced otherness. My self-directed study written through narrative and poetry-explored the story of a non-traditional graduate student on the autism spectrum at a university. This thesis addresses the question “how is identity shaped through life events”? Looking inside the layers and doorways of self challenged my own long held assumptions of difference and marginalization. Acceptance of self is a lifetime journey. The result showed mentoring is a critical function of academic and personal success. Suggestions are provided to educators to see the person as an individual, look for the twice-gifted student, and attempt to understand the feelings of marginality. These suggestions are presented with the hope of bringing insight and awareness to educators’ understanding of individuals on the wide spectrum called Autism.
","abstract_html":"<p>Research has found that females on the autism spectrum often spend years not understanding why they are different resulting in experienced otherness. My self-directed study written through narrative and poetry-explored the story of a non-traditional graduate student on the autism spectrum at a university. This thesis addresses the question “how is identity shaped through life events”? Looking inside the layers and doorways of self challenged my own long held assumptions of difference and marginalization. Acceptance of self is a lifetime journey. The result showed mentoring is a critical function of academic and personal success. Suggestions are provided to educators to see the person as an individual, look for the twice-gifted student, and attempt to understand the feelings of marginality. These suggestions are presented with the hope of bringing insight and awareness to educators’ understanding of individuals on the wide spectrum called Autism.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Boskovich, Lisa"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Chapman access only","degree_discipline":"Special Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dawn Hunter","Margie Sauceda Curwen","Kris De Pedro","Gail Stearns"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:00Z","subjects":["Aspergers","special education","my journey","Mental Disorders","Special Education and Teaching"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/ces_dissertations/3","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dawn Hunter","Margie Sauceda Curwen","Kris De Pedro","Gail Stearns"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Boskovich, Lisa"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Special Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Chapman access only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Aspergers","special education","my journey","Mental Disorders","Special Education and Teaching"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/ces_dissertations/3"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Research has found that females on the autism spectrum often spend years not understanding why they are different resulting in experienced otherness. My self-directed study written through narrative and poetry-explored the story of a non-traditional graduate student on the autism spectrum at a university. This thesis addresses the question “how is identity shaped through life events”? Looking inside the layers and doorways of self challenged my own long held assumptions of difference and marginalization. Acceptance of self is a lifetime journey. The result showed mentoring is a critical function of academic and personal success. Suggestions are provided to educators to see the person as an individual, look for the twice-gifted student, and attempt to understand the feelings of marginality. These suggestions are presented with the hope of bringing insight and awareness to educators’ understanding of individuals on the wide spectrum called Autism.
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