Planning for successful inclusion of students with severe autism
I. Challenges for including the student with autism in the general education classroom
Inclusion for students with autism can be beneficial to the student, as well as for all of
the students in the class. It may better prepare all students for the challenges of living in a
society together (King-Spears 1996). Inclusion does not come without challenges however.
The first major challenge to inclusion is the lack of valid research on which to base best
practices decisions. More data is needed showing the success rate of full inclusion versus
optional inclusion. More data is needed to show which strategies are most successful in
inclusion with autistic students.
Secondly students with autism present symptoms that make them somewhat resistant to
treatment. Students with autism do not like change. Multiple teachers in a coteaching
situation might be difficult for a student with autism. Some students with autism are
nonverbal making communication within a general education classroom difficult for the
teacher as well as the student’s peers. Socialization between peers may prove to be
difficult when nonverbal students with autism are added to the classroom. For inclusion to
be successful, a community must be built within the classroom. Socialization and
communication cause severe challenges for building of community.
Fear of inclusion also is a challenge for inclusion. Regular education teachers fear they
do not have the skill to teach students with autism. They also fear changing from a
teacher-centered idea of education to a more collaborative method. Parents of students
with autism fear that their child’s specific needs will not be met in an inclusive classroom.
Parents of students without disabilities fear loss of quality in education when a child with a
severe disability is added to the classroom (Silliman et.al. , 1999)
II. Principles that Guide Inclusion
If we are to move toward inclusion it must be defined. Inclusion in this paper will be
defined as including all students in the class they would normally attend if the student had
no disability. The school is restructured so that support services are brought to the regular
classroom (Roach, 2002). Inclusion is beneficial to students with autism since research has
shown the presence of typically developing children was significantly associated with
decreased autistic behavior as compared with the presence of other children with autism
(Levy, Kim, Olive 2006). Further having reciprocal relationships with peers is key to a child’s
social, emotional and even cognitive development. (Scheuermann & Webber 2002)
The continuous
progress model of instruction is often used for inclusion of students with
autism. This model recognizes that since children have different academic and social
needs, developmental needs, not grade level placement drive decisions about readiness to
learn. It has as its goal that all children understand learning as an activity engaged in to
accomplish meaningful goals. (Silliman et.al., 1999) It recognizes that all children can
learn. Multiage grouping (grouping children of different ages together) works well with
the continuous progress model since it allows children with similar readiness abilities to be
grouped together.
The general education teacher, speech and language pathologist, and the special
learning disabilities teacher work collaboratively in the classroom. Coteaching is currently
the preferred method for moving students with disabilities such as autism away from
passive learning (Silliman et.al., 1999) As coteachers they are jointly responsible for the
progress of all individuals in the class, both in teaching and assessment. This arrangement
enables the student with autism to continue to receive the individualized instruction he
needs. Assessment is based on the skills an individual is displaying based on his
proficiency level. All assessment is curriculum-based so the effects of instruction can
clearly be measured. (Silliman et.al., 1999).
Inclusion is only successful if all invested parties support it. Teacher support can be
garnered if teacher participation in the inclusive classroom is voluntary, and coteachers
within a classroom are able to work together harmoniously. Teacher support is increased if
the administration supports inclusion by providing for planning time for coteachers, and
training for all teachers to make them aware of methods that are available for successful
inclusion. Teachers show support for inclusion when they share ownership of the
responsibility for instructing each individual in the classroom, and are willing to coplan
instruction so that the individual need of the child with disabilities is met. Administration
shows support when they actively engage themselves, teachers and parents in forums to
discuss the challenges of inclusion. Parent show support when they buy-in to the idea that
the quality of education will not suffer, and the needs of the student with autism will be
met (Silliman et.al., 1999 Roach, 2002 Merritt, 2001).
III. Recommendations For Implementation
My recommendation is that this school moves toward the inclusion model as it is
defined in part II (Principles that Guide Inclusion). Further I recommend that this program
be started as a pilot program. Research suggests that we will see increased social and
cognitive development as students with autism develop reciprocal relationships with
typical students (Roach, 2002). With the success of the pilot program we will be confident
in the use of inclusion for more students. School-wide inclusion should be completed
within five years. Failing to set a set deadline for inclusion may result in never
implementing widespread inclusion (King-Spears, 1996). Forums, including parents,
teachers and administrators, will be set up by the school to discuss these ideas.
I recommend that we use the continuous progress model of instruction. Students with
autism will be placed in multi-age classes. Grouping by proficiency level will take place in
literacy and math instruction. In all other instruction all students will work together as a
class. A team of educators will teach the inclusion class: one regular education teacher,
one speech and language pathologist, and one special education teacher. These teams will
plan together, equally sharing the responsibility for teaching and assessment of all students
in the class.
It is my recommendation that the school provide training for coteachers in coteaching
strategies; in particular the strategies of whole group instruction and instruct and outline.
Whole group instruction combined with instruct and outline seem the most likely to
succeed when working with students with autism since whole group provides for the
ability to keep students on task and the documentation of tasks, while instruct and outline
provide for more of the visual needs and provides direct instruction in organization.
(Silliman et.al., 1999) Aside from strategy-specific training, the school should provide the
teachers with situation-specific problem-solving training, and site visits. Teachers must be
provided with information on the disability of autism enabling them to address the
student’s unique needs.
Teachers should be given information about autism friendly
learning strategies such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Applied
Behavior Analysis, social stories and direct instruction.
Inclusion of students with autism into the general education classroom will be successful.
It will provide for the student’s individual needs and a rich community for all students.
References
King-Spears, M.E. (1996,). Determining complements and compromises for inclusion.
Intervention in School & Clinic, 31, pg231.
Levy, S., Kim, A, & Olive, M. (2006). Interventions for young children with autism: A
synthesis of the literature. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,
21(1), 55-62.
Merritt S. (2001, November). Clearing the Hurdles of Inclusion. Educational Leadership
67-70.
Roach, V. (2002). Supporting inclusion. 2002 EBSCO Publishing.
Scheuerman, B. & Webber, J. (2002). Autism: teaching does make a difference. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
Silliman, E.R. Ford, C.C., Beasman J.& Evans, D.(1999). An inclusion model for
Children with language learning disabilities: Building classroom partnerships.
Topics on Language Disorders, May, 1999.