Nicole Feigenblum Mrs.

Wiener English 11H2 April 10, 2013 MainstreamingEducating, Including, Flourishing

Children with autistic spectral disorders (ASD) deserve and should be receiving the same education as students across the nation. This can be achieved with the help of teachers as well as mainstream students who, by understanding the needs of the disabled students, can consequently bring bullying to a halt and present a newfound respect and empathy for those with differences. The dispute over mainstreaming special needs students, specifically those with autism or asperger syndrome, is very controversial. On the one hand, the special education students should be accustomed to being around children their age who dont have special needs. Especially for children with autism, it is essential to build better social skills through real encounters with ordinary students. Statistics show that autistic children who are mainstreamed receive better grades, have enhanced social skills, and achieve greater success because of the integrated classrooms and rigorous curriculum in public schools (greater in comparison to the statistics found in private, special education schools). Parents of these special needs children benefit from mainstreaming because they would no longer need to pay for the private, special needs schools; hence, the parents have more money to

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expend on after-school intervention so that their children can be as functional in society as possible. On the other hand, there are those who are vehemently against mainstreaming. They believe that the education in public school is not geared towards the functional levels of students, making it more stressful and disappointing for the special needs student and their parents. In addition, there is a gargantuan expenditure of money by the public schools to take care of its special needs students, since additional teachers and extra facilities to accommodate the students are needed. Though there are some setbacks, there are ways to overcome and eradicate the negatives of mainstreaming. By setting a standard for the admittance of ASD children in public schools, those who will not benefit from being mainstreamed will comprehend that they need a more specialized, restricted school. Also, by educating classmates and teachers, the ASD students will be able to learn and interact aptly. Autistic spectrum disorders, otherwise known as pervasive developmental disorders, are diagnosed in the first three years of life. The two most known of ASDs are asperger syndrome and autism. There are four characteristics that are typical of those with autism spectrum disorders: social deficiencies, communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors, and specific, unorthodox interests (Board, Autism). The causes for these disorders are still unknown; however, there are many studies venturing to find the cause and the cure. One quality that distinguishes between autism

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and asperger syndrome is that autistic children may have cognitive delays, meaning they are slow to understand and comprehend, while children with asperger syndrome have minimal to no delays (Board, Asperger Syndrome). Autism has various signs and symptoms. Being overly reactive to the senses and rubbing surfaces are just a couple of indications. Low or high sense of pain may be an indication as well. Many people with autism feel the need to follow their daily routines meticulously and when something stops them, tantrums may ensue. Another sign is becoming obsessed or fixated on an unusual, or highly unconventional topics. Socially, most autistic people have difficult times making friends and find it hard to feel as part of a group. They have tough times making eye contact, playing with other children, concentrating (due to their short attention spans), and realizing when others are being sarcastic or insincere (Mannheim). It is not to say that all autistic children live with all of these conditions, they can have a few, all, or most of these conditions, depending on their functional levels. Children and adults with asperger syndrome have many of the same mannerisms and defects that autistic people have. Many with asperger syndrome tend to over focus on a single subject, studying and memorizing its miniscule details. Though many with asperger syndrome have the ability to concentrate on one specific topic of interest, most have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which makes it substantially harder on them to pay attention in class for an extended amount of time. They seem unemotional in tone of voice and do not acknowledge the emotions of others. Regarding

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bodily movements, some, but not most, are looked at as clumsy because of their delayed motor development, meaning that they are slow and sometimes unable to control their muscle movement. Unlike those with autism, people with asperger syndrome have a propensity for being friendly and starting up conversations; however, their problems with speech and language ultimately lead to isolation (Mannheim, Asperger Syndrome). Student-aged children with asperger syndrome or autism sometimes go to regular public schools and when parents find the children need more attention, they will transfer to special needs schools. For parents, this shift in education for their children is a big expense. Special needs schools are privately run, making education for their children an exorbitant expense (Recognizing Schools). Hence, the idea of mainstreaming, or keeping special needs children in public schools, came into fruition. In the past, those who were disabled were looked at as outcasts, not deserving a place in normal society. They were placed in separate institutions and were not accepted by the community (Caffee). Then, on November 29, 1975, President Henry Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which required the government to provide ample funding for all handicapped children from ages three to twenty. It also forced all public schools that accepted federal funding, to provide equal access to education along with lunch for the disabled students. The schools were also obliged to evaluate handicapped children and create an educational plan with parent input that would attempt to mirror the educational experience of the normal public school students

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(Archived: 25 Year History of the IDEA). The definition of mainstreaming is an integration of all types of students on all different levels into one, cohesive classroom. It is not modeled after inclusion programs that are found nationwide that merely have the students in one school but have tiered classes. In a mainstreamed school, the special needs students participate in separated (specific to their needs) classes for part of the day and then regular classes for the majority or half of the school day. There are many people who ignorantly believe that bringing special needs children into public schools will fail detrimentally, but that is mainly because they do not know how to approach the program to culminate success. The process of including the autistic and asperger syndrome students is not by only training them to fit into society, but for society to make room for them. The teachers must be competent and trained to teach special needs students as well as the generic public school students (Cooper). Gone are the days where teachers do not need a masters or bachelor degree (Re: Autistic"). The teachers must be able to handle the array of needs of their students and be able to mitigate any issues they might have. To quote Temple Grandin, a woman who has thrived even with having autism, I cannot emphasize the importance of a good teacher (Grandin). The success of the mainstreaming programs relies on the teachers, as well as the students, to learn to accept and understand how to approach others with special need. Students can help by having patience towards students with autism spectral disorders. It is imperative for the

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developed students to receive the special needs students with open arms or else the bullying will emerge and the goals of the mainstream programs will prove to be futile and superseded (Zablotsky). My research has proven that mainstreaming is a highly controversial idea. Everyone in the educating field has an opinion on mainstreaming. Many people indubitably want it and others completely refuse the notion. Through this essay I would like to prove that mainstreaming could be successful through the correct modus operandi. If not done correctly, it is easy for mainstreaming programs to fail, but if run flawlessly, the atmosphere of the school and the attitude of its students towards each other will be changed perpetually. Obviously, with a disputable, there are positives and negatives. In regards to mainstreaming, it seems that there are many more positives than there are negatives and the negatives, in turn, can be defeated with ease. Mainstreaming is not only for the child with ASD, but for his classmates as well. A decade or so after passing the Education for all Handicapped Children Act, mainstreaming became slightly more popular. It was seen that from 1984 to 1997 the high functioning autistic or asperger syndrome students, who were placed part-time or full-time in regular classes, improved academically. Studies have even shown that in that time period there was a 14% increase in graduation rates of those with disabilities (Mainstreaming). Education, though the basis, is not the only reason for mainstreaming special needs students. It also gives the ASD students a feeling of selfesteem and self worth to be in class and to socialize with regular students

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(Gearheart 407). Dr. Beth Christian says that by being associated with and immersed in a regular classroom, the special needs child will display a quality of self-efficacy. In a study in a California public school it was found that autistic or asperger syndrome students felt 96% more confident, while only 3% felt the same and a mere 1% felt less confident (Mainstreaming). Students with autism or asperger syndrome usually have low self-esteem when they do not interact with others. Being in a mainstreamed school would allow the special needs students to befriend many children their age. Even more so, testing has shown that children with ASDs can learn social skills through observation. With children who are shy or like to be by themselves, just being around other students with appropriate social skills is beneficial. Because people with autism have extremely specific interests and have a hard time socializing, the additional interaction with typical children is immensely advantageous for them. Research has shown that autistic children are six times more likely to engage in social relationships outside of the classroom while enrolled in a mainstream school (Zins). Another encouraging reason to mainstream children with ASDs is for self-motivational purposes. Special needs students, like regular students, want to succeed and learn in school. With a curriculum that challenges them, the students can strive to do better than they ever thought possible. Higher expectations and observing classmates work and success lead to a stronger desire to excel and to be accepted by fellow classmates and teachers. (Gearheart). In addition, there is a great benefit for parents of children with

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autism or asperger syndrome. To send their children to private schools that specialize in ASDs, parents have to spend exorbitant fees, up to $75,000, that do not include the price of after-school intervention needed at home (Recognizing Schools)! Instead of spending on school education, parents have the financial freedom to spend that money providing them with a more rounded education (Peregrine). Being autistic or having asperger syndrome in no way stops anyone from becoming successful, happy, or well educated; it is just more challenging. A prime example of an autistic person who overcame all the handicaps is Temple Grandin. She was born in 1947 and was perceived by neighbors and family friends as being brain damaged. Her mother, Eustacia Cutler, initially blamed physicians for her daughters condition, but worked with Temple tirelessly and endlessly to make sure her daughter was as high functioning as possible. Because of her mothers effort Grandins communicative abilities were heightened and she finally began to speak at age four. Although her parents sought the best possible teachers, social interactions remained difficult in middle and high school, where peers teased Grandin regularly for spasmodic her speech and gestures. Despite the hardship, she overcame and earned a degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College in 1970. Temple says that her success escalated because she found a mentor, who recognized her interests and abilities, who guided her, and who helped her excel in her experiments (Grandin). She then went on to receive a master's degree in animal science from Arizona State University.

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Following that, she obtained a doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois. She then worked as a consultant for companies with large animal slaughterhouse operations, advising them on ways to improve the quality of their cattles lives. She has also been a major leader for educating the uninformed Americans about autism and understanding the autistic mind. She has written several novels about her early life, her struggles, and then how she became a leader and revolutionist in her field (Temple Grandin). Having supportive parents and finding a professor in her college who understood her led to Temples great success story. From her knowledge of cattle science, Temple invented what she called the hug box. It is a machine that provides deep pressure stimulation evenly across the body and immediately calms the cattle, or in her case, the autistic child, stopping tantrums and settling over-stimulated nerves (Edelson). As a result of her many feats, Temple was deemed one of the hundred most influential people in the world in the Times 100 under the Heroes section (Hauser). Obviously mainstreaming is beneficial to special needs students, but most people do not realize that it can be equally valuable to general education students. Having a diverse group of students in a school can teach the generic public school students about nondiscrimination, tolerance of others, and patience for students who need more time to process (Qtd. in Christian). Students may also feel a sensation of self-worth or self-concept by knowing that they included someone who is less fortunate and not as

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capable as they. For the future, the public school students can feel prepared to deal with any disabilities or hardships in life because they see how the autistic or asperger children can work through their impairments. So, not only do the ASD students learn from the regular students, but vice versa. The ASD students become role models for overcoming obstacles. This can be explained by a notion educators call Contact Theory, which states that frequent and meaningful interactions between people with differences tend to produce changed in attitudes on both sides (Mainstreaming). Since mainstreaming is contentiously debated, there clearly have to be some negative views on the program. For autistic of asperger syndrome student there is a possibility of four deleterious effects. First are the social difficulties that will lead to the students outsider status, which is the exact antithesis for the rationale behind mainstreaming (Zins). Secondly, though many people with ASDs feel they can keep up with the rest of the class, there are some that may begin to feel inadequate or inferior for their lack of grades and ability to be the top student. This can precipitate to the students becoming lazy and lax or having a generally careless attitude towards the class work (Caffee). The next issue that may emerge is that mainstreaming isnt for all disabled students. Only those with moderate or high-functioning autism or asperger syndrome will fully benefit from inclusion (Traylor). Furthermore, the most notable adverse affect of mainstreaming is the possibility of bullying. It is a fact that children make fun of or tease others that are different than they. There have been studies that show how autism

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or asperger syndrome children have been seen as great targets for these tormentors (Qtd. in Christian). There are also a couple of negatives for the general education students as well, but both relate to the functionality of the ASD students. If the student is not moderate or high functioning, the class learning level can ebb away and there would be a higher likelihood of disruption in class (Traylor). Through the analysis of my research, I have theorized that these few problems are things holding many educators and boards from mainstreaming their schools. Hence, the rest of this essay shall try and describe how to make the program work efficiently and harmoniously by eliminating the possibility of all the negatives. For a program like mainstreaming to run with efficacy, all involved must do their part. All my research has led me to truly believe that if everyone works together, mainstreaming can work, without having any incidents or bumps along the road. There must be involvement as well as awareness from teachers and fellow students, yet there is also a crucial dependence on the abilities of the ASD student, since his abilities are the foundation for the program. A line must be drawn for ASD students acceptance into the mainstream program. Obviously everyone is different, and they all have different abilities and therefore must be tested to see which environment is most profitable. Those that are moderately to highly functioning should have an easier time adjusting to mainstream classes. However, children that are low functioning would in all likelihood not benefit from being in general education classrooms because they need to learn

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many skills that are not taught in public school classes and need one-on-one assistance so that the teacher can meet the individual needs of the student (Re: Autistic). To overcome and eliminate all negative aspects of mainstreaming, as stated previously, students, and teachers especially, must be well learned in special education. Even teachers today notice more and more students in their classes with learning disabilities. Chris Cooper, teacher and stepfather of an autistic child, knows both sides of the classroom. He knows how to handle and teach autistic children, but only because he lives with a child like with autism. He knows there is a problem in teacher education because in the countless seminars and classes and meetings and professional days that [he has] attended, not once was a class on how to work with a student with autism in a general education classroom offered (Cooper). Teachers cannot be blamed for not doing a excelling at their job if their job never required such work and knowledge. By educating teachers in basic special needs training, all students as well as the teacher can feel more comfortable in class (Cooper). The biggest and most dominant deterrent from mainstreaming is the possibility of bullying. Autistic and asperger syndrome students are dubbed as the perfect victims of teasing because of their social deficits, unresponsiveness, and inability to stand up to bullies (Zablotsky). Studies show that autistic children from the ages of six to fifteen were six and a half times more likely to be victimized in mainstream school than children in the

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special needs settings. Students with asperger have reported being bullied at least twice in a months time. ASD students and parents need assurance that their children will have ample protection from bullies and tormentors (Zablotsky). After much research and testing, Dr. Kasari and her team theorized that peer training outperforms traditional autism intervention. To give some background, traditional autism intervention involves the childs enrollment in social skills training in private, isolated settings. Sadly, through real-world results, it appears that the successes in the private settings do not translate to social successes in real-life. Because isolated learning wasnt culminating results, Dr. Kasari decided to shift away from relying solely on such standard social-skills training and towards greater emphasis on teaching classmates how to interact with children who have social challenges. The study was organized into four groups of both special needs and regular students. Each group had a combination of all, a few, or no one having training sessions, which all lasted twenty minutes, twice a week for six weeks. Group one had autistic children receiving one-on-one training sessions while classmates received none. The second group had the autistic children get no training while three classmates had training session to learn how to engage children with social difficulties; however, they did not know the identity of their fellow autistic classmates. The third group had both autistic children and the students receive training while the fourth had both obtaining either. The teachers were the eyes and ears for the study,

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observing behavior on the playgroup, though they didnt know which students had the training sessions. The results of Dr. Kasaris study were astonishing, even to her. When starting to conduct the study, even Dr. Kasari thought that working through the peers would be more indirect, and yet [she and her group] found the exact opposite. The autistic children whose classmates were trained (whether those with autism received training or not) spent less time alone on the playground and had more classmates naming them as friends. The autistic students that received one-on-one social training but had no peer training did display a change in social habits. The teachers, who didnt know who received intervention or not, reported that their students with autism showed significantly improved classroom social skills, after the training of their classmates. More extraordinary was that even after the year ended, the autistic students whose peers were trained, were seen demonstrating improved social connectedness, illustrating the depth of knowledge they acquired from their peers (Kasari). Mainstreaming can change the way public school students conduct themselves, tackle issues, and approach differences. Most children and teenagers do not interact with others with special needs on a regular basis, but doing so can bring such richness into the lives of all involved. By placing students with autistic spectral disorders into regular classes, it gives diversity and a feeling of respect for everyone. Educators can see how the plurality of the classroom is favorable to all and can learn how to help and

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embrace autistic and asperger students with open, knowledgeable arms. Though there are flaws with every plan, the mainstreaming program should and hopefully will be incorporated into schools around the country. To prevent students from being in a regular classroom because of the teachers inability to cope with a specific type of student is deplorable. With the help of faculty, educators, students, and parents alike, mainstreaming can be launched in all public schools and the possibility of true, equal rights may be born.