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Autism Within the Classroom[WU2]
Autism Spectrum Disorder, also referred to as ASD, affects the social interactions, behavior, and communications of humans and may cause other medical conditions, for example epilepsy. Although autism is not prevalent in one race, region, or socioeconomic status; boys are often more diagnosed than girls (Autism Fact Sheet). As the years continue, more and more people are diagnosed with this disability and is currently found in one of every eighty-eight children. This growth is only increasing, but there is hope because the mental illness is treatable.[WU3]
In 1943, Leo Kanner was the first to label the condition and people began to believe that autism’s cause was because of a failed bond between mother and child(Smith 103). However, this was disproved and instead was thought to be related to the development of the child while in the womb. Now, the National Autism Association believes that many factors can contribute to the cause of the disorder. These factors include: vaccinations, environmental exposure, pesticide exposure, age of the parents, lack of prenatal vitamins taken while pregnant, and in rarer cases the proximity of the pregnant woman’s house to the freeway (Causes of Autism). A child with the disorder is usually diagnosed around age three and is accepted by IDEA’s standards. It important for children with autism, and the more in depth Asperger syndrome, to be in general classrooms to help build their social interaction and communication with others.
Autism is a disability that is not necessarily seen by the eye which is why it is important to recognize the signs that are common among many cases. For example, if the child does not show emotional expressions, respond, or show signs of speech it may hint towards autism (Signs of Autism). This means that if an infant is not making certain milestones that other children are, he or she may have autism and should see a specialist for a diagnosis as soon as possible. The earlier the child is diagnosed, the earlier the severity can be determined and a plan can be devised of what the child needs in terms of support.
Support is essential to the success of an autistic child, and there are many ways as teacher to support the student. These supports include the help of an aid and technology. Today, there are many ways to modify lesson plans and assessments so the student can manage the same or very similar work as abled students. However, many schools today are expanding their support into accommodated transportation for the child, therapy, communications services, and more. According to “Facts from NLTS2: Secondary School Experiences of Students with Autism”, seventy percent of students with autism receive some form of service from the school(Facts from NLTS2: Secondary School Experiences of Students with Autism). In another article, “Educational Plans”, the writer Stephen Shore mentions nine accommodations that can be incorporated in the classroom. These accommodations include: size, time, level of support, input, difficulty, output, participation, alternate, and substitute curriculum.
Size refers to adjusting what amount of topic needs to be learned and dividing it so as not to overwhelm students with work. Time represents flexibility for both the time you have to complete certain topics as well as flexibility for each individualized student. For example, this year because of Hurricane Sandy, teachers had to be flexible with the curriculum they felt must be done and most likely made special arrangements for disabled students. Shore describes level of support as supporting the students to achieve their goals no matter what obstacles they come across. In the input section, he writes that there should be various ways to teach students; “although most people on the autism spectrum are visually based, others may be kinesthetically oriented or favor other senses for input of information” [WU4](Shore 47). Difficulty means the teacher should recognize the skill level of each child and adjust work based off of it. Output refers to assessing children in different ways rather than repeatedly having them write, maybe assign a project or let them type the answers. All teachers should make sure each student participates and should encourage he or she to speak up and be involved in class time. Lastly, alternate and substitute curriculum both refer to once again adjusting for the benefit of the student. Whether it is modifying goals or arranging the curriculum so a child with autism can more easily be involved.
In the story “Going to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley, she describes her life as the mother of a disabled child. In her comparison and contrast of Italy and Holland, she shows the good things that come from plans being changed. She does not avoid the challenges that come with going Holland, like the language barrier and all her friends going to Italy, instead she accepts them as something unique. Of course, she uses Holland to portray the feelings of having a disabled child, and although there are challenges, it is important to recognize them and adjust to them.
Just like Kingsley, it important for teachers to recognize the challenges of autism to understand the struggles someone affected by it has. One of the first challenges is learning how to best treat the disability. This is a challenge in itself because there is no one-way of treating autism since there are many types of it depending on the severity. Another challenge is in regards to an inclusive classroom. The goals for children with autism are a little difference in priority than an abled child. According to “Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings”, the educational goals of an autistic child should revolve around “language and social skills, provide academic instruction consistent with cognitive level, to teach functional skills for postschool success, and to tie instruction to parental education (Forness, Walker, & Kavale, 2003)”(Smith 207). [WU5]Although the objectives may be a little different, the disabled child still deserves to be treated just like fellow classmates; equally.
Many students may feel that autistic classmates are getting more privileges, like being able to hand something in later than the rest of the class, but it important to teach students the difference between accommodations and privileges. It is essential that children are aware of the disability without singling the disabled child out. Just like a teacher would incorporate various books to reflect the variety of students in her classroom based on culture, it is key that he or she incorporates texts that discuss disabilities. This will teach the students not only to accept people of all kind, but it would also encourage them to see the similarities they might have with a disabled student. This will create equality, an equality that reinforces the idea that all students have at least one thing in common; the requirement to learn.
Think about the following scenario and how a well-educated teacher would handle it. “Leah has Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism, and has just moved into a new town where she does not know anyone. For the first couple of days, the teacher recognizes that Leah stays to herself and that the students’ excitement of a ‘new kid’ quickly wore off and they now think she is “weird” because of the rituals she does. The teacher also recognizes that the district Leah was previously in did not have the same accommodations that this town does and because of it Leah seems to be behind in the curriculum, especially in grammar. What should the teacher do?” Well it is clear that the teacher read Leah’s information and therefore is knowledgeable of her past education thus, she has “re-identified” Leah’s disability. Next, she should talk to the faculty about what accommodations could be made for Leah. She could be given a computer to do homework, which would help her with a grammar, and maybe it would help her social skills to send her to a speech therapist so she would be more confident in her communication skills.An academic plan should be made for her as well, suggesting goals for Leah and accommodations that might be necessary in regards to assignments and assessments. Lastly, in regards to the other students, the teacher should bring in text to describe what Asperger syndrome and autism are. This could help students gain a better understanding of why Leah acts the way she does.
Works[WU6] Cited
Autism Fact Sheet. 22 February 2013. <
Causes of Autism. 22 February 2013. <
"Facts from NLTS2: Secondary School Experiences of Students with Autism." National Center for Special Education Research (2007): 1-5.
Kingsley, Emily Perl. Going to Holland. 28 February 2005. <
Shore, Stephen M. Educational Plans. n.d. 22 February 2013. <
Signs of Autism. 22 February 2013. <
Smith, Tom E C., Edward A. Polloway, James R Patton, Carol A. Dowdy. Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings. New York: Pearson, 2012.
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