University of Washington
Communication Leadership Graduate Program
Principles of Storytelling for Organizations, Business, and Movements
Course Description
Principles of Storytelling for Organizations, Business, and Movements is about the power of story. The course focuses on the fundamentals of nonfiction storytelling, an essential tool for communicating with, connecting to, and engaging targeted audiences. The class explores, investigates, discusses, and puts into practice the elements of narrative –what makes a story a story, and how to tell it. We learn from nonfiction narratives in words, sound, still image, moving image, and various multimedia combinations.
Principles of Storytelling for Organizations, Business, and Movements is not just platform-agnostic, it is also purpose-agnostic. As communications professionals, we tell stories (or help and direct others to) for many reasons: to inform, to educate, to create awareness, to advocate, to fundraise, to influence policy, to build community, to motivate, and inspire to action. Nonfiction storytellers work “embedded” and freelance for media outlets, nonprofits, NGOs, and civic associations; in communications departments in (to name just a few) government, education, and health care; and in the corporate world. Nonfiction storytellers also support their work through grants and contracts, and by monetizing their creative efforts (podcasts, etc.)
Course Description
Principles of Storytelling for Organizations, Business, and Movements is about the power of story. The course focuses on the fundamentals of nonfiction storytelling, an essential tool for communicating with, connecting to, and engaging targeted audiences. The class explores, investigates, discusses, and puts into practice the elements of narrative –what makes a story a story, and how to tell it. We learn from nonfiction narratives in words, sound, still image, moving image, and various multimedia combinations.
Principles of Storytelling for Organizations, Business, and Movements is not just platform-agnostic, it is also purpose-agnostic. As communications professionals, we tell stories (or help and direct others to) for many reasons: to inform, to educate, to create awareness, to advocate, to fundraise, to influence policy, to build community, to motivate, and inspire to action. Nonfiction storytellers work “embedded” and freelance for media outlets, nonprofits, NGOs, and civic associations; in communications departments in (to name just a few) government, education, and health care; and in the corporate world. Nonfiction storytellers also support their work through grants and contracts, and by monetizing their creative efforts (podcasts, etc.)
Final Assignment description
Create a storyboard – a graphic representation – of the story you've been working on all quarter. This is a tool to organize your material and plot a narrative, section by section, scene by scene. A storyboard is created by a series of squares, each representing a section (information) or scene (narrative action). Include your opening scene. Write this scene with a maximum word count of 500.
The core creative assignment for the term is the finding and shaping of a story, which involves significant background research (the larger context) and whatever it takes to gather the material necessary to plot the “small story.” Your choice of media/ platform to tell that story is dependent on the story itself and such important factors as the needs of the organization, access, resources, audience, and ethical concerns. What does this story deserve? What is possible? What tells it best?
Create a storyboard – a graphic representation – of the story you've been working on all quarter. This is a tool to organize your material and plot a narrative, section by section, scene by scene. A storyboard is created by a series of squares, each representing a section (information) or scene (narrative action). Include your opening scene. Write this scene with a maximum word count of 500.
The core creative assignment for the term is the finding and shaping of a story, which involves significant background research (the larger context) and whatever it takes to gather the material necessary to plot the “small story.” Your choice of media/ platform to tell that story is dependent on the story itself and such important factors as the needs of the organization, access, resources, audience, and ethical concerns. What does this story deserve? What is possible? What tells it best?
Story Opener
A ding comes from the arm of the recliner. “Help pls” the notification reads. His partner is in recovery from a recent surgery. He’s not too concerned but wanted to get to them quickly. He enters the room and asks “what’s up love?”
“Nausea meds. Please. And my hat? I’m cold.”
They wince from pain and he suggests they take something for their pain as well. His partner barely nods. He goes to the med cart to silently hand them one of the medications. As they pop it in their mouth, he plops the beanie on their head and turns on his heels to grab a drink.
“Water or juice?”
“STOP” his partner sputters as they spit out the pill and stretch their head to their shoulder for a desperate itch.
“Water.. Water..”, they mumble and they wince as they try to reach their arms up to pull the hat off.
“Hat, Hat,” he hears as he passes them the water and pulls off the hat.
Trembling, his partner silently drink from the bottle and he leans down to sit with them at eye level - waiting to understand what went wrong.
The Story Resets
It’s not news that everyone’s brain works differently - but overstimulation from heightened sensory is almost a given for all autistic individuals.
The person in this story recovered fairly quickly from this. The reason? Correct diagnosis and support. Because they recently went through an evaluation for autism and have spent the last few months working to understand how their brain processes information. But this realization was almost 2 decades after they first felt like their brain might work differently than others. A diagnosis this late is not news to many in the autistic community, especially when the DSM-5 is still based almost exclusively on symptoms one would find in young boys.
The person in this story recovered fairly quickly from this. The reason? Correct diagnosis and support. Because they recently went through an evaluation for autism and have spent the last few months working to understand how their brain processes information. But this realization was almost 2 decades after they first felt like their brain might work differently than others. A diagnosis this late is not news to many in the autistic community, especially when the DSM-5 is still based almost exclusively on symptoms one would find in young boys.
Connecting it back to the Research
The gender bias connected to Autism has left little support for autistics that are assigned female at birth. Late-diagnosed individuals tend to suffer from concurrent mental health challenges potentially related to long-term stress in adaptation to daily life in a neurotypical society. Understanding the differences in how ASD presents in those assigned female at birth vs those assigned male at birth is not only important to support accurate and early diagnosis, but to also allow for appropriate support to be made available.
Current Diagnostic Criteria Breakdown
There are multiple steps and tests needed to get a formal diagnosis. Costs, complexity and the stigmas surrounding ASD cause barriers for some seeking for a diagnosis. The SRS-2nd Ed, the MIGDAS-2, the WASI-II, the ABAS-3 are just some of the tests that are used as a collection to understand the entire picture of a patient’s neurotype and determine the level of support they need. Though it’s common to hear functioning labels continue to be used by the medical community, a study done by Gail Alvares, argues the harm caused by these labels as using them only measures cognitive ability, a single domain of capability, dismissing those who may struggle in other areas.
Current Diagnostic Criteria Breakdown
There are multiple steps and tests needed to get a formal diagnosis. Costs, complexity and the stigmas surrounding ASD cause barriers for some seeking for a diagnosis. The SRS-2nd Ed, the MIGDAS-2, the WASI-II, the ABAS-3 are just some of the tests that are used as a collection to understand the entire picture of a patient’s neurotype and determine the level of support they need. Though it’s common to hear functioning labels continue to be used by the medical community, a study done by Gail Alvares, argues the harm caused by these labels as using them only measures cognitive ability, a single domain of capability, dismissing those who may struggle in other areas.
In the table below, the MIGDAS-2 diagnostic criteria evaluates sample behaviors from three key areas of development that are affected in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Sensory Use and Interests, Language and Communication, and Social Relationships and Emotional Responses. To determine an ASD diagnosis, Criteria A and B (among other tests) must be met for ASD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. A patient must hit all 3 of the criteria under criterion A and two out of the four criteria under criterion B.
Gender & Autism
Many medical and mental health professionals don't always consider autism as a possible diagnosis for adults. This rings particularly true for those seen as “high-functioning” and patients assigned female at birth.
In a 2009 study by Fombonne claimed that ASD was identified in females at a 4:1 male to female ratio whereas in 2017, another study identified that the ratio is much closer to 3:1. Though this showed that girls are at a disproportionate risk of not receiving a clinical diagnosis and getting the support they need, this number may not be accurate either as both of these studies focused on children and did not account for the adults with ASD who did not receive a diagnosis until later in life.
It’s been found in multiple studies that not only do individuals assigned female at birth get diagnoses far less than their counterparts, but also have been found to be diagnosed later in life.One of the explanations for later diagnosis could be found in a 2015 Molecular Autism article that states, “If females with an ASD diagnosis and IQ scores above 70 are perceived by clinicians as being more social, their presentation of symptoms may be misinterpreted and accurate diagnosis may be delayed.” This is the challenge for many ASD individuals, as being seen as social could really be an individual masking their behavior to stay safe and neurotypical.
Trans & Gender-diverse Individuals
Another community we need to look at when considering the differences of autistic presentation in gender is the transgender and gender-diverse community. A 2020 study indicated that transgender and gender-diverse individuals are more likely to be autistic compared to cisgender individuals. It also indicated that undiagnosed autism may also be higher in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. The study clarified that the association with gender identity is not specific to autism and explains that trans and gender diverse individuals “may be more likely to report higher rates of autistic traits due to long-standing experiences and feelings of “not fitting in socially”, with true levels of autistic traits being comparable between cisgender and transgender and gender-diverse individuals.” This hypothesis may also offer an explanation as to why the undiagnosed rates may be higher amongst trans and gender diverse individuals - individuals that spend time learning to camouflage and mask their true identity to keep themselves safe.
Additionally, the study states that autistic individuals may conform less to societal norms compared to non-autistic individuals, which may partly explain why a greater number of autistic individuals identify outside the stereotypical gender binary. An alternative but not mutually exclusive explanation is that transgender and gender-diverse individuals have elevated vulnerabilities for multiple psychiatric challenges related to stressful life experiences in the contexts of unfriendly environments, discrimination, abuse and victimization, explaining the elevated rates of mental health diagnoses, including autism.
Categorizing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a disorder that mostly affects little boys has left little support for autistic children assigned female at birth or those within the trans/gender-diverse community. As both of these groups have a tendency to get missed or misdiagnosed during childhood, they are left to search for a provider who has the education to evaluate adults, costing an already vulnerable individual unnecessary stress and lack of support.
Why Tell This Story?
