that, for many children with autism, even with direct and precise teaching, they may still not attain a substantial understanding, particularly those with additional learning difficulties. 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. Campaigning for exclusion, quoting Mary Warnock (2005), Cigman (2007, p. 23) debates that children with ASD have quite specific needs that most often are difficult or even impossible to meet in a mainstream classroom. Mixing autistic children in mainstream schools exposes them to a loud, brightly light and dynamic environment that they find frightening. Furthermore, providing a one-to-one assistant does not seem to work at all. It is seldom to find someone with the right qualifications and skills needed to teach an autistic child to work as a teaching assistant. Children with these difficulties need their own space in a small, highly organised classroom with enough experienced and skilled teachers to provide sufficient one-to-one teaching time for each individual. Supporting Lever’s (2011) notion that ASD children experience difficulties in social communication, interaction and
The title of Ms. Klaw’s presentation was “Obstacles to fitting in: Understanding those on the autism spectrum.” The first major point that she made was that we ask autistic people to meet our needs instead of understanding
There has been a significant amount of progress in defining the rights of special education for students over the years. Special education assists students who require guidance as he or she is attempting to learn within a public education environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68 children are identified with autism, which is also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (“Facts about ASD”). According to Autism Society of Maryland, “Autism is a complex developmental disability’ signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate, and interact with other individuals differently and to varying
Students with disabilities in the United States won the right to receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment in 1975, with the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142), now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) (Kurth, p. 249, Marshall, Goodall, 2015). Prior to 1975, millions of children with disabilities were simply excluded from school…With P.L. 94-192, states were held accountable for providing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment to all students for the first time. Autism, as defined by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), refers to “a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's educational performance” (IDEA.ed.gov). Some characteristics include social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas (Heward, chapter 7 [page numbers will be put in later on]) (List and quickly describe the different
Social interaction and communication skills are important when it comes to learning in the classroom. Students with autism may have been delayed in communication at an early age, and this delay may have delay cognitive development. Conferring to the research of J. E. Ormrod (2012), teachers use adapted instructional materials to aid students with special needs to assist them in a general education classroom (inclusion); moreover, “teachers should expect to have students with a wide variety of special needs in their classrooms at one time or another” (Ormrod, 2012, 4).
Even with a substantial amount of research on the complex concept of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), much remains unknown when it comes to the root of this disorder. Study after study have shown that there are multiple brain regions of the ASD brain that act differently when compared to typically developing (TD) individuals. One area of the brain that researchers have shown an interest in is the fusiform gyrus. The fusiform gyrus is a section of the brain that is located between the parahippocampal gyrus and the lingual gyrus medially and the inferior temporal gyrus laterally on the basal temporal and occipital cortex ( ). The reason why this area is critical to understanding the ASD brain is its functions in color processing, word
In 1943 a child psychiatrist named Leo Kanner wrote about a group of children who were apathetic to their family members and made odd and repetitive movements. A year later, Hans Asperger observed similar behavior in another group of children, also noting a lack of understanding of social conventions (Lai, 2014). These two observations would be the beginning of a disorder known as the Autism Spectrum Disorder. This developmental disorder, characterized by a range of deficits in different areas, is increasingly prevalent in society and in the media. While the exact numbers vary from country to country, according to Lai (2014), 1% of the general population is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The range of this disorder has a detrimental effect on society, specifically the educational system due to specialized care needed for children with the disorder. Prior to being known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder could be broken down into Asperger’s disorder, autism and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified; The DSM-5 combined these diagnoses. Autism Spectrum Disorder belongs to a group of disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders.
The spectrum of autism has expanded making a special education program a necessity to any school. Autism speaks states, “Every child has the right to a free appropriate education (paragraph 2)”. Not only should an autistic child have the right to education but instead the right to personal and influential education. Advances in technology and research provide autistic students with a plethora of opportunities in education. Teaching autistic students requires a great deal of training and complete knowledge of the particular condition.
Autism causes problems with verbal skills. About a third to a half of people with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs (Duijn, 2006, p.44).The might babble but not really talk, they tend to babble a lot during the ages between 1 and 2 but in the ages 2 and 3 there is less frequent and less diverse babbling, consonants, words, and word combinations. They might also have a problem with imaginative play or even developing symbols into language (Duijn, 2006, p.45). For example, someone is trying to show the person with autism something by pointing at the object, instead of looking at what the person is pointing at they look at the hand that is doing the pointing not being able to grab the concept of what is going on.
Abnormal psychology is arguably, one of the most interesting subgroups in the world of psychology. There is an abundant amount of research done on abnormal diseases to understand the causes, functions, and effects or the diseases. One of the most widely known abnormal disorders is Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is a complicated disorder because it represents a wide range of developmental disorders categorized by criteria such as: impaired social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication breakdowns, and repetitive behaviors.
Pupils with ASC mainly struggles with social understanding, communication, and repetitive routines or behaviours (Hartman, 2013).They all share similar symptoms, but the term spectrum indicate there’s a range of severity levels (Prior et al. 1998) and adequately does the level of support needed (Volkmer, 2008). Pupils with ASC are faced with numerous academic challenges, they may display difficulty with the changes, distractions, and constant interaction on a daily basis, they often experience difficulty in executing and staying on a task (Goodman & William, 2007). It is essential to understand the learning characteristics of autism so that these children have the best chance of support success in the classroom. Temple Grandin, Ph.D., a college
In his abstract, Goodall states, “The transformation of mainstream school environments is underpinned by concepts such as inclusive pedagogical approach, universal design for learning and learning without limits. These are discussed alongside strategies to enact core inclusive principles of equity, participation and belonging” (2015). It is rather exciting to think that there are places in the world where so much time and effort is being put forth to make the school experience brighter, simpler, and more encouraging for autistic students. Hopefully, such actions can be taken to improve the educational system throughout the United
Autism and Asperger’s are two syndromes that are now looked as being part of the ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’. Asperger’s is on the high functioning end while Autism is on the low functioning end. Before the ‘autism spectrum’ was created, in nineteen forty-three and nineteen forty-four, a psychiatrist named Leo Kanner and German scientist named Hans Asperger discovered Autism and Asperger’s. Their research included looking at cases of children who were different and had qualities of aloneness, obsessiveness, and trouble with social interactions. Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger helped others understand children who were different and helped us today as we used their research to further the identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism is a complicated disorder, and to understand Autism we must first understand what it is, and the strategies needed to help children be successful. School age children with Autism require special intervention in order to succeed in school. “If they can't learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn” ― O. Ivar Lovaas
In the U.S. Children with ASD can grow and can learn, however it’s at a different development rate than other “healthy” children. Many professionals studying the field of autism can agree that developing an appropriate community-based education and treatment program for an individual with ASD at an early age is a very important step to ensuring that the child will reach his or her potential. Not saying that older children or adults cannot learn or develop, it just may take longer or children may do it quicker.
The Multiple Voices:Dialogues about Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Their Families was an enlightening panel discussion. The five panelists shared their professional and personal insight on a matter that was clearly seen by the audience as close to their hearts. I, for one, was extremely interested in what they were talking about and I attempted to equate it to the works we read in class.