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Mackenzie Scheu

Dr. Steffen Guenzel

April 18, 2017

Research Paper

Inclusion of Children with Autism

Ever since I was young, special education has always been a passion of mine. I have

continued to carry this passion throughout my life and am now an elementary education major at

the University of Central Florida. This passion was intensified when my twin cousins were

diagnosed with severe cases of autism at the age of two. This disorder effects speech, linguistic

abilities, and social interaction. Because the spectrum for autism

is so wide and diverse, it is also very common for a child to be

misdiagnosed, causing misplacement within the school

system. They were both nonverbal and relied on gestures

and noises, such as humming for communication. Naturally, when

they could not effectively communicate what they wanted

or needed they would get Figure 1: My cousins at frustrated and often throw
Special Olympics.
tantrums. Autism/autism spectrum disorder is one of the many challenges people of all ages and

all backgrounds face daily, but these difficulties can sometimes be much harder to deal with at a

young age. I have chosen to focus on the inclusion of children with autism for Zach and Parker,

and for the one in sixty-eight children that are also effected by autism or autism spectrum

disorder.
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Inclusion is defined as the action or state of including or being included within a group or

structure. Are there scientifically proven benefits of this practice? If so, what are they? These are

two questions that have always crossed my mind. Most importantly, why do some disapprove of

inclusion? Like every issue, there are reasonable concerns, but the life changing benefits

outweigh those concerns. Autism is a very common diagnosis, as mentioned before, but Autism

Speaks tells us that it receives less than five percent of research funding, as visualized in Figure

2. Inclusion is a part of this research and it needs to be maximized to allow children to benefit

from it. Some people support the concept of inclusion, while others do not support it due to

specific concerns that are sometimes based on stereotypes. A very important group of people to

focus on while discussing the topic of inclusion plays a key role in the education system and
Figure 2: Research for autism
inclusion is the group of teachersreceives
that areless than 5%
working of these children to ensure the best possible
with
funding.

education; the people who see the academic and behavioral changes in the classroom first hand.

Including children with disabilities, specifically autism and autism spectrum disorder, in

inclusive classrooms will allow them to develop both socially and academically. All three of

these perspectives have helped guide me in my research process. My research will benefit

children with disabilities and help those who disapprove of inclusion understand why it is so

vital to their education. It is important that people know the benefits of inclusion so that these

children have a voice and people to advocate for them when it comes to their education. It also

important for me to understand the benefits of what I will be doing when I begin my career as a

special education teacher.

For many students school is a safe place, and their teacher is their confidant. This

intricate relationship is vital to a childs education, and every child deserves to experience it.

Because of the impact each teacher has, it is important to include them in the discussion when
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talking about any educational issue, especially inclusion. Dr. Constance Goodman is a former

special education teacher and a current professor of education, specializing in diversity, at the

University of Central Florida. When asked what her stance on inclusion is, she says I believe

including students with special needs in the regular classroom with access to the curriculum is

the right thing to do, legally and philosophically. Dr. Goodman is referring to the No Child Left

Behind act that was put into place in 2001 by George W. Bush, and the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act when she says that inclusion is legally the right thing to do. These

pieces of legislation set standards and include requirements regarding the education of students

with special needs. She observes that inclusion is a common standard in most public schools

today, even if there are mixed reviews regarding the subject. She also says that with the growing

presence of inclusion comes benefits for all; Everyone benefits from inclusion. Students with

special needs are challenged both academically and socially. and experience great benefits from

learning with their nondisabled peers. Students without special needs benefit and get to embrace

our differences as human beings. And, teachers enhance their instructional strategies by learning

to accommodate various learning styles and unique needs to students. (Dr. Constance

Goodman). I interviewed Dr. Goodman via e-mail to gain insight on the teachers perspective

and her professional beliefs regarding inclusion. She mentions that one of the hardest aspects of

inclusion is writing a childs individualized education plan (I.E.P.). She claims that part of the

issue lies in the fact that parents sometimes have too high of expectations, while teachers may

have too low of expectations. The main goal for these meetings is to place the students in the

least restrictive learning environment, leading to inclusion and integration of students with

different abilities.
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Because children with disabilities, such as autism and autism spectrum disorder, have

trouble communicating and applying social skills, it can cause behavioral issues within the

classroom, leaving the teacher responsible to accommodate the child. In Elizabeth Nyes journal

article, Classroom Behavior Management Strategies in Response to Problematic Behaviors of

Primary School Children with Special Educational Needs: Views of Special Educational Needs

Coordinators, she shares different methods teachers can and do use to cater to students with

special needs. Nye includes positive praise, rewards, clear structure and communication, and

positive relationships in her article. Teachers use these methods within the classroom to help the

child learn and meet learning goals listed on their individualized learning plans. Structure is very

important, especially in the lives of children with autism, because it keeps them in a routine.

Inclusive classrooms have a daily routine that is followed, which would allow for a child with

autism to thrive. I got to experience inclusion first hand while fulfilling my service learning

requirement that goes with the education major. There were two students who were a part of the

special needs program that was provided within the school, but they were high-functioning,

making them eligible to learn in an inclusive classroom. At the beginning of the year one student

would not speak to anyone, except for the teacher, and could not count to ten or remember seven

out of fifteen sight words. Throughout the year, he gained more social experience, allowing him

to make friends and develop a liking for socializing. He also thrived academically; by the time I

left the classroom the student was reading short stories on his own, as well as counting to one

hundred with little to no mistakes.

While teachers can vouch for the incredible positive impact inclusion can make in some

students lives, a popular concern regarding inclusion is the possibility of bullying. Bullying is an

unfortunate and common occurrence that can happen anywhere, but could be maximized in an
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inclusive classroom. Some believe that for this reason alone, inclusion is not the answer;

however, both students who are with disabilities and without can learn tolerance and build

relationships in an inclusive classroom, as Dr. Goodman mentioned in her interview. In a journal

article, Jennifer Ledford and Joseph Wehby present an argument for the perspective of those who

do not support inclusion or find it beneficial. They offer the idea of students at risk and students

with disabilities being taught together, in small groups. Group activity would allow for

socialization and academic improvement, while the students learn about each other and how they

learn differently (Ledford and Wehby). A study was conducted to test this proposal and the

results showed that all students met their targeted learning goals and concluded that small group

instruction could be a small, feasible step toward inclusion for those who disapprove.

Over time more people have come to support inclusion and it has been somewhat

normalized, especially in public schools. Supporting inclusion promotes the idea that every child

deserves the chance at the best education possible and to reach their full potential. The practice

of inclusion is now publicly supported in schools, communities, and even in court rulings. In a

journal article written by Sharon McMurray and Ross Thompson, the authors suggest that

segregating a child based on ability or sending them to a different school based on their disability

is an issue of human rights; the article, Inclusion, Curriculum, and the Rights of the Child," says

that this makes not practicing inclusion illegal. Their paper covers the nineteen ninety-four story

of a five-year-old boy who was the first child with special needs to attend a mainstream school in

Northern Ireland and covers many complex issues within the case.

As support for inclusion has grown and developed, so have the techniques and strategies

used to accomplish it. Kee Jiar Yeo and Kie Yin Teng conducted a study and reported their results

in a journal, "Social Skills Deficits in Autism: A Study Among Students with Autism Spectrum
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Disorder in Inclusive Classrooms.". They studied children who were diagnosed with autism

spectrum disorder in inclusive classrooms and compared their abilities to children who did not

have any disabilities. The pair defined the children with autism spectrum disorders

characteristics by saying Their [children with autism] social skills deficits are characterized by

poor eye contact, lack of joint attention, pedantic or odd speech patterns, difficulty both initiating

and maintaining conversations, lack of social problem-solving ability, lack of empathy, and

difficulties interpreting body language (Yeo and Teng), setting a standard for what the children

they were studying would be like. Their conclusion was that the main difference between

children with autism spectrum disorder and children without was social behavior. This shows

that children with autism spectrum disorder are intelligent and have exceptional cognitive

abilities; it also shows the need for inclusion and socializing these children. The socialization of

children with autism and autism spectrum disorder is now accomplished through group therapy

and collaborative assignments in the classroom. Group therapy is typically completed with a

group of other children who have been diagnosed with autism/autism spectrum disorder. Rajeev

Rajan covered a case study performed with five male autistic students who were placed in group

therapy (example in Figure 3) for six sessions with two different types of professionals, both

therapists. These boys ages ranged from eight to ten years old. The parents and therapists took a

pretest and a posttest based on observations they made of the children. The post test showed

signs of improving social skills and increased use of these skills, showing the effectiveness of

group therapy. Another method was discussed by Connie Kasari in her journal . "Children With

Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Skills Groups At School: A Randomized Trial Comparing

Intervention Approach And Peer Composition." This experiment randomly placed one hundred

and forty-six children with autism spectrum disorder in kindergarten through fifth grade with one
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of two intervention strategies based on skills or engagement. These interventions took place for

the first eight weeks of school and then were followed by eight follow up sessions. The

experiment did not have one main effect, but it did improve the childrens social development,

the ways it benefited them just varied. One way middle and high schools use peer intervention is

having social inclusion clubs on campus or teacher assistants that the children can interact with

and socialize with. This allows for the disabled child to feel normal in a sense.

Based on my research, I conclude that the inclusion of children with special needs,

specifically autism and autism spectrum disorder,

is beneficial to their social and academic

development. The benefits of inclusion are

scientifically backed, giving us the answer that,

yes-there are scientific, proven benefits of

Figure 3: An example of children with
autism/ASD participating in group
inclusion. Professionals therapy. such as Kasari, Ranjan,

Nye, Yeo and Teng, and Dr. Goodman have shown us these benefits through case studies and

personal experience.

I have seen the impact inclusion has on children with autism from my cousins. Zach and

Parker spent years in self-contained classrooms in their community school. After being included

in a mainstream classroom, Zach and Parker are both beginning to verbally communicate and

show more social skills. Despite most these sources evaluating public schools, the results reflect

the same research in community schools. Their progress has been the inspiration behind this

project, and I am so thankful that their teachers saw the potential in them.
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Works Cited

Goodman, Constance. "Benefits of Inclusion/Experiences with Inclusion." E-mail interview. 05

Mar. 2017.
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Kasari, Connie, et al. "Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Skills Groups At

School: A Randomized Trial Comparing Intervention Approach And Peer Composition." Journal

Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry 57.2 (2016): 171-179. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Ledford, Jennifer R., and Joseph H. Wehby. "Teaching Children With Autism In Small Groups

With Students Who Are At-Risk For Academic Problems: Effects On Academic And Social

Behaviors." Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders 45.6 (2015): 1624-1635. ERIC.

Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Mcmurray, Sharon, and Ross Thompson. "Inclusion, Curriculum and the Rights of the Child."

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 16 (2016): 634-38.ERIC. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Nye, Elizabeth, et al. "Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies in Response to Problematic

Behaviors of Primary School Children with Special Educational Needs: Views of Special

Educational Needs Coordinators." Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties 21.1 (2016): 43-60.

ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Ranjan, Rajeev, et al. "Effect of Transdisciplinary Approach in Group Therapy to Develop Social

Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder." Theory and Practice in Language Studies,

no. 8, 2014, p. 1536. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?

auth=shibb&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.381837399&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Yeo, Kee Jiar, and Kie Yin Teng. "Social Skills Deficits In Autism: A Study Among Students

With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive Classrooms." Universal Journal Of Educational

Research 3.12 (2015): 1001-1007. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.