A Look inside the Spectrum: Providing Access to the Curriculum for Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: The identified incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the classroom has increased in the past decade, presenting educators with the daunting tasks of providing these students access to the curriculum, while also controlling unusual behavior, and accommodating communication and social needs. This project, a professional development in-service and accompanying guidebook, focused on giving educators the resources and tools to accomplish these tasks in an inclusive classroom environment. The goal of this project was to develop a quality training curriculum for educators on the characteristics of ASD, as well as evidence-based practices (EBP) that fit the needs of students with ASD. Peer-reviewed research on ASD characteristics and EBP was collected, analyzed, and organized. A presentation and guidebook, to be used for future reference and support, was given to the professional staff at a southern California middle school. Evaluations collected from attendees at the presentation suggested attendance increased participants??? awareness of ASD characteristics and EBP and fostered a willingness to implement EBP in the participants??? classrooms. \nThis project compiled an effective approach to training professional staff on successful interventions for the specific population of students with ASD found at the project school site. While the information presented and EBP described can be generalized to other school populations, EBP described was not an exhaustive compilation and was tailored to the participating student population. Other EBP may be more effective for other populations of students with ASD.
Author: Rebecca Torresdal-Arrieta
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W632627950