Should children with Autism or Autism spectrum disorders be integrated into a "normal" classroom?

Question

I know some will be offended by my use of the word "normal" but my best friend's son has autism and like she says, he isn't "normal" and no amount of political correctness is going to change that. She is upset because he starts kindergarten next year and he will be put in a mainstream classroom and she doesn't want him to be. She would like him to be in a more specialized class, with teachers who have specialized training and she is afraid that he will be made fun of and won't get the kind of education he needs. On the flip side, my son has a little girl in his class with something on the autism spectrum. I observed the class one day (I was staying to help with a party) and his teacher couldn't even finish reading a book to the class because she was constantly having to stop and refocus this little girl. Is it fair to the other children or the teachers to have this kind of constant disruption? What are some solutions? It is on the rise, something has to be figured out.

Answer 1

Each child's situation needs to be looked at on it's own.  That's what the IEP is for.  And, the parents, teachers & school support staff need to work together, adjusting as needed, to give all of the children in the class and in the school the best education possible.  

The problem with saying that kids with Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders should not be in the general ed classroom is that Autism & Autism Spectrum Disorders encompass a very wide range of symptoms, behaviors & ability levels.  Some kids diagnosed with Autism are perfectly capable of getting through a Gen Ed day without causing any disruptions at all & without missing out on any instructional opportunities in the classroom.  Some aren't.  You can't generalize things like this.

Answer 2

My little brother has a small case of autism and he is in a normal class room and doing really good on his work...he just has a hard time listening (sometimes).  He has come a long way being with kids in without autism and I fell like it does help.

Answer 3

It isn't fair to the rest of the classroom, however with the rising amounts of children with autism now 1 in 100 vs. 1 in 100,000 years ago, this may become the "norm".  Autism is in part a social disorder and they need other children.  Although I do not agree that school should be there to socialize.  The child would probably be better served in a classroom with other children such as themselves.  This teacher may be doing well with that little girl, but what about next year?  And some children, and parents alike just can't handle anyone that is different.  Although I find people like that "not normal", not people that have disabilities.

Answer 4

It is mandatory  for  any child who has been assessed and is given an I.E.P. to have that I.E.P. implemented in the daily classroom. The teacher has to  modify  ( change the level of expectection for work done) or accomodate( to allow more time.etc but the expectations are the same as the rest of the class). If I remember correctly children who have some learning challenges can  adapt to the regular classroom.It was found other students were willing to help the student when needed.I have a nephew who has broad spectrum autism and he is in grade 4.He works well within his classroom and gets along with the other students.He has learned social skills that he may not have been exposed to if he were in a specialized classroom setting.He plays the his classmates, goes to their birthday parties and they come to his.He is learning how to fit into everyday life.He is also learning problem solving skills which prepare him for everyday life.I can understand the concern of the parent who felt her child might benefit from a specialized classroom.lifeskills classrooms do not prepare children for real life.All teachers take continual courses to upgrade their skills and teaching practices.A child who has autism and may on occassion need redirrection  the class is no more disruptive to the classroom than a "normal" child who is rude or disrespectful.The only difference is that the child with autism cannot control the fact that he has autism the "normal child can control his behaviour and attitude.Because someone learns differently does not make them less entitled to an education nor does it mean they cannot learn.As adults  we must teach our children to respect others and teach them to treat others the same as they want to be treatedThis applies in the classroom as well..I would encourage your friend to let her child try the regular classroom first.One of the most important aspects in any childs success in school is the parent being involved.,never look for attaching blame but look for solutions.

Answer 5

The pros and cons of educating special needs students in self-contained classrooms or mainstreamed into regular ed classrooms has been debated in public school systems for years.  It will likely be debated forever as there is no right or wrong answer.  Every student has unique needs, every parent has educational preferences, and every professional educator has their own philospophy.  Some parents are adamant that their child would do better in a self-contained classroom while others are adamant that being in a regular ed classroom is best.  In reality, what's best for the child is not always clear and often changes as the child grows and develops.  Your friend will embark on a journey next year when her son begins kindergarten that will at times be frustrating and she will need all the support she can get from family and friends.  She will find herself, probably more times than she imagines, in the uncomfortable position of feeling like her son's only advocate.  He will need her to be as the world of "special" ed can be a complicated one.  She will have options, but what is available will depend a lot on the state in which she lives and the stability of the school district her son will attend.  Some educational directives are federally mandated, but many are decided at the state and local levels.  In our school district, students with special needs often have a para-pro assigned to him/her.  This person spends the day at the child's side much like a personal aid.  These people are invaluable to a regular ed classroom teacher as it allows him/her to focus on the class as a whole and not spend most of the day re-focusing a child with autism or ADD or diffusing a potential blow-up from a child with an emotional disorder.  At least where we live, children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are provided with a para-pro aid.  My mom was a kindergarten and first grade teacher for 30 years and was teaching when the "mainstream" philosophy began to gather full-steam ahead despite the resistance of many teachers, parents, and administrators.  I followed in her footsteps and also earned my teaching certificate.  I started out in Special Ed, but switched to Early Elementary.  Teaching jobs in our area were scarce when I graduated and I have been a child care provider in my home for 20 years.  My oldest daughter has been a teacher for 5 years.  First in a Charter School and now in a public school.  Both my brothers as well as an aunt, an uncle, and 2 cousins are teachers as well.  You can imagine the lively educational discussions that take place at our family gatherings (to the frequent eye-rolling of non-educators in the family!).  We've frequently discussed the very problem you describe with disruption in the classroom.  Unfortunately, there is no exact science to education so solutions to the problems typically have to be worked through on an individual basis.  I suggest that your friend begin looking now into the options available.  Often there are choices that are not offered for consideration, but are available regardless.

Answer 6

I don't think there can be any one policy in place for this type of situation.  Each child is different, and each classroom is different.

Some children with autism are very high-functioning, and can do very well in a regular classroom.  In fact, they probably do much better in this environment than they would in a specialized class.

However, there are also children with severe autism coupled with mental retardation who would find great difficulty in coping with conditions in a regular classroom, and not benefit from it in any way.   It would also be extremely hard on a regular classroom teacher to meet the needs of this child along with the needs of her average students.

And of course, there are the majority of children with autism who fall somewhere between these two extremes.  For a child in this range, it would depend on the resources the school system was willing to provide for him.   Would he have his own aide in the classroom?  Would he be pulled out for one-on-one instruction in various areas?  Would his needs be met?  Is he unable to sit in a classroom environment without tapping, spinning, and otherwise distracting the others in the room?

Each situation must be looked at individually, according to the abilities of the child, and the capacity of the school system to provide for his needs.

Answer 7

I had just started high school when they did this. I was in Art 1 and there were freshman, juniors, and seniors in this art class and then there was lori... she was mentally challanged and seriously/literally had the brain of a 5 year old. The teacher was so mean to her and all the classmates were... it was horrible to watch.we'd be in intense drawing and she'd draw a circle... i talked to her a lot, she was very uncomfortable! so i dont think they should do this

hope this helps

Answer 8

If the child is high functioning and can be successful in a "typical" (much nicer word) classroom, then yes, that would be a good place for that child.  However, you can't overlook the fact that a special needs classroom can be a great environment for kids that would be left behind otherwise.  I would hope that your friend has an IEP in place.

Answer 9

I'm a mother with a child with autism who was in special education and if I had it to do all over again, I would have fought harder to have him integrated into a regular classroom.  Special education segregated my child from the mainstream classroom and provided no instruction or education at all... it was basically daycare and the teachers had no training or expertise on teaching a child w/autism (and for some didn't have training in any disability).

Depending on the child,  with proper supports, a child can be mainstreamed into a regular classroom and it can be the best for the child and for his/her peers.  It needs to be a group/team effort though (teachers/parents/personal aids if needed).

The child in your son's class obviously needs a classroom aide who can re-direct her and assist her with classroom work/activities.

Answer 10

You have to bear in mind, it's called an Autism Spectrum for a reason--there are many variations and behaviors included in it.   However, if your friend's school district has separate classrooms with special teachers trained to teach autistic children, she should consider herself extremely lucky.  Where I grew up, autistic kids were either put in regular classrooms, which rarely conform to their specialized learning style, or they were placed in classrooms with SEVERLY mentally handicapped students (i.e., Down's Syndrome, etc.) which is equally detrimental to their learning.

However, just because a child is autistic does not automatically mean that they will be a distraction or disruption.  Often, the problem with putting an autistic child in a regular classroom is more that they don't learn and process the same way as the rest of the children, and therefore are getting nothing out of the lessons taught.  

Sadly, the only real solution all comes downto money.  We need teachers to be specially trained to work with autistic children, and it would be great if there could be separate classrooms for them.  But in all reality, if a teacher is trained to work with them, then they can often function fine in a regular classroom.

Answer 11

your friend should definately meet with the school administration and Special Education team to discuss an appropiate setting- many times a child with special needs should be tranisitioned  into a different classroom setting. Most likley, a paraprofessional may be placed to work with him. If it isn't a public school, there may be different protocol. Perhaps a new school, public which will enforce federal SPED laws, is needed. Children with Austism/Austism spectrum should be serviced on a case-by-case basis but some can be in general education classrooms

Answer 12

I think it really depends on how much help the child needs and that the parents should have the ultimate decision on whether a child is mainstreamed or not.

But as for disruptive kids in the classroom ... in my kids' school there are kids with special needs mainstreamed into the classroom but they get an aide assigned full-time to them to give appropriate specialized help as needed and to handle situations like the interruptions you describe.  It works very well from what I've observed.  (And I'd just add from my observations that virtually any group of young kids, special needs or not, have one or two kids who seem to need constant refocusing -- so it's not just a question of the impact of kids with autism in the classroom!)