STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

Inclusion and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)



Inclusion and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Education and initial development is one of the essential phases of the human development and growth. Every child needs to be facilitated with the basic developmental abilities and skills which enable them to perform well in their lives ahead. However, it becomes extremely difficult for the children suffering from any sort of disability to continue their learning function in a proper manner, thus, requiring special interventions and guidelines from their teachers. This paper will discuss the education of students suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and will elaborate upon the fundamentals and needs of such children in the course of their education.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Autistic Spectrum or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) explains a variety of conditions categorizes as the pervasive developmental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The classification of pervasive developmental disorders comprise of Asperger syndrome, autism, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Rett syndrome (Johnson, Myers, 2007). These disorders are the complicated conditions which usually appear in the course of the first three years of a child's life. The ASD is the outcome of a neurological disorder which adversely affects the brain and its functioning, ultimately impacting the development of communication skills and social interactions. The students suffering from autism spectrum disorder generally possess difficulties with social interactions, nonverbal and verbal communication, and play or leisure activities. The ASD impacts the sensory modalities, cognitive processing, and social interactions of the students and their communication is also effected with varying and different heights of severity (Autism Society of America, 2007).

The behavior characterizing the autism spectrum disorder may not be or may be obvious in a the infancy (18 to 24 months) of a child, but most of the times, the symptoms become clear during early childhood (24 months to 6 years). For this disorder, no single cause has been diagnosed; however, it is usually considered that the primary reason for ASD is the abnormalities in the function or structure of brain. There have been brain scans which exhibit the variations in structure and shape of the brain in autistic children when compared to those who are neuro-typical children.

Educating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pertain to the developmental disabilities which last all life and impact the way people understand things, see, hear and sense. Thus, they are posed with severe difficulties with communication, social relationships, and behavior. Due to all these problems, there are numerous challenges that are encountered when implementing inclusive education programs for the autistics students. These challenges are generally met though evidence based practices, and by making use of the special skills and interventions, the students with autism spectrum disorder are educated.

During the period of past two decades, the extensive research in the field of education has facilitated instructors with a tremendous amount of information regarding the effective strategies and interventions for students coping up ...