Inclusion and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Proactive Strategies to Support Students

Christopher B. Denning, Amelia K. Moody

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781317394525
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Inclusion and Autism Spectrum Disorder demonstrates specific user-friendly and evidence-based strategies that classroom teachers can implement to proactively set up and deliver classroom instruction that will maximize the chances of success for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Teachers in inclusive environments are facing increasing pressure to meet the needs of diverse classrooms that include more students with ASD. This easy-to-use, research-based professional guide provides teachers with the activities and specific strategies they need, along with detailed descriptions that support immediate implementation.

1

Unique Needs of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the most recent American Psychological Association’s (APA, 2013) definition for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

2. Describe the strengths and challenges that students with ASD may exhibit.

3. Describe what we currently know about how children with ASD interact with the environment and how teachers can help meet their needs in the inclusive classroom.

4. Describe ways to involve families of children with ASD in the education process.

Case Study

Mrs. Cahill teaches a very complex class this year. She has 25 students in her third grade classroom and four students have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Among them are two students diagnosed with ASD. Mrs. Cahill seems to be getting more children with ASD in her class each year. She is trying to figure out how to simultaneously meet the needs of all the students in her class, which can be overwhelming. She knows she has more to learn about autism and is dedicated to ensuring she is using best practices in her classroom. Mrs. Cahill thinks that she should set up the classroom in advance to support her students with ASD and others with different needs but is not sure where to start.

Questions to Consider

1. What does Mrs. Cahill need to know about the strengths and challenges of students with ASD in her classroom?

2. What unique needs might students with ASD have that she should consider when lesson planning?

3. How can she set up the classroom environment to best meet the needs of all her students?

Prevalence

Although autism was once viewed as a rare disorder, the incidence rate has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017) now estimates that 1 in 68 children have ASD. This represents a current prevalence rate of over 1% in the general population and an increase of 60% from 2006 and 120% from 2002. This includes one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls, and ASD has been reported in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups (Christensen et al., 2016). These findings suggest that many may be placed in the general education setting.

Federal Policies

Special education law impacts students with ASD in multiple ways. Key ideas include a focus on school-age children under Part B (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). There are two major areas that will impact teachers working with students with an IEP in an inclusive setting. First, the law requires schools to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education. Teachers need to use evidence-based practices that are expected to help children meet annual goals and make an appropriate level of progress depending on their ability. Second, schools need to provide these services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The LRE begins at the level of the general education classroom with typically developing peers in a child’s home school and includes a continuum of placements (e.g., separate classroom, separate school, homebound). The LRE is the first placement considered and the child only moves away from this placement when their needs dictate additional support that should be provided in another setting.

School districts are required to determine placement as the final component of an IEP team meeting. This decision must always begin with placement in the general education classroom for the full day and then determine whether a child’s needs, behaviors or services require a more restrictive environment. Many children with ASD are placed in the general education classroom for the majority of the school day, and this percentage is increasing (Kurth, 2015). In 2008, 36.6% of students with ASD were educated in the general education classroom for 80% of the school day (Kurth, 2015). By 2013, this percentage had increased to 39.7% and 18% of students spent 40–79% of their day in the general education classroom.

In addition, there is considerable variability across states in the placement of students in inclusive settings. Kurth (2015) examined state data for students included for at least 80% of the school day from 2008 (the most recent available) to determine whether some were more likely to include students with ASD. The results were striking. States ranged from a low of 8% in Washington, DC to a high of 62% in Iowa based upon 2008 data (Kurth, 2015). Further analysis revealed that seven of the ten least inclusive states were in the Eastern United States and seven of the ten most inclusive states were in the Western United States (Kurth, 2015). Although children with ASD can be successful in the general education classroom setting, they require specialized supports to meet the setting’s demands.

Definition

The most recent definition of autism by the American Psychological Association (2013) (APA) made changes that will have effects on the classroom. First, the four categories included in previous definitions (Autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, child disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorders) are now combined under the over-arching term of Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. This means that students will not be identified as having Asperger syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder. These terms helped to define many children and adults, but research failed to consistently discriminate how they differed from autism. Second, the new definition includes two main categories that replace the previous three. “Social and communication deficits” were combined into one category and “fixated interests and repetitive behaviors” remained as a separate category. These can include problems with social reciprocity, non-verbal communication, establishing and maintaining relationships, repetitive movements or speech, difficulty with change, restricted and fixated interests, and hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Third, “language impairment /delay” is no longer included in the diagnosis.

Characteristics continue to include communication, social skills, and behavioral deficits across a spectrum of intensity however, and the new definition includes three severity levels: (a) Level 1, which requires support, (b) level 2, which requires substantial support, and (c) level 3, which requires very substantial support. Additional changes were also made, such as adding “unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli” as a clinical feature, and a new category of “social communication disorder” that may replace a label under the ASD umbrella for some children. It is unclear how these changes will impact identification and support (Vivanti et al., 2013). See Table 1.1 for a list of characteristics of ASD and how they may change over time. This is intended to provide general guidance to help educators notice potential concerns and consider how they may evolve as children grow older.

These changes may affect classrooms in multiple ways. First, the new definition allows clinicians and educators to focus on a child’s overall profile, rather than their diagnosis. Hopefully, this will support the development and implementation of more targeted interventions (Vivanti et al., 2013). Second, the focus examines how a child uses language to initiate and maintain social interactions, rather than a timeline of their language development. This should support an earlier diagnosis for children who do not have delays in language development (Vivanti et al., 2013) and specific interventions that target their needs. Third, little evidence exists that diagnostic category actually impacts intervention selection (Vivanti et al., 2013); therefore educators should base interventions on the child’s characteristics. Time will allow us to gain a better understanding of how the new definition impacts services for school-aged children.

Table 1.1 How Features of ASD May Change over Time

Social Communication and Interaction Preschool Age ♦ May not respond to name ♦ Lack of or limited eye-contact ♦ May not engage in reciprocal or social games (e.g., peek-a-boo) ♦ Difficulty with joint attention (e.g., sharing objects) ♦ Lack of or delayed language ♦ May not use gestures (e.g., pointing) ♦ Echolalia (repeating words or phrases) Elementary School Age ♦ Difficulty making and keeping friends ♦ Challenges with reciprocal interactions (e.g., responding to peer questions or requests) ♦ Naiveté and may be target of bullies ♦ Repetitive use of language (e.g., quoting movies or tv shows) ♦ Literal use of language and difficulty with idioms or sarcasm ♦ Difficulty with conversations (e.g., initiating and maintaining) Middle/High School Age ♦ Continued challenges with social interactions ♦ Difficulty with perspective taking (e.g., understanding another person’s point of view) ♦ Difficulty with relationships (e.g., dating) ♦ Talking about own area of interest ♦ May talk “to” rather than “with” people Restricted or Repetitive Behavior and Interests Preschool Age ♦ Playing with parts of objects or in unusual ways ♦ Unusual motor movements (e.g., pacing, toe-walking) ♦ Difficulty with changes in routine Elementary School Age ♦ Reliant on routines and difficulty with changes ♦ Lack of pretend or imaginative play ♦ Narrow or restricted interests (e.g., trains) ♦ Continued repetitive motor movements Middle/High School ♦ Obsessive or compulsive behaviors ♦ Continued narrow interests

Source: Adapted from Boyd and Shaw (2010).

Placement

There are a few key tenets that frame the basis for successfully supporting students with ASD in the inclusive classroom. First, the goal of successful inclusion should be to support all students in the classroom throughout the school day in ways that are “natural and unobtrusive” (McLeskey & Waldron, 2007, p. 163). Second, research suggests teachers will continue to use supports that fit into the classroom routine, can support all students, and expand their repertoire of instructional methods (e.g., Gersten, Chard, & Baker, 2000). One key to creating a successful inclusive environment is to change classroom practices to support all students (McLeskey & Waldron, 2007). It is crucial that teachers understand how to make these adjustments. The suggestions and strategies highlighted in this book target these practices.

One concern is that classrooms are geared to support the typical student, and teachers may be reluctant to adjust or include practices for students who differ from that norm (Tomlinson, 2004). Today’s classrooms are increasingly diverse however, and teachers need to proactively set up the environment and instructional methods in ways that support all learners. This will have multiple benefits: (a) it will be an easier and more time efficient way to support students with ASD in the classroom, (b) many changes rely on the student strengths to increase classroom success, and (c) other students will benefit from the supports provided.

Strengths

Too often people view autism and other disabilities almost exclusively from a deficit perspective that focuses on what an individual cannot do. This is neither fair nor helpful. Limited consideration is given to the strengths that individuals with ASD may possess. Therefore, we may be underestimating the overall ability and IQ levels of individuals with autism (Dawson, Soulières, Gernsbacher, & Mottron, 2007). For example, Christensen et al. (2016) reported that 44% of individuals with ASD test at the average or above average level of intellectual ability. These findings may underestimate the abilities of individuals with ASD (e.g., Dawson et al., 2007).

Many individuals with ASD have strengths that can help them in the classroom or could translate into future careers (e.g., Meilleur, Jelenic, & Mottron, 2015), such as relating to concrete ideas, and both understanding and working effectively with details (Bauminger-Zviely, 2013). In addition, some areas we typically consider deficits may be strengths when viewed through a different lens. For example, special interests and obsessive or compulsive characteristics may have advantages when supported properly. The interests can help students connect deeply with materials or lead in the direction of a career (e.g., Mancil & Pearl, 2008). Students with obsessive characteristics may be able to hyper-focus on important topics and excel in class, since they are so engaged with the material. For example, a student who is interested in the weather could use weather-related topics for school assignments and work toward a career in meteorology or climatology. Teachers should find ways to imbed student passions within the school day to create interest and increase work production.

Since some individuals with ASD believe it comes with specific talents and provides them with a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Unique Needs of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• 2 Universal Design for Learning
• 3 Establishing an Effective Learning Environment
• 4 Academic Support Strategies
• 5 Social Skill Development
• 6 Behavioral Interventions
• 7 Motor and Movement