Factors supporting successful inclusion of autistic children in primary schools

¶ … Inclusion on Autistic Children

The inclusion of autistic children raises some important questions concerning the effects of inclusion, not only on the autistic child, but also on the entire classroom. Children with autistic spectrum disorders ranging from Kanners syndrome to Ausbergers Syndrome sometimes find external stimulation to be excruciating. We must then question the logic of placing them in an environment where their bodies must constantly result to the defensive behaviors, so characteristic in autistic children. We must question whether treating them like everyone else will make them healthy, happy adults, or will they have sacrificed a special education tailored to their needs in order to satisfy social trends of today? Would inclusion be beneficial to the mildly effected? What are the effects of inclusion on the children in the classroom without special needs? Another important question is the measurement of our progress. Do we use improvement in grades, or increased social behaviors as a measure? How has inclusion changed the role of the classroom teacher? What teaching strategies are used in promoting the success of Autistic children in an inclusive primary setting? The only clear thread in all of this, is that inclusion has raised more questions than it answered, especially where autistic children are concerned.

This inquiry will be used to help improve the learning environment into one, in which a wide range of children can learn together. This inquiry is unique in that it not only combines the perspectives of parents, and teachers, without scholarly intervention, it also supports its findings with life experiences that have solidified their beliefs. This inquiry will examine whether mainstream school sufficiently meets the needs of Autistic children and their families. It will explore the factors that hinder successful inclusion of Autistic children. Most importantly, it will describe that factors, as related by parents and teachers, that aid in developing a successful inclusion program for Autistic children.

This inquiry will show that an inclusive setting may be beneficial to a child with mild or moderate Autism, with modifications to the normal classroom. The children will need to be judged by a different set of criteria than the other children. The children will need to have a quiet place to "unwind." Teachers will have to make many modifications to their methods of teaching to accommodate Autistic children. The study will find that the inclusion of special needs children will have a positive effect on the social tolerance of the general population. The inquiry will show that the inclusion of Autistic children in the mainstream classroom does create some difficulties, both for children with and without special needs, but that with a few minor modifications, these difficulties can be overcome.

Abstract

This inquiry will assess the effectiveness of the inclusion of Autistic children in the normal classroom setting. It will be conducted using data collected from interviews with school children. Questionnaires will focus on educational practices, interventions, and experiences common among inclusive school settings in Britain. The questionnaires will be statistically analyzed for trends. From these trends general recommendations to improve the inclusive school setting for Autistic will be drawn. Contributions from this inquiry will add to the knowledge base of what constitutes successful schooling for all. Educators, parents and students will be able to use this information to develop a program which more fully and effectively incorporates the process of inclusion.

The results of this study will reveal that children do not learn until they feel safe and loved. The current school system defines and enlarges the curriculum each year, this leaves Autistic children less emotionally prepared each year to take on new challenges. The inclusive setting must include several elements to successfully include Autistic children. The children must not be evaluated by the standards expected of other children. They must have an individual program developed, tailored to their specific needs.

Introduction

This inquiry is based on information on the effective learning strategies presented by the government. It is also based on the National Curriculum and supported by research on effective teaching. This inquiry will further the understanding of specific conditions, events, and individuals who effectively educate Autistic children in an inclusive setting. It will build upon past research and strategies for integrating children with or without special needs. It will do this by categorizing, analyzing, and matching emergent themes from questionnaires of three distinct groups:

1. Parents of Autistic children

2. Parents of children without Autism

3. Teachers without credentials in special education (class teachers)

This inquiry is unique in that it uses the actual life experiences of the participants without scholarly intervention. In this way, it will be practical to apply in the inclusive setting. This inquiry attempts to face the challenges presented to the teacher, in an effort to teach for the success of all children in their classroom.

Methodology

Through data collected from a survey, the researcher will analyze and explore the social meanings related to the facilitation of primary inclusive education. The themes are emergent and in the intermediary will be based on relevant literature and the researcher's own interpretations. The findings from this study provide insight into the primary school and the school system in guiding their actions in facilitating the transition of young children with disabilities into primary inclusive programs. This investigation also explores the positive social effect that inclusion will have on the social tolerance of general education students.

The questions are designed to explore the following issues. How many mildly special needs children can be in one classroom before the teacher has an assistant? How many children with behavior problems should be placed together without extra teacher support? What is the mainstream, misinterpretation of behaviors, such as hand flapping? With little or no peer integration, are special needs children effectively segregated? What is the meaningfulness of the tasks of the National Curriculum to the individual? How do we include children who don't learn easily through' visual and group learning? What is the quality of the classroom learning experience? How does this effect whole class dynamics? What is the level of staff expertise? What are parental involvement / perspectives?

The participants of the study were 120 families both with and without Autistic children. Interviews with children and focus group questionnaires were the primary methods of data collection. Data was coded to eliminate bias and statistically analyzed for recurrent themes Cross-case analysis provided similarities and differences among individual families and their experiences. Recurrent themes common among families were organized around the research questions on which this investigation focused.

Recurrent themes were found among parental beliefs and experiences, parental expectations, parental perceptions of how an inclusive setting would help their children reach their expectations. The questions analyzed parental satisfaction with inclusive placement and gathered suggestions of ways schools might improve inclusive placements. Thematic analysis of the data will reveal the underlying cause for the variation in outcomes.

It will be necessary to comprehend parents' holistic view of their children to understand their views and actions related to inclusion. Inclusion will be one of the many issues for the parents. They may believe that their children need special education services in an inclusive environment to facilitate their optimum development.

In light of numerous, current concerns about inclusion, this research study includes the perceptions and outlooks of five teachers (without certification in special education) who have had experience in teaching inclusive classrooms. Teachers are on the front lines of carrying out this initiative, their first-hand, extended experiences with inclusion in the context of their actual classrooms are important to its continued development.