The purpose of the review is to discuss pedagogical approaches for teachers who work with students with autism. Those who make up the autism student population tend to be misunderstood by peers, educators, and parents. The integration of the autistic population into general education classes continues to grow. However, teachers and paraprofessionals fail to be properly trained and informed about how to effectively work with autistic students. Since paraprofessionals are typically present during lunch-recess, they could help to integrate students with autism to socialize with their typical peers in a group setting (Koegel & Kim, 2014). Children with autism struggle to interact with others during socialization periods during school because the setting is unpredictable without a routine (Harper, Symon, & Frea, 2007). Integrating the autistic population with the typical general education students for recess will provide this diverse population with opportunities to socialize and become familiar with new situations.
Educational and social growth within the autistic population will come from including them in general education classes. Educators, parents, and the students need to be informed of how the importance of all children having the right to receive a meaningful education. Acknowledging the need to be empathic with this diverse group of students by trying to understand their individual perspectives on the school environment will create a learning space where they can thrive (Marshall & Goodall, 2015). In addition, educators need to be able
to properly and effectively implement the procedures for resolving problem behaviors (Strain & Wilson). Recognizing that challenging behavior by autistic children may be a result of the unpredictability of a mainstream classroom makes it crucial that teachers and paraprofessionals are able to properly redirect these students and provide effective support that would not take away from their general education experience. In this paper, I review the literature on how to recognize triggers that lead to unexpected behavior as well as how to combat these challenges to improve the learning experience for children with autism.
METHODS
The search for academic articles was performed on the database EBSCOhost. Keywords that were used when searching for articles were “pedagogical approaches”, “autism”, “teachers”, and “inclusive classrooms”. When deciding which articles to use, it was important that they discussed how educators were trained in with this diverse population. Articles had to explore the child’s rights to receiving meaningful education that would provide them an environment to grow. Additionally, the articles had to discuss the advantages of inclusive classrooms especially in regard to autistic students.
The articles chosen were directly related to the topic of the pedagogical approaches for teachers to use when working with the autistic student population. The age group that the articles focused on were students in elementary school. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included to show research significance and applications of approaches that train teachers as well as paraprofessionals to effectively integrate this diverse population into a general education classroom.
Articles had to be peer-reviewed to ensure that the information was credible and found using ethical tactics. About 300 studies appeared in my search, but I was able to cut down to the number I used by making sure the articles focused on elementary school settings that include times in the classroom and times outside of the classroom. Studies could range from classroom settings to social settings such as recess and lunch time. Articles had to include how and why autistic students respond to all aspects of a day of elementary school. Studies had to provide background information about this diverse population and the benefits of fully integrating them into mainstream education. As well as, discussing the negatives of keeping autistic students separate from their typical peers.
FINDINGS
In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed due to the low academic performance of many public-school students (Yell, Drasgow, & Lowrey, 2005). The federal government has since held states accountable for their public schooling outcomes and achievements of all students. “The primary purpose of NCLB is to ensure that students in every public school achieve important learning goals while being educated in safe classrooms by well-prepared teachers” (Yell, Drasgow, & Lowrey, 2005). According to this act, all teachers and paraprofessionals must be confident in taking the responsibility to provide a quality learning experience for students at all levels.
Most students with disabilities, such as autism, spend a majority of their day in a standard public-school environment. Depending on their IEP, students are exposed to varying settings and educators from the general education curriculum. For the government to ensure that instruction and achievement for students with disabilities is improved they are required to be assessed and have their results be included in the data that is “used to determine whether schools and school districts make adequate yearly progress (AYP)” (Yell, Drasgow, & Lowrey, 2005). If students with disabilities were not included in these accountability systems, it would be likely that they would not receive the proper academic support and attention that they deserve to perform at a higher standard.
David Marshall and Craig Goodall (2015) explored the importance of providing appropriate education that meets their human rights. Historically, the care given to people with ASD has been rooted in the ‘medical model’ which is done through a diagnosis. This medical model or labeling has become the most popular approach in the education system (Marshall & Goodall, 2015). As of recently, institutions such as public schools have begun to shift away from the medical model towards a social model of disability. This approach is rooted in human rights by viewing persons “with disabilities as subjects with rights and not passive objects of assistance” (Marshall & Goodall, 2015). Education provided to any child whether they have ASD, another disability, or no disability at all, needs to create an environment that is in touch with the child’s perspective of learning.
Human Rights Principles within International Law have focused on the importance of children having the right to a proper education, however, children with ASD are given the short end of the stick (Marshall & Goodall, 2015). The International Law fails to clarify the necessary resources and teacher training that is crucial for the education system to properly meet the complex needs of a child with ASD. Additionally, inclusive education must acknowledge and listen to the voice of the child. Education needs to revolve around what is best for a child with ASD to effectively elicit meaningful communication in order to make appropriate adjustments and decisions when improving their education (Marshall & Goodall, 2015). Inclusivity for students with ASD can be achieved with acceptance and support from the community beyond the education system. Children have the right to be respected and experience an education that fits their best interests rather than trying to fit them into a mainstream school environment. This suggests that the mainstream context needs to adjust for the inclusion of ASD students.
For children with autism to receive their fundamental right to receive a meaningful education, they need to be provided with well-trained teachers and resources. Stacey Lauderdale-Littin and Mary Brennan (2017) conducted a literature review that identified areas where teacher preparation can be improved to efficiently meet the standards of students with ASD. The identified areas were evidence-based practices and credential programs to train teachers. The implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) has poorly been included higher education programs for new teachers. Credential programs training special education teachers often do not teach educators how to meet the needs of students with ASD because they focus on special education practices that can be used for a broader population, and not specifically for individuals with autism (Littin & Brennan, 2017). This leaves educators working with students with autism at a disadvantage because they are unable to meet successfully meet their needs. The lack of preparation with teachers have with evidence-based practices is surprising since they are more than likely to have a student with ASD in their classroom and they need to be well informed in strategies to meet their unique needs.
In 2016, Tekin-Iftar and Olgay-Gul performed a research study on a simultaneous prompting procedure in teaching academic skills to students with autism disorder. Simultaneous prompting procedure is a two-part method that involves an instructional trial followed by a probe trial. “During instructional trials, the teacher delivers controlling prompt immediately following the presentation of the target stimuli (e.g., task direction) and students are expected to deliver a correct response” (Tekin-Ifar & Olgay-Gul, 2016). To ensure that students are processing these instructions properly, they are given daily probe trials which test to see if the student has acquired the skill that is being targeted. The results of the study were significant because the students learned how to respond in the desired form to instructive feedback. These findings are an example of how an EBP such as simultaneous prompting procedure, effectively maintaining and generalizing the wanted skills over time.
Teachers are not the only educators that work with ASD who are lacking in sufficient training. In a research study by Koegel, Kim, & Koegel, it focused on the significance of training paraprofessionals in ways to improve socialization in students with ASD. Paraprofessionals work with diverse students make the ASD population as well as other disabilities. However, most of them attend to their students with minimal or no training, which is not providing students with ASD the support they need to be successful. Paraprofessionals that work during “unstructured periods, such as lunch-recess, could successfully implement interventions to improve socialization between students with ASD and their typical peers in a group setting” (Koegel, Kim, & Koegel, 2014). The results of the study suggest that training paraprofessionals did improve social behavior for students with ASD in a school environment.
Most children with autism struggle immensely when it comes to socialization. As more and more students with ASD integrate into general education classes, they are given a small window to improve their social interactions. However, unstructured settings such as lunch-recess provide opportunities for children with autism to interact with their typically developing peers. Harper, Symon, and Frea (2007) researched motivational techniques that paraprofessionals and teachers can incorporate into unstructured times at school to improve social interactions. As a part of the study was performed through “peer-mediated practice to improve social interactions during recess activities” (Harper, Symon, & Frea, 2007). The results found that once the students with autism were exposed to social contact with their typical peers it increased their interactions to playing.
When students with ASD actively participate in recess, physical education, and movement sessions throughout the school day they are more likely to stay on task. Miramontez (2016) examined how students with ASD performed on, on-task behavior such as journaling, after participating in some type of movement such as yoga or a dance party. The findings showed that after these activities students had higher levels of on-task behavior. When students with ASD participate during recess and other movement opportunities they are more likely to perform better on their work which would help to address problem behaviors of students with autism in general education classrooms.
Children with autism are able to perform academically and socially when they are provided the proper behavioral support. Educators who work with this group of students in general education settings need to have training in how to address problem behaviors. Phillip Strain and Kelly Wilson (2011) conducted study designed to test the effects of prevent-teach-reinforce model (PTR) on occurring problem behaviors and academic engagement. “The data show that children with ASD can be supported in general education classrooms with a scripted, standardized PBS process that produces individualized, assessment-based interventions” (Strain & Wilson, 2011). The components of this evidence-based strategy promote favorable outcomes because it gives educators who work with students with ASD detailed descriptions of a step-by-step process when working with varying scenarios.
In 2016, Suhrheinrich, Rieth, Stahmer, Dickson, and Lau, conducted research that explored the relationship between types of classrooms and teachers. “Results indicate a significant relationship between classroom type (preschool/elementary) and teachers’ fidelity of Classroom Pivotal Response Teaching (CPRT), suggesting the possibility of target training based on student ages” (Suhrheinrich, Rieth, Stahmer, Dickson, &Lau, 2016). As the prevalence of ASD among schools increases, educators need to acquire supplementary training that goes beyond their initial pre-service credentials. Preschool and elementary school are a pivotal mark in any child’s education which makes it so important for teachers to be able to identify the needs of their students as well properly implementing proven methods that are developmentally age appropriate for them.
DISCUSSION
Based on the literature, students with ASD can be provided with a meaningful education that integrates them into general education classrooms. However, there is a dilemma of being able to transform mainstream school environments into an inclusive space for learning. The implications this has for educators are extensive because it would change their teaching requirements and training. A major question that remains after conducting the literature review is when will educators begin to incorporate these evidence-based practices and pedagogical approaches into the system. The review of the literature has shaped my thinking about education and autism because it highlights how educators are aware of the disconnect they have with students that do not fit the status quo. Teachers want to be able to touch the lives of their students by giving them tools that carry into their social and academic skills.
The implications teachers have to transform the learning environment into an inclusive learning space must take place through a social constructivist consciousness. Educators have differences of perspective which influences pedagogy, attitudes, and approaches to educating autistic children (Goodall, 2015). Inclusion settings recognize the classroom as a community where a diverse group of students come together to participate and learn from each other. Learning goes beyond academics because when students work with others who have different strengths and weaknesses than them they obtain social skills such as listening and patience. Unfortunately, the unpredictability of mainstream classroom settings is an influence on challenging behavior from an autistic student. This implication can be addressed if teachers and paraprofessionals receive training before the school year begins. It is more likely than not that educators will work with ASD throughout their day and they need to feel confident that they can seamlessly integrate them into their lesson by having awareness of their academic ability.
A specific example of a model that encourages a seamless integration between ASD students and mainstream students can be seen through, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This design “is a pedagogical model enabling curriculum access for all children through flexible accessible learning environments” (Goodall, 2015). To create an ASD-friendly school, it is necessary to recognize and incorporate how children respond differently to the combination of the social and sensory environment. Teachers and paraprofessionals need to provide a higher standard of support that is based on the premise of the principles of UDL. The principles are what we learn, how we learn, and why we learn (Goodall, 2015). This approach is aimed to support children in their understanding of their personal needs and skills as well as building on their academic strengths. Autistic children should be placed in groups based on their personal needs and not their abilities. ASD differences should be valued as enriching learning opportunities for classroom teachers, paraprofessional, and typical peers.
With all of these proposed methods, systems, and programs, school districts have chosen to take shortcuts when it comes to placing children with ASD into mainstream classes. Although some students who fall on the spectrum perform better in a classroom setting that differs from the public-school system, there are those who would make vast improvements socially and academically if they were placed in general education classes for part if not the whole day. Yes, this would be extremely challenging at first, but plopping ASD students in and out of general education electives and/or subjects brings us further away from accepting differences as normal. Autistic children will not make sufficient progress socially or academically just by being near their mainstream peers. Teachers and paraprofessionals need to provide an educational experience that widens the perspective on disability and how academic learning can be reinforced through a remodeling of learning.
Conclusion
The literature review explains varying models to for teachers and paraprofessionals to be introduced to in order to help students with ASD be successfully integrated into an inclusive classroom setting. Schools that are advocates for these learners want educators who have been exposed to preservice training as well as continuous training throughout the school year on how to work with students with ASD. Teachers and paraprofessionals are expected to create learning experiences that go beyond academia. Discussing pedagogical approaches and then having teachers and paraprofessionals implement the strategies during the school day allows for students with ASD to practice social skills and bond with their peers.
In sum, the review demonstrates that investigating education programs that are focused on training teachers and paraprofessionals to effectively work with ASD students can benefit schools as a whole. Incorporating these models into staff in-service days as well as preservice training will prepare them to work diligently with students with diverse learning abilities especially those with ASD. When educators are given the tools and models to create a learning environment that is conducive for all learners allowing them to develop an inclusive space throughout the school. As teachers and students become more familiar with diverse learners, they will become more comfortable, confident, and understanding to how we all interact with one another.