What does ‘inclusion’ mean for pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools?

Abstract

The last decade has seen a groundswell of developments in educational policy in the UK relating to inclusive education for students with special educational needs (SEN). However, whether government policy has been fully implemented in schools remains a concern. The experience of students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) provides an excellent case in point. An increasing number of such students are now educated in mainstream schools, but the limited research in this area has indicated that their experience of school is often marked by bullying, social isolation and anxiety. In light of this, the aim of the current study was to examine the extent to which inclusive educational policy was actually reflected in the practices of four mainstream secondary schools. An exploratory case study approach was adopted, utilising interviews with pupils, teachers, other school staff (e.g., senior managers, learning support assistants) and parents, observations of lessons and other contexts (e.g., lunch time), and document analysis. Our findings highlighted a number of school practices which acted as facilitators or barriers to students’ learning and participation, some of which were generic to SEN provision, and some of which appeared to be specific to those on the autistic spectrum. A discussion of these is presented to enable further understanding of, and inform practice relating to, the inclusion process for students with ASDs.

Multi-Informant Predictors of Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Attending Mainstream School

“…For students with ASD this is consistent with reports of high rates of emotional difficulties, social difficulties and hyperactivity, but not conduct problems (Simonoff et al, 2008). The low levels of disruption also apparent in the mainstream comparison group may reflect the recommended practice of placing students with ASD in quiet, well-behaved classes (Humphrey & Lewis, 2008b).…”

Practices That Support the Inclusion of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mainstream Early Childhood Education in Zimbabwe

“…Knowledge and information base for education and medicine reveal that utilizing inclusive pedagogy is among the best practices for serving learners with autism (Chandler-Olcott & Kluth, 2009;Falkmer, Anderson, Joosten, & Falkmer, 2015;Horrocks et al, 2008) as it supports the optimum functionality of these learners. Nevertheless, globally, including learners with special needs in regular classes is a complicated and ill-conceptualized domain of teaching and learning (Emam & Farrell, 2009;Humphrey & Lewis, 2008) as schools struggle to respond to the needs of learners with autism (de Boer & Simpson, 2009;Falkmer, Ochlers et al, 2015). As educating learners with autism is a worldwide challenge, it is critical to explore support practices for including these learners in regular ECD as it is the foundation of further education.…”

“…Attempts to promote inclusion and access to the regular school education curriculum have resulted in the shift primarily from where a learner receives his or her educational program, to what and how the learner is taught (Ballard, 2012). Currently, the assumption for teaching learners with autism is to consider these learners' access to the regular classes focusing on the quality of learning taking place (Humphrey & Lewis, 2008). The presence of learners with autism in regular classes alone will not guarantee improved outcomes for these learners (Bitterman, Daley, Misra, Carlson, & Markowitz, 2008;Falkmer, Ochlers, Granlund, & Falkmer, 2015).…”

Medición cualitativa de la interacción profesor-alumno en el trastorno de autismo

“…Indeed, the educational methods teachers employ with autistic subjects are still little known and, therefore, little shared. In a nutshell, the education of such subjects remains a little-investigated area of the scholastic activity (Humphrey & Lewis, 2008). On the other hand, class teachers acknowledge that they are not adequately trained to provide the correct support for this kind of pupils (Robertson, Chamberlain & Kasari, 2003).…”