Running head: EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Educating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Amanda Brightman-Uhl University of New England

EDU-600, Fall A

Michael Carter October 16, 2011 EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Many teachers are now finding themselves responsible for instructing an ever growing population of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Approximately 1 in 110 individuals is diagnosed with autism (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). ASD is characterized by impaired communication and social interaction, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. For many years researchers and educators alike thought that educating people with ASD was best done in an alternative special education setting. Currently, the trend in educating children with ASD is early intervention with individual inclusion within the general education classroom. Inclusion refers to teaching children with special needs together with typically developing peers. After all, shouldnt all children have the right to feel included? The following literature review attempts to demonstrate and support this current trend while answering the following questions: How does ASD affect children/ what does it look like? When does inclusion work and when does it not? Are general education teachers prepared to teach children with ASD? What does inclusion really mean? Can there be an all inclusive classroom? How Does ASD Affect Children/ 2

What Does it Look Like? In a research article by Leekam, Prior and Uljarevic (2011), two specific questions were addressed for guiding their study. First, how does ASD affect children? Second, can it be controlled to lessen the barrier to learning and social adaptation? The focus of the study was on restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs), which is the core EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM feature of ASD. Leekam et al. (2011) explains RRBs as being a class of behaviors characterized by high frequency, repetition in an invariant manner, and desire for sameness in the environment. It is important when creating an individual education plan for a child with ASD to be proactive in setting up their environment to best suit their needs. When thinking about including students with ASD in the regular education setting it is vital to think about the rate that RRBs happen and what modification will have to be made. Leekam et al. (2011) found that RRBs can be subdivided into four subtypes (a) preoccupation; (b) repetitive motor mannerisms; (c) nonfunctional routines or rituals; and (d) persistent preoccupation with parts of an object. After you get a baseline reading of your individual student, you can answer the first question of how do RRBs affect the child. Researchers and educators alike have always thought that for many disabilities early intervention is the key; it has been found the same for ASD. It is important to figure out each individuals triggers, such as stress, anxiety, arousal, and environmental depravation, and figure out if it can be controlled. If RRBs are thought of as developmentally immature responses that have 3

been maintained more strongly within the behavioral repertoire of individuals with ASD, then we are better equipped to create education plans that work best for the child. Leekam et al. (2011) found that pharmacological interventions provide only limited benefits to RRBs, while behavioral interventions are more promising for long term success. It has been found that early behavioral intervention will reduce RRBs overtime, making the individual available for instruction in the regular classroom setting. The research is still relatively new and while EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM there is no way to totally stop RRBs, it is possible to lessen them, a huge success for any individual living with an ASD. When Does Inclusion Work and When Does it Not? Now that there is an understanding of the childs RRBs, it is time to figure out if inclusion into the regular education setting is appropriate. Eldar, Talmor, and WolfZuckerman (2010) did a study examining the inclusion of children with ASD in general education classrooms and analyzed the factors related to its success and failure. Thirtyseven inclusion coordinators participated in the study and conveyed their view about their own experiences. The tendency to include children with ASD in the general population has increased along with diagnosed children. It is strongly believed that every child should be an equally valued member of the school culture. Children with disabilities benefit from 4

learning in regular classrooms, while their peers benefit from being exposed to children with a diversity of talents and temperaments. Eldar et al. (2010) found that children with ASD display more social behavior when among typical children then among other children with ASD. They also found that early inclusion worked best for these students while learning how to act appropriately in a school setting. Students who were fully included exhibited high level of engagement and social interaction, give and receive high levels of social support, have wider social networks, and have more advanced individual education goals then their counterparts in segregated placement. Instances of success across all social and behavioral aspects were many although successes in the cognitive domain were few. Many times inclusion comes down to a EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 5 schools ability to give a child with ASD one-onone assistance from an aid that can be present with the child in the general education classroom. Young children with ASD need rigidly structured schedules with many modifications made throughout the day, like picture schedules, constant prompting and quick redirection. This can be hard for a regular classroom teacher to do on their own, which is why many times an aid is needed for inclusion to be successful. Eldar et al. (2010) found that while full inclusion can be very successful in the primary years it gets harder as a child get older. For example, how to you teach or even modify a lesson on history when a child with ASD does not understand the concept of yesterday? When higher order thinking activities become regular, the idea of full inclusion starts being more of a detriment to the

child than not. At this point Williams, Fan, and Goodman (2011); Eldar et al. (2010); and Vakil, Welton, OConnor, and Kline (2009), all agree that some individual instruction is needed outside of the regular education classroom. The reasons full inclusion does not work most times, is because of inappropriate behaviors, including violent behavior towards other students and staff. Eldars et al. (2010) research correlated nicely with Leekams findings that behavioral interventions are the most promising in long term success for children with ASD. For each individual child the question should be asked, what are the functional, emotional, and social benefits that justify investment in inclusion? In the primary grades for a child with ASD, the answer is almost always the same; the successes of inclusion outweigh the failures. Are General Education Teachers Prepared to Teach Children with ASD? EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Research pointing in the direction of inclusion for children with ASD has put general education teachers in a precarious position. Students with ASD often times will withdraw during instruction or demonstrate inappropriate and noncompliant behaviors. Teachers often times find that trying to manage the social behaviors of these students interferes with classroom academic instruction. Not all districts have the resources to hire an aid for every child with ASD. According to Williams et al. (2011) teachers who need to educate students with ASD must possess knowledge of specialized instruction techniques 6

that are effective with this population. Research has shown that a very low percentage of teachers are prepared or have the knowledge it takes to include ASD students into their classrooms, but still they are expected to do so. It is questionable if there are any members of a standard public school that are equipped to work with students with ASD. A lot of parents have started questioning those who are considered to be highly qualified as generic special education teachers, wondering if they are highly qualified as teachers of students with ASD. Williams et al. (2011) explains that many positive attempts to provide educators with information regarding effective practices for instructing students with ASD have been made, but educators awareness of this new information remains unclear. The most important factor that might affect the impact of information provided to educators is their valuing of this information and their willingness to implement the identified practices. Williams et al. (2011) sent out informational packets and questionnaires that were completed by 3,000 eligible educators. It gave them lists of known teaching strategies that have been proven to work EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 7 for students with ASD and then asked them to implement the ones most appropriate for them. Although teachers rated the strategies as highly acceptable, they did not necessarily implement them. Most teachers feel it is too big a job and that they do not have enough support from administration. District administers need to start by targeting areas of lesser knowledge to more effectively provide information that will enhance educators skill sets.

Until this issue is fully targeted as an area of need, general education teachers will continue to struggle when trying to include ASD students into their classrooms. What Does Inclusion Really Mean? When inclusion is done right it does not mean solely including a student with special needs into a general education classroom. It also means including the students whole service provider team into the general education classroom. Once a child with ASD is placed in a general education setting, service provisions for the students must be a collaborative effort. Service provision is a team effort and must include everyone; everyone means the educator, special education teacher, intervention specialist, related service providers, administrators and parents. Vakil et al. (2008) remind educators that inclusion is not a placement. Rather, it is a method of delivering services which include developmentally appropriate practices that are age, individually, and culturally suitable for the child and effective special education support services. Administration plays a huge role by facilitating and supporting the team with whatever they need to successfully include the student with ASD. Those early childhood educators who include all children promote a climate that increases sensitivity and acceptance of diversity while decreasing teasing and bullying based upon physical or ability differences. Unquestionably, the EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 8 partnership of

administration, special and regular education will continue to be valuable for all. Can There be an All Inclusive Classroom?

Most strategies that have been proven to work with students with ASD also work with typically developing students. The TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children) method was developed by psychologist Eric Schopler in 1960, and is used by many public schools today. In a sense it is a modified, all inclusive, general education classroom that benefits everyone. Blubaugh and Kohlmann (2006) explain the TEACCH classroom as very structured, with separate, defined areas for each task, such as individual work, group activities, and play. Children with ASD tend to have stronger visual processing as compared to auditory processing skills so many visual supports are used in the classroom. Tube lights are used in many classroom and can easily distract children with ASD so softer lights or lamps can be used. Many of these techniques capitalize on the childs strengths rather than the childs deficits. These are just a few modifications that can be made to any primary grade classroom to include ASD students. Blubaugh et al. (2006) stresses that the TEACCH method respects the culture of ASD and embraces a philosophy that people with autism have characteristics that are different, but not necessarily inferior, to the rest of us. TEACCH is more focused on accommodating a childs ASD traits rather than trying to overcome them. Inclusion provides a supportive environment in which young children can grow and learn side be side with their peers. As the literature has shown, supportive, EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 9 collaborative

environments are based on developmentally appropriate practice where children feel

accepted, cared for, and supportive in not only their learning, but also their physical, emotional, and social well-being. The procedures used with inclusive practices meet the mandated requirement of providing education services in the least restrictive environment. With the number of children being diagnosed with ASD it would make sense that autism education be an expectation for educators. When thinking about creating an educational plan for students with ASD it is important to take into consideration the pros and cons for each individual. It is also crucial to plan ahead and be proactive. Inclusion has been proven to improve social behaviors in the primary years but can be detrimental in later years because the gap in cognitive ability becomes too great. Inclusion should always be the goal, especially in the early years if at all possible. It has been shown to be the best option for almost all children with ASD even though it is extra work for the administrators and teachers. It is exciting to see the trend in education be inclusion for everyone, it will lead to a more tolerant world where people do not feel ashamed for being different and most importantly feel included.

EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 10 References Blubaugh, N., & Kohlmann, J. (2006). TEACCH model and children with autism. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, v17, 16-19.

Eldar, E., Talmor, R., & Wolf-Zukerman, T. (2010). Successes and difficulties in the individual inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the eyes of their coordinators. International Journal of Inclusive Education, v14, 97-114. doi: 10.1080/13603110802504150 Leekam, S. R., Prior, M. R., & Uljarevic, M. (2011). Restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders: A review of research in the last decade. American Psychological Association, v137, 562-593. doi: 10.1037/a0023341 Vakil, S., Welton, E., OConnor, B., & Kline, L. S. (2009). Inclusion means everyone! The role of the early childhood educator when including young children with autism in the classroom. Early Childhood Educational Journal, v36, 321-326. doi: 10.1007/ s10643-008-0289-5 Williams, C. M., Fan, W., & Goodman, G. (2011). Preliminary analysis of the survey of educators knowledge and value of research-based practices for students with autism. Assessment for Effective Intervention, V36, 113-130. doi: 10.1177/1534508410391079

Good job in your introduction laying out the thinking and the focus of your review! Again, good job comparing, contrasting and linking the various studies. To them? Or for students? Unlike book and article titles, the titles of periodicals should have word capitalization. Fix this throughout the page.