Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attitudes About Inclusion Teaching

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a range of neurological disorders that usually affect the normal functioning of the brain. They are characterized by highly repetitive behavior, extensive impairment in communication and social interactions as well as severely restricted interests. The spectrum encompasses Autism, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Disorder, Pervasive Development Disorder, and Asperger’s Disorder. Prevalence statistics The prevalence of ASD ranges between 3.3 and 10.6 for every 1000 children with a general mean prevalence of 6.6 per 1000 children. There is significant higher prevalence among white non-Hispanic kids compared with black non-Hispanic kids (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). The male-to-female ratio varies from 3.4 to 6.5 boys per 1 girl. The population of children who are diagnosed with autism continues to rise significantly with statistics from the United States Department of Health indicating the number of children diagnosed with autism growing at a rate of 20% annually in America. Additionally, one in every a hundred and seventy five 175 elementary learners is diagnosed with autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Causes and general symptoms There are no distinct causes of Autism spectrum disorder since most of the individual symptoms are a result of different factors. However, there has been a strong link of genetics as a major cause, although it is not clear whether it is genetic mutations or rare multi gene interactions that lead to the development of ASD. This uncertainty arises due to the many complex gene interactions involved as well as the epigenetic factors that play a role during gene expression. Autism spe... ... middle of paper ... ...lso be helpful as the teachers can be able to choose individuals with whom they are of the same personality types thus leading to compatibility that is necessary for them to work together. Lastly, it is important to develop clear training and supervision procedures that will guide teachers on the right steps to follow during training, supervision and evaluation of teachers’ aides. This will be important so that teachers are aware of the set of skills that their aides will need to be trained in as well as a number of set parameters that they will be evaluated on. Appropriate evaluation procedures that both the teachers and the paraeducators are aware of and agree to are essential in creating the right kind of relationship between the two as both parties are comfortable with these parameters and thus the evaluation process is carried out in a well understood manner.

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