“My Three Wishes”: Hopes,Aspirations, and Concerns of Middle School Students

Inclusion in the general education classroom is becoming the placement of choice for many students with autism. Autism is a disorder that can impact many aspects of a child's learning experience. A child's profile along the continuum of Autism Spectrum Disorders dictates the severity of impairment in language engagement, social connectedness, sensory integration, and cognitive skills. This can often be overwhelming for teachers who are uninformed and untrained in the unique issues of autism. Teacher awareness and understanding of behaviors and perceptions unique to these disorders can facilitate the development and implementation of strategies created specifically to ease this potentially overwhelming situation for students and teachers.     

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Neurobiology and current assessment practices

This study reviews recent research related to the neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) an provides an empirical analysis of current assessment practices. Data were collected through a survey of 117 school psychologists. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), and Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS) were the most frequently used measures. Among the less popular, but more intensive instruments, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) appears to be gaining popularity within school‐based evaluations. Generally, respondents approached the assessment of ASDs from a traditional psychoeducational perspective and reported the use of a very narrow range of ASD‐specific instruments. Concerns are raised regarding the inconsistent inclusion of developmental questionnaires, parent/guardian interviews, and medical professionals in the ASD evaluation process. Implications for practice and the training of school psychologists are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A model for enhancing social communication and interaction in everyday activities for primary school children with ASD

Children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder may find the social aspects of learning particularly challenging because of the traits of diffculty with social communication and interaction. This paper evaluates the impact of an interactive model designed to support social communication and interaction for twelve students with ASD, who attend three international primary schools in Hong Kong. Using an exploratory mixed‐methods approach, the study investigates the children's participation and engagement when a Social Communication and Interaction model is in operation. The model is built around the concept of mediation and the use of tools, which were intended to encourage children with ASD to be engaged in high‐level participation activities. Attention is drawn towards the children's growth of self‐confidence, a reduction of adult support and the children's increased participation with others in the activity sessions.     

Constructing normalcy: a qualitative study of parenting children with Asperger's Disorder

Children with Asperger's Disorder present unique challenges due to their impairments in social functioning. In order to better understand the experiences of parents of children with Asperger's Disorder, interviews were conducted with 20 parents. The interviews were taped, transcribed, and coded using the systematic methods of Grounded Theory. The central phenomenon of “constructing normalcy” emerged from the data as a salient construct for participants. Parents interviewed described a process of meaning‐making with respect to standards of “normalcy” and an effort to create adaptive environments for their children.     

European Journal of Special Needs Education Vol. 18, No. 3, October 2003 erratum

The current paper reports on the outcome of an ongoing action research project at a school for higher-functioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Sweden. The overall aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire that captures social and individual aspects of classroom learning suitable for use with students with ASD. Interview data is presented on the perceived utility of the questionnaire for understanding and planning classroom instruction for the children with ASD through the eyes of the students’ teachers and their parents, as assessed during an Individual Education Plan meeting. Further, teacher ratings obtained by means of the instrument were found to differentiate a group of students with ASD (n = 10) from a group of typically developing children matched with regard to grade year, word reading ability and receptive vocabulary (n = 10). Implications and future directions are discussed, as are limitations of this pilot study.     

Virtually in the Middle: Alternative Avenues for Parental Involvement in Middle-Level Schools

The incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing in the United States. The rate of diagnosis, combined with the trend towards more inclusive classrooms, means that general education teachers will most likely be teaching some students with ASD. In their teacher preparation course in special education, pre-service teachers learned about characteristics of students with ASD by reading literature with positive portrayals of individuals with ASD. In conjunction, pre-service teachers received instruction on teaching strategies to use in the classroom for students with ASD. By combining good literature with instruction in inclusive teaching practices, teacher educators can model the use of disability literature in the classroom to the benefit of all students.     

Facilitating Support for Students with Asperger's Syndrome

The number of students with Asperger's Syndrome enrolled at tertiary institutions in the United States continues to increase. This can be attributed to: (a) the passage of legislations such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); (b) revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM); and (c) early intervention and treatment. Although the increase may be an indicator that a climate of inclusion for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome has been created, many institutions are not adequately prepared to accommodate these students. In order to serve students with Aspergers's Syndrome effectively, collaboration between several university entities is necessary. The authors highlight the pivotal role that college counselors can play in providing direct support to students with Asperger's Syndrome and in facilitating and coordinating inputs from other sectors of the college environment such as disability services, faculty members, and residence-life staff.     

Autism Spectrum in the College Classroom: Strategies for Instructors

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to several conditions that share the feature of persistent social impairment. The rate of ASD diagnosis has climbed to one in 88 (CDC, 2012), and increasing numbers of individuals with ASD attend college. College students with ASD may share academic challenges related to critical thinking, executive functioning, and classroom anxiety. These challenges can manifest in the classroom, and there are a number of simple strategies for instructors that directly address characteristics of ASD. These strategies are not just good for students on the spectrum, but they can benefit other learners as well.     

Teaching science skills and knowledge to students with developmental disabilities: A systematic review

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify current practice on teaching science to students with intellectual disability (ID) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in relation to two review questions—students' science outcomes and students' and teachers' experiences of the interventions. Six databases related to education, psychology, and science were systematically searched. A detailed protocol can be viewed on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42017057323). Thirty studies were identified that reported on science interventions and 20 on student/teacher experiences of the interventions. The majority of the studies targeted science vocabulary and concepts. Other targets included inquiry skills and comprehension skills. The majority of the interventions used components of systematic instruction (n = 23). Five studies focused on self-directed learning and two on comprehension-based instruction. Students and teachers reported positive experiences of the interventions. The findings suggest that components of systematic instruction in particular might be effective in teaching science content to students with ID and/or ASD. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of identified interventions on teaching more complex science skills and with students with severe disabilities. Some limitations related to the search strategy are highlighted.     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童专业助手干预技能培训的研究进展

专业助手是自闭症谱系障碍儿童接受教育的重要支持人员,对其学业能力的发展以及社会交往技能的提升具有重要意义。本研究梳理了近二十年国外培训专业助手对自闭症谱系障碍儿童实施干预的实证研究,从专业助手的特征,ASD儿童的特征,专业助手对ASD儿童实施干预的目标行为,实验设计,培训内容与程序,培训及干预效果等维度进行分析,在此基础上指出已有研究存在的局限和未来研究方向,以期为日后自闭症谱系障碍儿童专业助手培训的研究提供参考和建议。     

Trends in Autism Research: A Systematic Journal Analysis

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disability for which prevalence rates continue to increase. Persons with ASD vary widely in both severity of disability and services required. Therefore it is important to identify trends in research and evaluate progress in the field. The current study uses a journal analysis to evaluate research over a 12 year period in three prominent autism focused research journals: Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Findings include identification of trends in research designs, sample characteristics, and interventions.     

Do labels matter? Analysis of teachers' self-efficacy towards the autism spectrum disorder depending on the diagnostic label used (ASD or Asperger's)

Changes in the classification of autism and Asperger's syndrome led to changes in social perception of ASD. Since last criteria, studies indicate higher levels of stigma towards ASD than towards Asperger's. These prejudices are barriers to inclusive education. Thus, it is relevant (1) to evaluate pre-service teachers' self-efficacy towards the label of ASD; (2) to evaluate pre-service teachers' self-efficacy towards the label of Asperger's and (3) to compare those results to analyse whether the use of different diagnostic labels brings about different levels of self-efficacy. One hundred and eighty-six primary education pre-service teachers participated in the current study. Two adaptations of the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) were used: a version with the label of ‘ASD’ (n = 96) and another for ‘Asperger's’ (n = 90). The scores obtained by the group asked about ASD were high according to the ASSET score range, while the scores obtained by the group asked about Asperger's were medium. After comparing the results, participants asked about the label ASD showed higher levels of self-efficacy than participants asked about Asperger's. These results could be a consequence of the consolidation of the ASD diagnosis among society and the higher presence of children with ASD in schools and cultural products, among other factors.     

The Outcome of a Social Cognitive Training for Mainstream Adolescents with Social Communication Deficits in a Chinese Community

The use of cognitive-based strategies for improving social communication behaviours for individuals who have solid language and cognition is an important question. This study investigated the outcome of teaching Social Thinking^®, a framework based in social-cognition, to Chinese adolescents with social communication deficits. Thirty-nine students (33 with Autism Spectrum Disorders and six without), ranging in age from 12 to 15 years with social communication deficits, participated in a 12-week intervention. Students’ pre- and post-intervention social behaviours were measured by six aspects of the Social Thinking-ILAUGH Scale involving 115 familiar raters. Students showed significant improvement in all the six subscales of the Social Thinking-ILAUGH except humour after training. Agreements on ratings among parents and school personnel were satisfactory. A framework based in social cognitive strategies, with appropriate linguistic and cultural adaptations, appears to be a promising tool for Chinese adolescents with social learning issues. Social behaviours improved across school and home settings as noted by groups of raters familiar with the students.     

Teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: What are the needs of educational professionals?

The academic achievements of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are usually lower than those of their peers. It is therefore important to know what educational professionals need to provide these students with optimal support. To identify these needs, we applied Q methodology, a qualitative method using quantitative techniques. We found four groups of professionals with different needs. The first group emphasized a need for collaboration within school; the second valued practical suggestions to guide their teaching, the third emphasized gaining more confidence to teach students with ASD, and the fourth group focused on enhancing students’ social and communication skills.     

Toward Intentional,Reflective, and Assimilative Classroom Practices with Students with FASD

The value of research-informed classroom practices is well recognized and thus this qualitative study was designed to explore, from multiple perspectives, the experiences and influences of classroom practices for students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The inductive analysis of 11 focus groups and three interviews involving 60 individuals working closely with this student population—31 teachers, seven administrators, 16 allied professionals, and six caregivers—generated three themes: understanding the whole student, responding within dynamic environments, and optimizing student-centered programming. This study provides an essential step toward better-prepared educators for meeting the learning and developmental needs of students with FASD as well as other complex populations. The implications for developing professional learning opportunities reflective of intentional, reflective, and assimilative classroom practices are discussed.     

Universal Design: A Tool to Help College Students With Asperger's Syndrome Engage on Campus

Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for many students, but for none more so than students with Asperger's syndrome. Colette M. Taylor and Kathryn L. Colvin introduce the concept of universal design as an effective approach to supporting this increasing subpopulation of students.     

Using symbolic interactionism insights as an approach to helping the individual with Asperger's syndrome overcome barriers to social inclusion

This article outlines a case for using symbolic interactionism as a tool to help individuals with Asperger's syndrome reconcile situations in which communication might prove challenging. This study builds on previous work carried out by the author which describes an autoethnographical approach to help the individual with Asperger's syndrome gain insights into ways to engage effectively with the social situations they encounter. It is well documented that those with Asperger's syndrome find many social situations challenging and that commonly understood verbal and non‐verbal communication ‘signs’ and ‘symbols’ may be difficult for them to interpret in ways intended by others. It is within this context that the work seeks to examine communication issues in terms of the symbolic interactionism notion of the ‘Me’ and how this understanding can help the individual with Asperger's syndrome model their own behaviour from a symbolic interactionism point of view. The article begins with a discussion of the background to the research and how an inability to read the communication ‘signs’ and ‘symbols’ around them can make it difficult for the learner with Asperger's syndrome to have a commonly held understanding of the social setting in which he or she operates. The work gives a personal insight from a person with Asperger's syndrome into how symbolic interactionism coupled with autoethnography can be used as tools to enable the learner with Asperger's syndrome to explore the nature of communication patterns under such circumstances. The work includes vignettes which highlight experience from such a personal perspective.     

Students' Perceptions of and Satisfaction with Group Grades and the Group Experience in the College Classroom

The group approach to learning is widely accepted by higher education researchers as an effective teaching and learning tool. While there are numerous instructional, learning and social communication advantages for both students and teachers using group projects in the college classroom, a need exists for a better understanding of group projects from the student's perspective. The purpose of this investigation was to measure students' perceptions of group grades and group satisfaction on group projects in the college classroom. A cohort of 230 students from a large southern metropolitan university enrolled in sections of Group Interaction and Decision Making and Conflict Management classes participated in this study. The major findings of this study revealed that: (i) the less group grade experience that a student has, the more likely they are to agree that everyone in the group deserves the same group grade; (ii) students who work part-time are more likely to think that a group grade is a fair assessment of their contributions than students who work full-time; (iii) older students are more likely to be dissatisfied with a group grade experience than middle and younger age students. It is recommended that this study be extended to include comparison groups, graduate students and other disciplines.