Creating Inclusive Schools for Autistic Students: A Scoping Review on Elements Contributing to Strengths-Based Approaches
19
Citation
56
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
Abstract:
Strengths-based approaches leveraging the strengths and interests of autistic students are increasingly recognised as important to meeting their school-related needs. A scoping review exploring elements contributing to strengths-based approaches for autistic students in schools was undertaken. Eighteen articles were identified, with results conceptualised according to the Bioecological Model of Development. One personal (strengths and interests), six microsystem (specialised instructions, curriculum integration, curriculum differentiation, common interests with peers, reciprocal roles and adult involvement), three mesosystem (matching resources and activities, real-life learning experiences and benefiting all students), and three exosystem (cost-effective and timesaving, collaboration with colleagues and parents and teachers’ attitude and knowledge) elements were identified. Findings highlight the interrelatedness of the elements contributing to strengths-based approaches for autistic students, which can be used to aid in the development of more inclusive school environments.Keywords:
Strengths and weaknesses
Recent public discussions suggest that there is much disagreement about the way autism is and should be described. This study sought to elicit the views and preferences of UK autism community members - autistic people, parents and their broader support network - about the terms they use to describe autism. In all, 3470 UK residents responded to an online survey on their preferred ways of describing autism and their rationale for such preferences. The results clearly show that people use many terms to describe autism. The most highly endorsed terms were 'autism' and 'on the autism spectrum', and to a lesser extent, 'autism spectrum disorder', for which there was consensus across community groups. The groups disagreed, however, on the use of several terms. The term 'autistic' was endorsed by a large percentage of autistic adults, family members/friends and parents but by considerably fewer professionals; 'person with autism' was endorsed by almost half of professionals but by fewer autistic adults and parents. Qualitative analysis of an open-ended question revealed the reasons underlying respondents' preferences. These findings demonstrate that there is no single way of describing autism that is universally accepted and preferred by the UK's autism community and that some disagreements appear deeply entrenched.
Cite
Citations (1,547)
At the 2019 strategic planning meeting the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) board discussed the question of appropriate language to be used when speaking or writing about autism or affected individuals. Board members articulated a wide range of views on this subject, making clear that there is no single simple answer. This commentary was inspired by that discussion. It is by John Elder Robison who is both an INSAR board member and an individual diagnosed with autism. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1004-1006. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: How should researchers talk about autism? Personal reflections on writing and speaking about autism, with particular regard for affected individuals, be they autistic people, people with autism, or family members. This commentary is authored by John Elder Robison who is both an INSAR board member and an individual diagnosed with autism.
Editorial board
Cite
Citations (57)
Pervasive developmental disorder
Cite
Citations (4)
'Something is Wrong with Our Child'. Families' Needs: Met and Unmet. Diagnosis and Autism. Diagnostic Confusions and Disorders Presenting Like Autism. The Effects of Autism on Parents: Part I. The Effects of Autism on Parents: Part II. Families and Challenging Behaviour. Educational and Other Strategies. Autism and Growing Up. References. Index.
Cite
Citations (82)
Typically developing
Cite
Citations (20)
Whereas the autism prevalence rate has been very closely monitored in the United States, the same has not been observed in many other countries. This may be attributed to the fact that each culture views and defines autism differently. Using field notes and semi-structured interviews with family members with an individual with autism, teachers, and professionals in Canada, Nicaragua, and Korea, this paper illustrates how autism is socially differently constructed in these distinctively different cultures. Observing and experiencing what autism means in different cultures urge us to accept and appreciate individual differences or 'differ-bilities' in the diverse twenty-first century.
Cite
Citations (80)
ABSTRACT: Until recently, treatment for children with autism involved housing them in hospitals for the developmentally disabled. Today more slates are returning children with autism to their home communities, and more parents are choosing or are being required to keep their children with autism in their homes. Laws were developed to ensure that children with autism receive some form of education, often through the local school system. School nurses, who may not have experience working with children with autism, may feel uncertain about how to provide support for the child with autism. Approximately 300,000 persons in the United States have autism or display autistic behaviors. About one‐third are under age 21. People with autism come from all socioeconomic classes. Males are four times more likely to be affected by autism than females. People with autism can be expected to live a normal lifespan. (J Sch Health. 2001;71(3):96–100)
School nurse
Cite
Citations (13)
Cite
Citations (45)
Abstract Reducing the age of first autism diagnosis facilitates access to critical early intervention services. A current “waitlist crisis” for autism diagnostic evaluation thus demands that we consider novel use of available clinical resources. Previous work has found that expert autism clinicians can identify autism in young children with high specificity after only a brief observation; rapid identification by non‐experts remains untested. In the current study, 252 children ages 12–53 months presented for a comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluation. We found that junior clinicians in training to become autism specialists ( n = 29) accurately determined whether or not a young child would be diagnosed with autism in the first five minutes of the clinic visit in 75% of cases. Specificity of brief observations was high (0.92), suggesting that brief observations may be an effective tool for triaging young children toward autism‐specific interventions. In contrast, the lower negative predictive value (0.71) of brief observations, suggest that they should not be used to rule out autism. When trainees expressed more confidence in their initial impression, their impression was more likely to match the final diagnosis. These findings add to a body of literature showing that clinical observations of suspected autism should be taken seriously, but lack of clinician concern should not be used to rule out autism or overrule other indicators of likely autism, such as parent concern or a positive screening result.
Cite
Citations (4)
Stigma
Cite
Citations (9)