When I first set out researching my question, I initially believed that all autistic children should be integrated into mainstream schools, no matter what the severity of the child’s condition. Since researching my chosen topic, I still believe that autistic children could stay in mainstream schools, however, it depends on their behavioural issues, extra support available and the severity of their condition.
Some parents, who have children, on the Autistic Syndrome Disorder (ASD) believe that their children will receive a better academic education, should they send them to mainstream schools, instead of a special school, designed to teach children with specific conditions. (isybee autism.) This is a debatable opinion, but may be true on some level. It depends on how severe the child’s condition is. Children in specialist schools, do receive an academic education, but in most cases not to the level that mainstream schools can give. Therefore, it might be suggested that integration would be more beneficial for the child’s learning experiences and social interaction with peers.
Specialist schools can also make additional security around the school. This gives you peace of mind that the child is in a secure and caring surroundings. Although in my opinion, it can make the parents feel uneasy, because they have to put such security in their schools. Security may result in parents, effectively not sending their child to the special school.
There is no right or wrong answer, to which is the best school to send an ASD child. This depends on what best suits your child. You have to consider the options and determine which school copes best with your child and their ASD condition. (isybeeautism.com.)
Although, many schools are very accommo...
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...or the teachers to help control and support their child's condition, and behavioural issues. See chart below.
However, although it would be better to integrate ASD children into mainstream schools, sometimes the school and the teachers are not adequately equipped to accommodate for the more severe ASD child who is at the end of the autistic scale, with high functioning autism. This makes it hard on parents, wishing for their child to be integrated within the mainstream school community. Therefore, putting the teachers in a difficult position to transfer the child into a specialist school and convincing the parents that their child would get a better education if in a school that are trained and have the knowledge and understanding for the autistic child and their issues, not having to worry about how they may be disrupting the other children in the class.
Done correctly, mainstreaming does not mean simply placing the child into a classroom of regular students and expecting him to succeed on his own. Instead, it takes extra help to integrate autistic children into a mainstreamed environment because the others in the classroom are more socially motivated, whereas the child is more instinctively and structurally motivated (Siegel 226). With the help and constant support of special aids within the classroom, a child with autistic disorders has a better chance of succeeding because they are around children who will encourage proper behavior and social skills.
This source highlighted different approaches taken by schools, teachers, and aides that work closely with persons with ASD. While states offer equal educational opportunities to students, it is important for the individual to understand what their needs are when choosing a school or program. While mainstreaming students with ASD into normal learning environments can be beneficial to personal development, it can also be damaging if the students is not emotionally prepared. This type of frustration can cause the individual with ASD to exhibit problematic behavior or cause them to develop
...ight be getting into a mainstream school without to much of a shadow. For a moderately autistic kid the best prognosis is full recovery. ” People have many different opinions about autism. But the most important thing with autism is to know how to help an autistic child.
“The 1% of US students with labels of severe disabilities including mental retardation have been historically excluded from ‘inclusive’ education” (Bentley, 2008, p. 543). Laws such as PL 94-142 and “No Child Left Behind” (as cited in Bentley), say that ‘public school students with all types of disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment—‘to the maximum extent possible…with children who do not have disabilities’ the majority of these students with special education labels, such as, mental retardation and multiple disabilities are still isolated in special education classrooms (Bentley, 2008, p. 545). Wehmeyer (as cited in Bentley), points out that mere access does not promote authentic participation (Bentley, 2008, p. 546). Burkowski et al (as cited in Webster and Cater), “Friendship has been defined as a bond between two individuals that is stable across time and involves mutual affection, mutual preference and having fun together” (Webster and Carter, 2007, p. 201). It is up to parents, teachers and other paraprofessionals to seek ways to facilitate and encourage the types of positive interactions that will foster these types of friendships. If done successfully all students will benefit and there will be true inclusion.
Stephanie Lindsey the author of the article Autism and Education addresses some serious issues in the education system between the special needs students and the highly gifted students. Stephanie writes the article based off her children and how they are treated in school. Her son has autism, which affects his capability to learn, speak, and to train himself when it comes to bathroom use. Also never being alone in school due to him having a personal aid alongside him with special classes he is treaded with a different type of education. Her daughter on the other hand tests in the 95th percentile nationwide on standardized testing. She’s twelve and her capability of progressing information and taking complex ideas apart and putting them back together to form new thoughts is like no normal twelve year old. She reads entire novels, solves Sudoku puzzles, and also participates in her school
There are multiple types of schools in the United States; especially when it comes to dealing with children with Autism. Some schools do not handle autistic children well. There are multiple reports on how these children are put in isolation from other students in the school. Society frowns upon the mentally disabled, and many people feel as if this should not be. Most psychologists have said that there are no “right” schools for children with autism. However, public schools seem to have more pros, than cons. In public schools, the ratio (for teachers to students) is 1:1. There is special support, just like mainstreaming. Also, Autistic children don’t feel different than other students because the classroom has the same type-of setting and any other class. Just as there are pros, cons seem to follow however. One of the main, and only cons is simply that the parent does not agree with the choices, or setting of the school. The parent might feel the classroom is not adequate for their child.
It is required that the student be placed in the setting most like that of typical peers in which they can succeed when provided with needed supports and services (Friend, 2014). In other words, children with disabilities are to be educated with children who are not disabled to the maximum extent appropriate. Removal may only occur when education in regular classes, with the use of supplementary aids and services, cannot be achieved satisfactorily (Yell, 2006).
Whenever the benefits of inclusion are brought up the first component that comes to mind is: social interaction. The benefits of social interaction is the most important component for including children with autism in an inclusion, general education setting (Lynch & Irvine, 2009). The reason this benefit is so high within a general education setting is that interactions occur at a greater frequency. Typical peers that meet cor...
...eatments have a vast effect on the people that possess these disorders and those who are surrounded by it. Early intervention and proper treatment is crucial for improving both severe and mild symptoms therefore, parents need to be attentive to any developmental interruptions that may suggest autism. Typically, if the diagnosis is found at an early age the better their treatment results. The outcome for children with Asperger’s Disorder is generally more promising than for those with autism (Cohen, Harold). Due to their higher level of intellectual functioning, many of these children successfully finish high school and attend college (Cohen, Harold). Successful treatment for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders can prove beneficial in the management of their disability, even though some may still struggle with social circumstances and personal relationships.
In 1990, the United States Congress renamed the Education of the Handicapped Act to Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, PL 101-476). One of the changes in the new law included the addition of autism to the list of disabilities that qualify a student for special education services in a public school (Armstrong & Darrow, 1999). Bunton-Pierce & Dunlap (1999), classified autism as developmental disorder, which affects a person's ability to communicate verbally and non verbally, whether its understanding the language, play, and interact with individuals. Leo Kanner diagnosed autism in 1943. Kanner approximated that autism occurs in about four of every ten thousand children (Kanner,1943). Autism is “the second most common developmental disability…even more common than Down sy...
Having worked in an Autism program first hand I can tell you these people are doing everything they can to help these kids into functioning members of society. Though some will need to be assisted their entire lives some can lead semi-normal lives. In these classrooms these programs not only focus on learning the fundamentals like all children in school (english, math, science, etc..) they also teach social skills and activities, they teach the kids things like proper etiquette in public places, safety on the phone, all the things that that isn 't 'common sense ' to them because of their disability. They work hard to help the students who are more high functioning to integrate into normal classrooms and the children who are more so low functioning to be able to do the basics and beyond for themselves. These programs are continually developing and reshaping to best fit the needs of their
The true purpose of school is to prepare children for their future in becoming lifelong learners and global citizens. For children with special needs, special education services prepare and provide support for them in dealing with the challenges they face daily. Laws such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has enforced schools to provide education to all children and reinforces the purpose of the school, which is to provide children the Least Restrictive Environment to help them develop to their optimal potential. There are myriad of concerns regarding inclusion’s effect on typical developing students, yet a research done by Bui, Quirk, Almazan, and Valenti shows that “[p]resence of students with disabilities results in greater number of typical students making reading and math progress compared to non-inclusive general education classes” (p. 3). Therefore, inclusion not only benefits children with disabilities, but it also benefits typical developing student’s academic skills and allows them to learn acceptance and respect for students with disabilities.
There are millions of children that are passing through the United States school system every day, not all children possess the same traits, and not all children can learn at the same rate, and do not perform at the same ability. The fact that all children learn differently and some have difficulties learning in general classrooms, special education was put into place to try and take care of these issues. Special education programs were put into place to help all students with disabilities. These children range from general disabilities to more complex and severe disabilities. There has been a revolution occurring in the past several years with education systems, and special education. There have now been several laws that have been passed that mandate changes in special education and the treatment that children, and parents receive, it also changes how the children are being taught, and how the teachers are to also change and conform to this idea called inclusion. Inclusion in the school system simply is stating that children who have learning disabilities, and more severe disabilities are to be included in the general education environment for as long as possible daily. There has been several different names other than inclusion that have been used, but in present times and since the 1990’s inclusion has been the most common term used. “The change in terminology was pushed in part by the philosophy that inclusion would mean more than only physical placement of children with disabilities in the same classroom, but rather it conveyed that children with disabilities would become a part of larger social, community, and societal systems” (Odom, Buysse, & Soukakou, 2011, para. 3). There has not been just one major law that was passed...
...iagnosis becoming more powerful, public schools have found themselves searching to find methods to educate autistic children. Not only is it hard for schools to deal with the autistic children, but also the families have a struggle finding out that their child has autism. Parents of children with autism often suffer from stress and anxiety disorders. Dealing with children that are autistic places extraordinary demands on the parents that can be added over the usual parental daily work and responsibilities. They need to cope with different needs that their child has that the other family members don’t have. There are many support groups for parents that have a difficulty in accepting their child’s condition. They can even attend counseling with their child to find ways to cope with his or hers necessities. Now there are also programs that help the parents financially
Research suggests that the integration and inclusion of students with special educational needs can be beneficial to not only the student, but also to the parents, teachers and peers of the student (Stainback, Stainback & Jackson, 1992). It is also suggested that integration and inclusion is also beneficial to students in areas of learning other than academic, including that of emotional and social development.