EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay

Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

Autism effects many students in the mainstream school

system, however currently there is not any specific training
for teachers (pre-service or in-service) to assist them in
managing and effectively teaching a child with autism.
Discuss what is required of teachers to manage an autistic
child and their behaviours in the classroom.

The neurological disorder of autism is a syndrome that not only

limits a patients ability to communicate and socialize, but also can
majorly effect other parts and development of the body. Autistic
sufferers can display a variety of characteristics that not only
depends on the individual but also the degree of the disorder from
Aspergers Syndrome to extreme cases of autism, where individuals
require life long care (Walton, H. 2008). Walton (2008) reports in a
study addressing autism, that in the year of 2008 one child in every
one hundred and sixty pupils have been given a diagnosis on the
autistic spectrum. Those individual students who have an extreme
case of autism will most likely be placed in a specialist schools,
however the majority of children with autism will attend a
mainstream primary school. Therefore, this requires teachers to not
only educate these individuals like the rest of the mainstream
students, but also encouraging inclusiveness amongst peers while
managing their behaviour. Teacher support and understanding is
important for all students, but due to the lack of social
understanding and poor social skills that accompanies Aspergers
Syndrome and Autism, this relationship becomes even more crucial
for the success of the students in mainstream school (Hinton, S.,
Sofronoff, K., Sheffield, J. 2008). Therefore it is believed that
Teacher training both pre-service and in-service should involve a
study on Autistic students and their characteristics allowing
teachers to have an understanding of their students abilities and
limitations, in order to teach and manage these children effectively
in mainstream classes. This idea is highlighted through, autistic
syndrome and behaviours, peer acceptance, teacher training of
understanding and management, which will be discussed
furthermore.

A degree of Autism is diagnosed in one in every one hundred and

sixty people, however there is very little specific training for
teachers for implementing practices and strategies for autistic
students reported (Bounds, J., 2009). In order for a student to be
supported and reach their abilities, teachers need to have training in
order to understand what is required in the need to support a
EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay
Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

student with Autism. As stated previously, highly functioning Autistic

students can be exceptionally academic in some subject, however if
theyre teacher has the wrong attitude to their diagnosis or lack of
understanding, the students education may suffer and abilities left
undiscovered. Cognitive Behaviour modification/management
(CBM) strategies are being presented to assist teachers to manage
the behaviour of autistic students in mainstream classes (Quinn, C.,
Swaggart, B. L., & Myles, B. S. (1994). These strategies identify
what positive reinforcements may be used for autistic students in
order to help maintain the desired behaviour. However as all autistic
people are different they will have different desires, therefore the
strategies provide practices of assessments in order to determine
what the student would value as a reinforcement, as it may not be
obvious to the teacher. Although these strategies are being created,
they are not being presented to the people who require them the
most, being the teacher. Walton (2008) exclaims that staff in
schools often lack an understanding of the autism spectrum and
have had little opportunity to participate in professional
development to increase their skills, while also acknowledging new
staff such as graduates have had very little training in the disability
area as part of their degree. Its is clear that more training is needed
for teachers to not only support an autistic child, but also to be able
to manage their behaviour effectively so that they positively
contribute to the other children in the class.

The acceptance of peers has a major effect of success of autistic

students, due to their social impairments school can often be a very
negative experience for sufferers often being excluded and
misunderstood by classmates. Bounds (2009) bring fourth concerns
about the inclusion of the autistic children in the mainstream
classroom. Bounds (2009) does acknowledge the inclusion
standards are present in the Disability Standards for Education
2005, and there is strong support for the inclusion policy, however
Bound (2009) states that school teachers attitude surrounding the
implementation of these policies was less then positive. The
presence of an autistic student in a mainstream class requires
dealing with behaviour such as learning difficulties, disruptive
behaviour and difficulties functioning in a group (Rincover, A., Tripp,
J. K. 1979). This is why it is essential for teachers to have the
training for dealing with these types of behaviours, so that they
have the strategies to structure a classroom environment of support
for not only the mainstream children but also the disabled students.
Autistic students, as stated previously stated often misunderstood
by their teachers, so it is clear that they are also going to be
misunderstood by their classmates. Mainstream students also need
the structure in the classroom, as at times an autistic child can be
incredibly frustrating for them and as a child they can sometimes
EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay
Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

struggle to understand why their peer is behaving inappropriately.

School based interventions in classrooms for disabled and non-
disabled are being used more and more (Cullen-Powell, L., Barlow, J.,
& Bagh, J. 2005). Students look to their teacher for a model of how
to treat certain behaviours, we see this with both disable and
nondisabled behaviours, therefore teachers need to demonstrate
understanding to the autistic child, in order for each classmate to
treat the child with respect and acceptance. Peer acceptance is the
ultimate key to successful integration of autistic children and
therefore this is a major focus (Laws, G., Bates, G. et al. 2012).

Behaviour is too often managed with punishment rather then

reinforcement out of desperation, autistic behaviour can be terribly
frustrating for even the most understanding, teachers must utilize
the knowledge of the individuals parents in order to effectively
manage the behaviour. In 1999, it was reported schools use the
most potent negative consequences available in a desperate effort
to control an individual (Department of Psychology, 1999). While it
is believe that the majority of schools have developed a more
positive and meaningful approach to misbehaviour, when teachers
are at their wits end this type of punishment can come into play. It
is important to remember when dealing with an autistic children
these punishments can be detrimental to their development and
relationship with you. Prior to this desperation stage, teachers need
to engage in meeting with parents, who will have a great insight to
their children. While parents expectations cause a lot of stress for
teachers as they seem out of reach in the mainstream system, the
parents know what works and doesnt work for their child (Glashan,
L., Mackay, G., & Grieve, A. 2004.). As stated previously, autistic
characteristics are different for each individual, therefore general
research and training are effective, but in order to truly support the
student a deeper understanding must be made. Parents can provide
tips on what makes their child focus, what positive reinforcement
might be as they have coped with the behaviour for years. Parents
knowledge can be a great tool for teachers and in order to truly
support an autistic child, teachers need to engage in conversation
with their family.

Autism is a disorder that not only affects the individual but also
impacts greatly on those around them including their families and
school community. The autistic spectrum is a vast one, therefore
when speaking of the managing the behaviour of the student, it
really depends on the individuals tendencies. Some are so mild that
it would not be referred to as a disability while others are in need of
full time care for their entire lives. The importance of peer
acceptance is clearly highlighted for the success of the child in
mainstream schools, while it is up to the teacher to implement this.
EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay
Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

Teachers need to take into account the tendencies of the child when
planning group activities to ensure inclusion rather than disruption
(Glashan, L., Macka, G., & Grieve, A. 2004.). Therefore teachers
need their own personal training into the area of disability and
autism, to ensure that they are being understanding and supportive
of the child while providing the same education and opportunities
they provide to the rest of the class. Teachers should engage in
communication with parents, while allowing them to share their
knowledge about the child to assist the teacher in managing the
autistic tendencies whether they are positive or negative.

REFERENCE LIST:

Bounds, J. (2009). A study of the outcomes of collaborative

and structured support for primary school teachers to facilitate
inclusive education for students with an autism spectrum disorder.
Flinders University Department of Disability Studies School of
Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences. Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved
from http://theses.flinders.edu.au/uploads/approved/adt-
SFU20101203.100423/public/02whole.pdf

Cullen-Powell, L., Barlow, J., & Bagh, J. (2005). The self-

discovery programme for children with special educational needs in
mainstream primary and secondary schools: An exploratory study.
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 10(3), 189-201. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docveiw/62146517?
accountid=8194
EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay
Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

Glashan, L., Mackay, G., & Grieve, A. (2004). Teachers'

experience of support in the mainstream education of pupils with
autism. Improving Schools, 7(1), 49-60. Retrieved from
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Hinton, S., Sofronoff, K., & Sheffield, J. (2008) Training

Teachers to Manage Students with Asperger's Syndrome in an
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20108;res=IELAPA>

Laws, G., Bates, G., Feuerstein, M., Mason-Apps, E., & White,
C. (2012). Peer acceptance of children with language and
communication impairments in a mainstream primary school:
Associations with type of language difficulty, problem behaviours
and a change in placement organization. Child Language Teaching
and Therapy, 28(1), 73-86. Retrieved from
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Quinn, C., Swaggart, B. L., & Myles, B. S. (1994).

Implementing cognitive behaviour management programs for
persons with autism. Guidelines for practitioners. Focus on Autism
and Other Developmental Disabilities, 9(4), 1-13.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/108835769400900401

Rincover, A., & Tripp, J. K. (1979). Management and education

of autistic children. School Psychology Digest, 8(4), 397-411.
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Walton, H. (2008) Addressing autism. [online]. Parent and

Citizen Journal; 59(3). Retrieved from
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Madeleine Ward - S00153799.

<http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=174292;res=AEIPT>
ISSN: 0726-7126.

N.A. (1999) Behavioral initiatives in broad perspective. School

Mental Health Project, Center for Mental Health in Schools,
Department of Psychology, Box 951563; UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
90095-1563; Tel.: 310-825-3634;. Retrieved from
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EDFD 220 ASSESMENT TASK 2 Individual Essay
Madeleine Ward - S00153799.