Mainstreaming Children with Autism is Not Effective Two four year olds are playing in the block corner of a preschool classroom. One child is lining up his blocks in a row. The second child picks up a block and places it next to the first child’s row of blocks. The first child starts screaming, hits the other child with a block, lies down over all the blocks, and kicks and screams out of control. What is the best strategy to help this child and still maintain fairness and order for all the children in the room? Although mainstreaming children with autism into the classroom has good intentions, it is not effective in producing positive outcomes for continued success. Finding teachers that can implement effective learning strategies …show more content…
Teachers will have to be skilled in dealing with social issues as well behavior problems that can be associated with this disorder. The use of instructive technology will be required to address the academic and/or communication needs; however, teachers are usually given only a minimal training in this area in their education programs (Spencer and Simpson). Teachers who are not trained properly to work with a student with ASD will end up frustrated and burned out. The continuity and effectiveness of treatments and services are difficult to maintain at a high level as the child with ASD transitions through school. According to Kelly Farley, a teacher in the public school system, “The school district’s experience has revealed that, by sixth grade, the gaps are too large in both math and language arts resulting in students with autism being placed in the special education classrooms for those classes.” Parents and therapists, desperate for a dramatic breakthrough in education or treatment for this disorder, will try new approaches and speculative theories which are not backed by experience or proven to work. The treatments that are available have pros and cons to consider as well as the adult outcomes. Because no single treatment is useful for all children with ASD, compounded with the variable symptoms of each child, program strategies need to be designed for each individual child. The symptoms can change without notice. “Unfortunately,
Many treatment approaches have developed different ways of dealing with the challenges of autism. First, there is the theory of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which consists of giving a child a specific task, which teaches skills from basic ones to more complex ones, such as social interaction. Children taking this approach, work 30-40 hours a week with a trained professional. (West 66) It may be emotionally difficult for the child, and his/her parents to dedicate so much time, yet it is worth it. However, it has been proven that ABA methods have shown consistent results in teaching new skills and behaviors to children with autism. (West 68)
Speech therapy is also a commonly used therapy with children who have been diagnosed with ASD. Every educator interviewed included speech therapy in the list of therapies they incorporate into educating students with ASD. Speech is helpful
Which is why the Individualized Education Program was created in the late 1970’s. IEP’s provide children with ASD proper personalized learning strategies they need in order to achieve academically. With this program enacted, psychologists, behavioral analysts and doctors began researching the topic of autism and studying how children with ASD learn. They slowly began coming up with effective methods of how to teach children with ASD and how to help these children learn at their highest potential. These methods included DDT, PECS and PRT which have been applied, analyzed and refined over the years to create evidence based techniques that result in the most effective ways
The No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act entail that students with disabilities or special needs to be open to the overall education and determine the progress of the child. Three unsurpassed practice strategies for supporting young children on the autism spectrum (including Asperger's Syndrome) in an early learning environment. The first strategy is reinforcement. Reinforcement is a critical strategy of evolving and maintaining the enthusiasm of this type of student. A teacher must use objective or actions that the students would like or enjoy that can be obtainable behavior. In my field experience observed I have seen the Pre-K teacher use the computer and smartboard to interact with the class as well
Children With Autism Children with autism have the possibility to improve greatly, and some even overcome the effects of autism if appropriate therapies are begun early enough. A multifaceted disorder, autism has long baffled professionals and parents alike. At a point in time, doctors gave parents absolutely no hope for the recovery of their children. But recently, new treatments and therapies have shown that improvement is possible. With early intervention, intensive care, some children have if not fully recovered, improved, and have been integrated into schools, indistinguishable from their peers.
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
Moreover, kids who are on the Autism spectrum, and families of kids on the spectrum have very limited options in the middle east, for the lack of education has resulted in a scarce of well-equipped and trained facilities, orgs, and special educations classes that can help children learn basic everyday life activities; even if these facilities are available, the expenses are way beyond what an average Middle Eastern family can afford, and these few facilities are very difficult to reach. Not only is access limited, but there is also no legal support to demand the right if these individual’s. Many of the stereotypies that characterize autism can be reduced, or managed through ealry intervention, and lack of Access negates any possibility of behavioral
Raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be an unexpected and overwhelming experience for parents and families. ASD is a developmental disability that can cause significant delays in communication, social and behavioral challenges (CDC, 2016). With the growing prevalence of ASD comes the increasing need for health, education and social services. As previously mentioned, it is estimated that 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with ASD (CDC, 2016). Additionally, children with ASD can obtain significant challenging behaviors that can include tantrums, aggression, self-injurious behavior, noncompliance, property destruction and hyperactivity (Bearss et. al, 2013). Compared to parents of typically developing children, parents of children with ASD report a greater sense of helplessness along with avoiding conflict when dealing with challenges of parenting. To decrease noncompliance and unwanted behaviors along with increasing independence, parents of children with ASD may need specific instruction in behavioral interventions and procedures (Bearss et. al, 2013). This being said, young children with ASD can benefit immensely from early intervention. Early intervention can be defined as the experiences and opportunities utilized by primary caregivers of infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities that use behavioral concepts to shape and influence social interaction with people and objects (Odom, Horner, Snell & Blacher, 2007). The purpose
Students with autism can become overwhelmed very easily by even minor deviations from the routine. It is important to be sensitive to the way autistic children function so that their potential can be reached.
Individuals with autism demonstrate delays or deficits in social interaction and behaviours. Autism is apparent from early childhood, but can emerge in early adulthood. It is associated with a wide range of possible causes, but genetic factors are the main causes. Children with autism have impairments in cognition, language delays, and lack of or poor social interactions. Lack of communication may force these children to adopt repetitive behaviours such as self-inflicted injuries and violence. The teaching process requires interventions that address the repetitive behaviours, skill development, and play
Because of many underlying problems, some even put the case for exclusion from mainstream schools. Cigman (2007, p. 23) contends that ASD is characterised by the fundamental psychological impairments and can be manifested in many ways, in different environments and at different ages, of all types of disabilities, the educational needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders are probably the least well known.
While all children deserve the same chance at an education, our current educational system is built to accommodate only those children who function as society deems normal. This unfortunate fact overlooks children of various so called mental disorders such as ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism. While these children are still allowed an education, the teachers that are responsible for them are undereducated on how to recognize each child’s particular needs. While some of the easier disorders have been greatly helped in school, autism - which affects communication, social, creativity, and learning skills - is still widely overlooked and severely underserved. The best methods of helping to correct this education oversight are early detection, early intervention, and proper instruction on how to educate children with autism.
Students will be educated about the syndrome and interaction will take place. During interacting, if I notice the student seem to be getting agitated or having a meltdown that might due to stress from the current situation or frustration. I will make the student avoid any situation that might provide sensory overload. If for any reason the student is getting overwhelmed, I will make the student exit the classroom to a safe environment where he or she can relax and calm his or herself. I truly believe the reason that the student display such behavior toward the other students with AS is due to two main reason, lack knowledge of his condition (if the student knew that individuals with AS can be egocentric, sometimes things must be associated primarily to their want, needs, and interest, that could have prevented such situation from happening) and lack of classroom management (Whether it a discussion or simply asking a question, they should be taught to wait for their turn, if a discussion is taking place a student should be able to state his or her belief for two minutes than the next student is allow to state his or her opinion explain why she or he agree or disagree). The fact that there is not any rules and the student allowed to talk when and how they want and also the fact that the teacher allowed this to continue is what contributed to this
The amount of children born with Autism is on the rise. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the function of the brain and the symptoms usually appear with in the first three years of life. New teachers that are just going into teaching have to be trained in teaching students with disabilities, especially Autism, in order to give them a proper education. Teachers are not prepared to teach the students on the Autism spectrum.
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of many developmental disabilities that affect students learning. In fact, in the United States, Autism is the fastest-growing severe developmental disorder (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Also, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is 1 in 68 children and the prevalence in boys is 1 in 42 children (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Furthermore, Autism Spectrum Disorders also affects the way a child learns and over the years, several teaching strategies have been developed to help teachers to effectively educate students with Autism. Research has also been conducted to develop and test new teaching strategies for Autism and continues in playing an important role in the education of students with Autism.