Inclusion and Autism in Main Stream Schools

As a teacher when delivering any lessons planned we have to make sure that each students individual needs are met, so they will feel included in the lesson. “Inclusion is about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners, ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources” Wilson (2008).

However, the negative aspects of inclusion have not proven a strong enough point in that the good, which comes from this experience, severely outweighs any doubt of its success. Inclusion of autistic children has shown to be beneficial due to the notion that these 'disabled kids' can attend 'normal' classes with their non-learning disabled peers. By allowing all kids to feel 'normal' we, as a society, stand a chance of making prejudice which we associate the disabled under, cease to exist.

Most parents wonder what is the next chapter after their child with autism spectrum disorder graduate from high school, for some individuals, it is to move onto higher education. As stated by Cai and Richdale (2015), the USA has one of the lowest rates of college enrollment for individuals with ASD, with over 50% of these individuals being in neither education nor employment following their secondary school, with similar finding in the UK (p. 31). For the individuals with ASD who move forward in gaining a higher education will have to learn to adapt and determine how to transition into higher education. Mentioned by Cai and Richdale (2015), a USA national survey illustrated poor outcomes from transitioning from secondary school into adult-hood. “The findings showed that after young adults with ASD left the public school system, 80% continues to live at home, only 32% attended postsecondary education, just 6% had competitive jobs, while 21% had no employment or education experience at all. Further 40% reported having no friends. (p. 32)”

The notion of inclusion is progressively being accepted as a vital method of learning in our growing school systems. I believe that every student, those with and without exceptionalities, have the right to be included in a general education classroom. Students with learning, social and behavioral exceptionalities or varied abilities deserve the right to be provided with the same opportunities as any other students in the regular general education classroom. The information that I have acquired through my own experiences (in my observations and my classes) have molded my goals as a future teacher. I believe that teaching and education are fundamental in getting students to grow, learn, and flourish;

Autism is a disorder that is encompassed in the autism spectrum (ASDs) (Landa, 2007). Autism spectrum disorders describe the brain development disorders and encompass Asperger syndrome, autism, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) disorders. Features of the ASDs includes sensory and cognition problems, difficulty in communicating with other people, and repetitive behaviors. This paper will discuss autism with respect to what it is, the causes, autism in the inclusive classroom (what can be done to enhance total inclusion) and the role of the community.

Aside from providing children with academic benefits, it provides them with a better understanding and respect for diversity. Being in a setting with many different types of students with different needs and abilities provides students with a way to learn about differences and how they can help others. In the Success For All study, results showed that the children involved in the study had “a reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increased comfort and awareness.” (Stout, 2001) If children are separated in the school because of their developmental differences then they will never truly learn that it is okay to be a unique individual. The idea that it is acceptable to be different should become a common knowledge to our students. With that knowledge, our students can make the future a better place for everyone. It has been said that the goal of inclusion is to “create a world in which all people are knowledgeable about and supportive of all other people.” (Whitworth, 1999)

Autism is categorized by deficits in maintaining social relationships and difficulty communicating. The number of children being diagnosed with autism is steadily increasing. Therefore the need incorporate effective interventions that focus on the development of the individual child has become an imperative component for their success. The key for children with Autism to achieve academic and social success depends upon the collaborative effort that is shared among all parties involved: family, teachers, peers; mental health professionals and the community.

Children with autism spectrum disorder will be able to receive increased services in educational settings (Hatton, et al., 2006). Teachers who educate children with autism spectrum disorder may benefit from learning the general characteristics of the disorder and evidence-based instructional strategies. Children may benefit from

The issue of whether or not children with autistic disorders should be main-streamed, or placed in the same classrooms as non-autistic children, has been a very real concern for quite some time. While the debate is continuous, people often choose to side on a particular position of the argument without correctly evaluating all of the options. Should autistic children be main-streamed in regular classrooms, or should they be placed in self contained environments? Or, possibly, should a common ground be determined?

Some of the interventions that IDEA suggests that students be included in the regular general education classroom as much as possible with their peers, because it helps them gain social relationships with others (McCurdy, 2014). But there are some negative aspects to having children included in the classroom. One of the roadblocks that schools come across is having to gain support from the school officials and staff members (McCurdy, 2014). The second barrier is having a student with autism spectrum disorder is risking them having a disruptive behavior or witness an off-task behavior that would disrupt other students in the classroom (McCurdy,

According to scholastic article, Impact of Setting and Instructional Context for Adolescents With Autism (2010), “Providing students with autism with an appropriate education is a growing challenge. The prevalence of autism is increasing rapidly, with as many as 1 in every 150 children diagnosed with the disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007)” (Kurth and Mastergeorge, 2010, 36).

(2000). Co-Teaching: A different approach to inclusion. Principal, 79(4), 48, 50-51; Cammuso, K. (2011). Inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders. The Brown University child and adolescent behavior newsletter, 27(11). Gavish , B. (2011).

When it comes to the Autism/Asperger spectrum it is an interesting disorder to learn and understand. As I had the opportunity to work with all range of children that have been diagnosed with Autism/Asperger, it is the students that have been recently diagnosed with Autism/Asperger that is interesting to learn about. I have the pleasure of helping a good friend of mine whom has a 3 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism during the summer of 2015 with understanding what is Autism and ways to support him with his diagnoses. As all parents at the beginning of learning their child has Autism/Asperger they are scared, they want to know what is best for their child when it comes to their development and what services are out there to help themselves and their child with their disability. As I observed my friend’s child, I learned that with the amount of support from family and friends along with his parent’s researching case studies and documentation on Autism, they are better equip of dealing with the disability than letting the disability take control of them.

Schools in today’s society are rapidly changing and growing striving to implement the best practices in their schools. Nonetheless, before a school can implement a program in their school, they need reliable evidence that the new program will work. A new program that schools are aiming to implement is inclusion in the classroom because of the benefits inclusion could bring. The implementation of inclusion is strongly connected by people’s attitudes whether they are positive or negative. However, while inclusion is being widely implemented, there is comparatively little data on its effectiveness. It may be that inclusion benefits some areas such as reading and social skills, more than it does others.

This article discusses whether or not special education teachers, as well as general education teachers, are prepared to teach students with autism. According to the article, autism is ranks at the sixth most commonly classified disability in the United States. There is a very wide spectrum for autism which include disorders like Asperger’s and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). 1 out of 150 American children will be born with autism (Autism Society of America, NDb).