Autism Spectrum Disorder and Mainstream Public Education
Tammi Reynolds, BA & Mark Dombeck, Ph.D., edited by Kathryn Patricelli, MAAmerican families of children with autism spectrum disorder received a major boost in 1997 with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This legislation was designed, in part, to help make sure that children would have government supported access to special education opportunities. Though it had been long known that access to special education and proper treatment during childhood could help children with ASD to break out of their isolation, learn how to communicate their needs, and become capable of participating in society in limited ways, access to such educational and treatment opportunities were more limited prior to the act because of their great expense.
IDEA mandated public educational systems to treat autism spectrum disorder as a disability and to provide appropriate care and educational opportunities. In response to IDEA, schools created Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with autism spectrum disorder in their districts and began to provide autism support classes and associated special education resources. Though only people with mild autism spectrum disorder may ultimately learn to live independently and become self-supporting, very few people with ASD are so profoundly unreachable today that they require institutionalization.
Thanks to IDEA and similar legislation, many public-school districts in the United States are now mainstreaming children with autism spectrum disorder into the regular classroom when this is appropriate. School-aged children with mild ASD tend to do well in regular classroom settings. Children with more severe delays in communication skills may require a support classroom. Each case is unique. Each child's placement depends on his needs and the school district's ability to provide an environment conducive to learning.
Many children with autism spectrum disorder function remarkably well in school settings. They thrive in structured environments. Once children learn their school routine, they navigate effortlessly through the school day. Making the initial transition into the school setting can be challenging, however. The family and school may decide to use wraparound services to help children become comfortable and familiar with their classroom without interfering with instruction. Some schools have classroom aides who function as a one-on-one guide for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Each child's IEP functions as a treatment plan and legal document outlining specific educational goals for the child. IEPs are designed by an educational institution in collaboration with the child's parents, teacher and special education director. Parents may also include the child's physician or an advocate. IEPs define services that the child will require to reach his or her educational goals. They also specify methods through which each child's progress towards educational goals will be assessed.
Even with special accommodations in place, not all children with autism spectrum disorder can attend public school. A very high percentage of children with ASD also either meet criteria for a separate but coexisting diagnosis of intellectual disabilities or have too many behavior issues to be mainstreamed. Such children are typically educated within each community's intellectual disabilities program
Resources
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Articles
- What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventions & Supportive Services
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment
- Behavioral and Communication Approaches
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Discrete Trial
- Fluency
- Sensory Integration
- Floortime
- Medication
- Diet and Vitamins
- Complementary Approaches
- Therapeutic Animals
- Helping Families Cope
- Support Groups
- Wraparound Services
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and Mainstream Public Education
- Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood
- Conclusion
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources
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News
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Questions and Answers
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Book & Media Reviews
- A Guide to Asperger Syndrome
- A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
- A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HD
- An Exact Mind
- Asperger Syndrome and Your Child
- Asperger Syndrome, Adolescence, and Identity
- Asperger's and Girls
- Autism - The Eighth Colour of the Rainbow
- Autism's False Prophets
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
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38 more
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- Boy Alone
- Can't Eat, Won't Eat
- Caring for a Child with Autism
- Children with Emerald Eyes
- Demystifying the Autistic Experience
- Eating an Artichoke
- Educating Children With Autism
- Elijah's Cup
- Exiting Nirvana
- Eye Contact
- Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome
- Incorporating Social Goals in the Classroom
- Integrated Yoga
- Learning and Behavior Problems in Asperger Syndrome
- Look Me in the Eye
- Maverick Mind
- Mysterious Creatures
- Our Journey Through High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Rain Man
- Reweaving the Autistic Tapestry
- Seeing Ezra
- Snapshots of Autism
- Songs of the Gorilla Nation
- Targeting Autism
- Temple Grandin
- The Boy Who Loved Windows
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- The Dragons of Autism
- The Flight of a Dove
- The Horse Boy
- The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome
- The Ride Together
- The Speed of Dark
- Things Tom Likes
- Through the Glass Wall
- Weather Reports from the Autism Front
- What's Happening to Tom?
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Links
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Videos
- New Genetic Tools to Treat Autism and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
- Diagnosing and Treating Autism with Doris Trauner
- Talking to Our Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder About Acts of Terrorism
- Talking to Our Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder About Death
- Understanding the Genome and the Future of Autism Therapies
- What Is Asperger's?
- Autism Early Intervention
- Minority Children May Miss Autism Diagnosis
- Key Features of Autism
- Autism Puberty and Adolescence Toolkit
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70 more
- Autism and Minorities
- Understanding the Genome and the Future of Autism Therapies
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- Learning the Signs of Autism
- What is Autism?
- Understanding Autism
- Siblings of Children with Autism
- How Weighted Blankets May Lift Anxiety
- Caring for Children and Adolescents with Autism During COVID 19
- 1 in 45 autism prevalence explained
- Autism & Asperger's: What's The Difference?
- Screening for Signs of Autism
- Beyond the Data -- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Treating Autism
- What it’s like to have a brother on the autism spectrum
- iPads and Autism: 3 Features That Make the Tablet Easier to Use
- iPads and Autism: Getting the Most From Out-of-the-Box Apps
- Great Apps for Autism
- Teaching Social Skills to Teens with ASD
- ABA for Teens with ASD
- Customizing ABA Programs for Teens
- Autism Diagnosis and Access to Care in Minority Populations
- From Diagnosis to Treatment: The Revolution Driving Autism Research
- Reducing Disparities in Autism Diagnosis and Access to Care
- Autism Jargon: DRO
- Autism Jargon: NET
- 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of ABA
- Autism Jargon: DTT
- Autism Jargon: Distractor
- Autism Jargon: Theory of Mind
- Autism Jargon: Pica
- Autism Jargon: Fluency
- Autism Jargon: Systematic Desensitization
- Is Asperger’s Included in the DSM5?
- Autism Jargon: Functional Communication Training
- 8 Questions to Ask Your Autism Service Provider
- Autism Jargon: Verbal Operants
- Autism Jargon: Establishing Operation
- Autism Jargon: Token Economy
- Treating Anxiety in Children and Teens with ASD
- Autism Jargon: Response Cost
- Teaching Soccer Skills to Kids with ASD
- "Focus on Ability, Not Disability"
- Dr. Tim Shriver: Intellectually Different ... Not Disabled
- P2I: Can We Prevent Autism?
- Autism Jargon: Positive Reinforcement
- Autism Jargon: Negative Reinforcement
- How the Diagnosis of Autism Helps Us Learn More About Autism
- Pathways for Treatments in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Autism Jargon: IEP
- My Inner Life with Asperger's
- Autism Jargon: Least Restrictive Environment
- Dealing with Challenging Behaviors
- How law enforcement and families work together to keep loved ones with autism safe
- Back to School: Homework Help!
- Advice on Telling Your Teen they have ASD
- Social Intervention Helps Adults With Autism
- Autism Jargon: Antecedent Modification
- Motor and Social Skill Function: Connecting Learning and Brain Function in Autism
- Minecraft for Autism
- Autism Signs
- CDC’s new update on autism: What you need to know
- Autism & Friendship
- Employment resources for adults with autism and their families
- Housing and residential support options for adults with autism
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Many Questions Many Answers
- Diagnosing and Treating Autism
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