Asd In The Classroom

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

I chose this article because it specifically targets the inclusion of autistic students in general education classrooms. The evidence shows that having a child read social stories and practice social interaction through role play causes an increase in a child’s social behavior thus helping him or her socialize better with classmates and teachers. This builds a better foundation for a child to express his or her wants and

Component 1 (teaching valued social skills) will be based on previous peer-mediated social skills research conducted with students with developmental disabilities with additional interviews of teachers and students with and without ASD to ensure socially valid skills and individualized interventions within the context of the high school environment. Intervention components may include direct instruction, modeling, role plays, opportunities for practice, and corrective reinforcement. Peer mentors will help facilitate skills training to promote generalization of newly acquired skills and to serve as role models of appropriate social and communicative behavior. Component 2 (supporting peer mentors) will involve ensuring that peer mentors and their classmates with ASD are provided sufficient support, monitoring, communication, and feedback from participating peer mentors. In addition, ongoing peer mentor clubs will be established to support the social needs of mentors and their classmates with ASD. Component 3 (providing inclusive opportunities for social interaction) will involve teaching peer mentors to serve as social brokers in order to expand opportunities for social interaction between students with and without ASD (e.g., peer mentors inviting students with ASD to sit at the lunch table with them and their friends) in typical high school

The common traits of ASD, which include anti-social and often disruptive patterns of behavior, can make children with autism challenging for typical learning children to approach. Though the issue of including children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms is a complex one, peer-mediated interventions can promote the growth of social skills at every level of education. By educating the general population of typical peers and empowering them to be a part of the process a dent can be made in the social exclusion often experienced by the ASD children in mainstream settings. Implementing these interventions enriches the lives of all of the children involved, “possibly developing sustainable social relationships” expanding the effects of the program beyond the academic setting (Hughes et al., 2013). Also, these methods provide teachers an unobtrusive method of teaching that has benefits for the entire class. These methods could be helpful to other student populations that have intellectual

Autism is a disorder that is encompassed in the autism spectrum (ASDs) (Landa, 2007). Autism spectrum disorders describe the brain development disorders and encompass Asperger syndrome, autism, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) disorders. Features of the ASDs includes sensory and cognition problems, difficulty in communicating with other people, and repetitive behaviors. This paper will discuss autism with respect to what it is, the causes, autism in the inclusive classroom (what can be done to enhance total inclusion) and the role of the community.

Autism causes atypical social behaviors such as social interaction and social skills. people with autism have a lack of reciprocity and they do not share enjoyments, achievements, and interests with others. Sometimes they can have difficulty making friends. People with autism are often confused about the appropriate social behaviors.

health and well-being, and quality of life for individuals with ASDs. This section of the

Another intervention approach that facilitated positive social interaction among ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome and typically developing peers is through peer-mediated intervention (PMI). PMI is an evidence-based, peer-focused social skills intervention where rather than teacher delivered instruction, ASD students are taught primarily by their typically developing peers (Reichow and Volkmar, 2010). Teachers are able to use PMI to model and prompt targeted social behaviours within inclusive schools settings, promoting positive social interaction among typically developing students and those with ASD (Watkins, Kuhn, Gevarter, Lancioni, Sigafoos & Lang, 2015 and Carter, Common, Srecokvic, Huber, Botema-Beutel, Gustafson, Dykstra and Hume, 2014). Using peers as intervention agents allows for students with ASD to practice social skills and interact with others in a much more naturalistic setting (daily school activities such as roll call, lunch, during class), making it much easier for the skill to be generalised or maintained, particularly when the students are engaging in something they enjoy (Gardner, Carter, Gustafson, Hochman, Harvey, Mullins and Fan, 2014 and Watkins et al., 2015).

On December 4, 2015 we observed the class for which we developed this response plan. Our main objective was to observe the setup of the classroom as well as the different instructional tools the teacher used to enhance her teaching. In addition, we wanted to see what strategies the teacher implemented to help the ELL and autistic students and see if they were similar to what had in our plan. Upon arriving, we observed that the teacher, Ms. Schmitt, had a large classroom with enough space for groups of students to work together. At the front of the classroom, was the teacher’s desk with a smart board behind it. Several other white boards filled the rest of the wall space. The board on the left was used mostly for instructional purposes while the two on the right were filled with vocabulary and important announcements such as upcoming tests dates. The extra space allowed the teacher to interact with all the students individually. Also, we noted that the teacher had placed the ELL students near the front of the room where she could easily help them or ask them to help each other. The students on the Autism spectrum where located near the back of the classroom where they had more room to work with their aids. However, none of these students were completely isolated from the teacher or rest of the class. Rather all of the students were able to easily interact with one another.

Another intervention was the use of peer support. Inclusion and general educations students were teamed with one another. The inclusion students were dignosed with autism, and had behavioral issues with in the general education setting. The results of this study indicated that the peer interventions were effective in reducing the off-task behaviors of students with autism. The general education students could provide both verbal and non-verbal directives to help support their peers (McCurdy & Cole 2014). Using peer interventions proved to be beneficial in helping students stay

Observation experiences in the classroom provide the opportunity to the general education teacher and a special education teacher team approach to serving students in the inclusion setting. In the collaborative classroom, students with disabilities should go unnoticed and seem to flow along with the rest of the classroom. The collaborative teacher knows the modifications that a group of students with disabilities need. She works alongside a general education teacher, even helping regular education students when needed. An instructional team approach provides the outlook that these students aren’t any less capable than the rest of the general population in the

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be portrayed toward critical impairments in social interaction. It also includes restricted repeated behaviors, interests and activities. (Mayo Clinic staff, 2014)

One high achieving male indicated, “They interrupt our learning process.”(Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.483) Average achieving students, particularly girls tended to report that those with disabilities had little impact on their learning, stating that they were like themselves but had a few problems. (Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.484) Interaction with students who had a different skill set was found beneficial; relationships formed ranged from close friend to academic helper. Insight was shown by some students as they conveyed their concerns due to lack of connection due to the inability of the disabled student to communicate; they feared that they might be victimized. The article continued by indicating these same students noted the disabled students were frequently left on the side lines to observe play rather than be an active participant. (Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.482) Classmates held positive views concerning inclusion and felt they had gained awareness and understanding of individual differences and found that giving of themselves through peer tutoring brought personal rewards.

To encourage the development of social skills students are encouraged to interact with one another throughout the day in a variety of methods, including partner work, small group activities, and large group activities. These teaching techniques enable autistic children to relate to their peers. As autistic children relate to their peers more they are more accepted and in turn continue to learn and acquire new and improved social skills.

One of the main goals of education is to include students with learning disabilities in general education. This means that it is critical for general educational teachers to meet the needs of a diverse group of students with various learning styles and performance levels. Peer tutoring is an instructional learning strategy that allows educators to assist a diverse group of students. (Hughes & Fredrick, 2006). Peer tutoring is not a new concept, but it has been empirically shown to be an effective one. Educational policies such as inclusion have made public school classrooms more diverse. According to recent literature, peer tutoring increases academic performance and improves social skills in students with disabilities. A great number of general education teachers’ lessons are designed for children of average academic performance. This means that children that perform below or above average have needs that are not met. Learning with the assistance of peers through tutoring not only helps students with social skills, but also improves the classroom so it caters to the academic needs of a broader range of children (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Burish, 2000).