Autism spectrum disorder has recently been identified as the most known neurological disorder in children today. There has never been a known cure for the ailment and the different symptoms of the disease make it hard to come up with a specific treatment. However, the ailment can be managed through therapies that may help control its symptoms in young children. There are different opinions and debates about the way people approach autism spectrum disorder. Some people describe the ailment as a neurological disorder while others believe that it is mental retardation or insanity. However, ASD is a developmental disease that is most common in children below three years of age. It disorients a child’s ability when it comes to communication and interaction. Children who suffer from this ailment are slow in leaning. This is because it interferes with communication, social and interaction behaviors in the affected people. It impacts different development areas such as impaired communication, difficulties in socializing and deficits in sensory processing among others. Children could indicate signs such as delayed verbal development, lack of spontaneity and the inability to process and respond to humor.
The condition is related to brain development and interferes with the way a person socializes and perceives other people. It brings about problems in communication and social interactions. It also manifests itself through patterns of behavior that are repetitive and limited. Treatment depends on an individual’s unique symptoms, personality and the way in which the disorder manifests itself. Most children show symptoms of the disorder at five years of age. Early diagnosis and treatment of the ailment can change the lives of the affected children because until now, there is no cure for the disorder.
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Certain factors such as the child’s sex, family history, other disorders, parents’ age and extremely preterm babies increase a child’s risk of getting diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Boys at a higher risk of developing it compared to girls. In families that have one child who has the disorder, chances are that such families are at a higher risk of getting another child with the same ailment. Certain medical conditions such as fragile X syndrome expose children to the risk of getting the disorder. Babies that are born prematurely before 26 weeks of gestation may be at a greater risk of contracting the ailment. The disease has no known cause however; genetic and environmental factors may contribute towards its development. Genetic disorders like Rhett’s syndrome and fragile X syndrome have a role in the development of ASD. Other factors such as medication, viral infections and air pollution are being explored by researchers to determine whether they contribute to the diagnosis of the ailment.
Children with Autism spectrum disorder have educational needs that teachers and parents must ensure that they receive. They need to be aware that such children need early interventions. Education consideration for students with autism spectrum disorders consist of most students learning in separate classrooms and few students learning in the same classroom with other students. Some considerations for students learning in their own classrooms include Educational programmes, which consists of instruction of skills and management of behavior. Such supports can be very important in helping the children live their lives in the best possible ways and are important for the development of such children
In an interview with school personnel concerning education placement for children with autism, teachers noted that they have experienced different interactions between those children with ASD and those without. Teachers in inclusive schools claimed that students in the institution learn to accept and deal with many types of differences among the other students. For instance, when the disabled students are included in the classrooms, there are more social levels, academic levels and social diversity. Teachers believe that such diversity helps students to cope with more diversity in other environments, which they can apply in their lifetime. In mainstream classes, teachers claim to have experienced a prominent pattern whereby students who are quick learners volunteer and help those students who cannot grasp concepts quickly. They become supportive and helpful for their counterparts. The teachers claim that apart from working together in assignments, they involve role modeling in the class sessions. This helps them to learn social interactions and good behavior.
Some parents indicated that when their children spend time in an inclusive classroom, they get in a position whereby they meet equal goals with other students who do not have autism. Such children develop language and other social skills on almost equal levels with those without autism. However, most parents claim that teachers do not give their children enough attention and tend to concentrate more on the rest of the class, leaving their children to lag behind. Some teachers feel like they do not have the time to spend on a child who does not grasp concepts quickly. This leaves the children lagging behind in academics because it is even difficult for them to raise concerns in the classroom in case they need clarification. The teachers work becomes harder because they have to deal with such students on individual levels. Most parents claimed that they needed specialized teachers for their children because such teachers have the necessary skills to deal with them in all sectors.
The educational inclusion of children with autism has been a controversial topic over a long period of time. In the past years, students with disabilities used to be discriminated from their peers and the society at large. However, in recent years there has been a trend whereby students with disabilities learn from the same classrooms with their counterparts. The trend has however been faced with arguments in relation to the child’s social development but also, it has proved to increase the rate at which such children develop the necessary skills. Learners with the disorder in an inclusive classroom are seen to improve their quality of life, performance in education and general social development. Their exposure to other students may promote their social development and behaviors which they could not be exposed to in an environment where they are surrounded by fellow social impaired students.
Inclusive classrooms improve their social awareness and relieve the financial strain on the external supporting agencies such as educational agencies and health services. Children identified with this disorder are advised to be educated in the same academic institutions with their peers. Young children in inclusive classrooms adjust quickly to social behaviors as compared their counterparts in specialized classrooms. Social skills are best learnt in an integrated environment rather than an isolated setting. Peer pressure helps to foster development in children. When they get exposed to students without disabilities, they imitate more socially acceptable behaviors. Social, emotional and behavioral skills can be developed when children with disability are incorporated in the same environment with those without. They learn social behaviors from watching other people’s behaviors.
Inclusive classrooms have the potential to be an important factor in the emotional development of children with the autism spectrum disorder. Such developments can easily be affected by peer relationships. Lower functions children can be able to master both social and emotional skills at the same rate with their peers when put in an inclusive classroom as compared to those in specialized classrooms. Such students can also benefit from behavior development at a fast rate because they are in a position to observe and carry out activities similar to their peers. Other students can as well help them where they experience challenges unlike when they are put in specialized classrooms whereby they only depend on their teachers
However, inclusive classrooms expose such children to challenges as well. It is difficult to incorporate such children in mainstream classes. Success within mainstream classes for inclusive requires much effort from teachers as compared to specialized classrooms. The affected children can feel more stigmatized in such environments and they might feel that they do not have equal opportunities with their peers especially when they experience challenges in carrying out activities which are not a problem to their peers. When students with ASD in inclusive classrooms lack social competency, it can enhance negative academic outcomes. Most teachers interact less with disabled students when non-disabled students are present. Students with ASD interact less with people in their environment and require consistent communication attempts from people that are around them.
An autistic child who has a wide range of behavioral issues can thrive well in a specialized school as compared to an inclusive classroom. Such children can hardly thrive in an environment full of children that are good at all skills. Autism children are always targets for bullying in inclusive classrooms. This is because they carry out their activities in a different manner compared to their peers. They lack the verbal and social skills that can help them defend themselves. This is common in children who have high functioning autism. They are more likely to experience bullying behaviors from their peers. Such children may find challenges of inclusive classrooms to be overwhelming and this can make them upset. They experience a hard time spending a whole day in a noisy and crowded environment.
Other challenges that can be faced by autism students in inclusive classrooms are communication difficulties with their peers and teachers. Some children may not be able to ask for help when they do not understand a concept. They may lack empathy or self-reflection on how others perceive them. This can make it hard for them to learn at the same pace as their peers and function like the rest of the students in the classroom. Teachers who work worth such students may be required to spend more time on them trying to make them understand a concept that others might have already comprehended. This can be time-consuming and tedious for such teachers and they might opt to continue with those who master the concepts quickly. Individuals with autism have splinted skills such that they are good in some areas of learning and perform poorly in other areas. A delay in one area of learning can cause an effect in learning of all subjects. This can delay their learning as teachers must assign them more assignments in particular areas where they are not competent enough.
On the hand, children with autism tend to perform better in specialized classrooms. In such settings, they have teachers who are trained in the specific field of teaching disables children. Such teachers are able to cope with all sorts of problems because they have a major understanding of the disorder. Unlike in all-inclusive classrooms, specialized classrooms help the children learn on equal levels at the same pace. They get enough time to tackle subjects that they experience challenges with because their teachers do not have divided attention and the need to compare them with their counterparts. Such students are not faced with low self-esteem issues because they are all the same and this makes them more willing to learn.
Specialized classrooms provide equal opportunities for all students. They cannot be faced with issues of discrimination to their communication problems. Teachers are able to determine if a student has a problem by observing their behavior. The one-on-one relationship between teachers and the students create trusted relationships and a good environment for learning. Also, by interacting with students who have similar disabilities, no student feels that they are not good enough. They grow up with self-confidence because the environment makes them accept themselves in their current situation. Such students are able to thrive in their academics because teachers take adequate time to take them through subjects that they might be poor in. Unlike in all-inclusive classrooms where a teacher might not have enough patience to deal with a disabled student, teachers in the specialized school have trained on how to associate with the specific children and can handle their problems easily. Children are not exposed to anti-social behaviors such as bullying. This is because all children have the same level of knowledge and no one can feel superior to their counterparts. They undergo the same kind of activities whether in classrooms or outside the classrooms. Teachers interact with their students in all activities and any bad behavior can be easily pointed out.
Applied behavioral analysis is an effective method for students with Autism spectrum disorders as it uses the implementation of direct instructional strategies. It is a systematic way of studying and modification of behaviors that can be observed. It requires teachers to give their students feedback on a regular basis. The picture exchange communication system method of teaching contributes highly to educating children with the autism spectrum disorder. Most people with the ailment do not like interacting with other people. This method provides them with other methods of communion through the exchange of objects and tactile symbols.
In conclusion, the view of autism spectrum disorder has changed with time. In the past days, the condition was viewed as just a delay in the development of children that was characterized by intellectual disabilities. Today, ASD is recognized as a neurological disorder which has been a topic for many researchers and a major health issue. No one has been successful in determining the cause of the disorder. However, research continues to be carried out despite the difficulties. Many treatment options have been determined that help children manage the condition and get an opportunity to take part in learning in order to maximize their potential.
