While reading the Opposing Views website tonight, I ran across an article written by the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) on the topic of inclusion and students on the autism spectrum.
Here is an excerpt:
Like other children with special education needs, many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) spend at least part of their day learning alongside their typically developing peers. Fully 80 percent of the children participating in the Interactive Autism Network’s online research attend regular public school or a specialized public school for children with special needs. (See the IAN “Back to School” Report.) With a growing emphasis on inclusive education — in the United States, formalized largely with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997), which was reauthorized in 2004 and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act — children with disabilities are far more likely to be placed in inclusive educational programs today than they were 20 years ago.
The article is informative and does offer a glimpse into the school life of some individuals with autism. Read the entire article and decide for yourself – ADVICE: How Schools Can Use Inclusion to Help Autism Spectrum Students
