Autism In Classroom

In today’s society inclusion is an important part of our classrooms, whether the student has Down syndrome or an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); students have the right to be learning in a classroom. ASD is a nueroimpairmant disorder, which causes social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. (Crosland) The Center of Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 88 children at age 8 will have ASD (Ogawa). Studies have found that as many as 50% of all children diagnosed with autism are high functioning (Crosland) while men are four times more likely to have autism than women (Ogawa). Researchers do not know the cause for ASD, but believe the cause to be genetic and …show more content…
At the end of the day a classroom may be the most conducive learning environment for an ASD student, yet he or she still may not be learning. Why? This is because every single child is different, whether in a special education program, gifted program, students who skipped a year, or those who repeated a grade. Every child in your classroom has differing family styles, values, background knowledge, ideas, and study habits. This is what makes our world work. This is what makes our classrooms work. Author Lara Delmolino stated that, ‘‘A good fit’’ involves compatibility of a child’s characteristics and family context, and the values of both the family and school.” When planning a guide to assist students with ASD teachers should keep in mind the values of both the family and school. These ideas may not always line-up, but when coming to a consensus for what is best for a student agreements can be made and thought out. Students should have the opportunity to learn, regardless of one’s circumstances, in the best environment for the student. In order to do this the teacher, school staff, and parents should match specific goals and targets for the child. With these in mind the teacher will better understand what the parents want their child to receive from the school (Delmolino). Often times, parents want their students to learn life skills. These skills may be picked up easily by peers, but ASD students may need more time with them, while working on potentially modified coursework. ASD students are very capable of learning, and may be incredibly intelligent in areas other than school, but finding the happy medium, meeting students where they learn best can be

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