Inclusive Education For Children With Autism- The Need For Change

Abstract

Children with Autism are immersed in environments that make little to no sense to them. For educators attempting to meet the diverse range of learning needs for children with ASD, the lack or limited knowledge regarding the type of interventions to implement in the classroom can be both misleading and confusing. Interventions need to address the issue of competence in inclusive settings by creating positive, predictable environments that allow the child to develop and expand their ability to successfully impact the environment around them. Educating children with autism simply because the law demands it and the increase of the social awareness is not enough. Education has resulted in unrealistic and unreasonable expectations for students and has hindered the potential progress of students with ASD. Although every child with autism is different and the behavioural manifestations of the cognitive impairments are variable, there are certain key issues which make the education of these children within mainstream schooling a particular challenge. The ‘dyad of impairment’ summarizes the dificulties of the autistic child, but the actual manifestation of these in the dynamics of the classroom can vary from situation to situation and child to child. It is important for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel to be knowledgeable about evidence-based approaches to adequately address the needs of students with autism. The purpose of this article is to suggest to inclusive education system and educators themselves with an overview of evidence-based practice, outline effective teaching practices, and highlight speciic resources that teachers can use.