"Summer" Fieldwork
This picture is mostly for my parents. Mom & Dad: this is where I work. It is not at a University or on a campus. Living in Cape Town (during winter) for the past 3 months has been amazing. Its economic situation and political history in the context of the rest of South Africa is enough for a series of novels. My role here has been as a researcher and a genuine seeker of knowledge, specifically within the field of mental health and developmental disorders. Our goal is to develop a sustainable model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treatments through a task shifting approach which certifies non-specialist workers to coach caregivers of young children with ASD to deliver highly effective treatments by themselves. A mouthful, but let us first take a step back. My project has been working with the Center for Autism Research in Africa out of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town. So, first, a (very brief) explanation of ASD. The m