Children with Autism and inclusion at school it sometimes a difficult topic for parents and educational professionals.
Long term inclusion is a goal for many families with a member with a disability, including Autism.
Starting inclusion at school is critical for inclusion latter in life.
Inclusion is a concept that many families with a member with Autism or another disability have.
The concept is basically that a child with Autism needs to grow up with the people who will later become friends, neighbors, co workers, fellow church member, etc.
Since initially we start these places in the same place all children do, school, this should be our goal for children with Autism as well.
For this to transpire our children need to go to the neighborhood school with all of the neighborhood children.
They also need to be in the same classes.
There is no better way for a child with Autism to learn to be a teenager than to be with other teenagers.
Now at times a parent may wonder if that is a good idea when their child puts their hand on their hip and rolls their eyes! Our children also learn to dress and speak like other children by being in the same places.
May times behavior problems can be worked on with the simple observation that the other students do not do that.
Sometimes of course behaviors can not be stopped and children with Autism need a place to go to and de-escalate.
Children, teenagers, and adults with Autism have the opportunity to develop the relationships and skills they will need later in life by experiencing it.
This is the same things that happen to our typical children.