Children With Autism and Effects It Has on Families - Literature review Example

Children with Autism and Effects It Has On Families Introduction Boer (2009), defines autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by aspects such as difficulties in communication, may be socially impairment, may show repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior. Children with autism may experience lack of empathy, and may have difficulties in understanding social cues. Over the year, children with autism have been treated as having a disability and have been taken to special schools but with increased knowledge about the disorder, the need for inclusion of these children into the mainstream schools has arisen (Smith & Reich 2012).This will help the children to grow socially from the interaction with the mainstream pupils. It will also enhance the children’s ability of the children to be tested and to excel academically alongside other mainstream pupils. The systems in the mainstream schools however need to be reviewed to suit the needs of the children with autism. The critical evaluation therefore concerns Wilkinson & Twist (2010), in consideration for inclusion for children with autism and its effects on families. The research conducted by Wilkinson and Twist indicates that autism in young people and children in the UK is viewed to have increased over the years with studies indicating that one per cent of the population are affected. The researchers base their argument on a report by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which has indicated that around 51000 of pupils with autism are being taught in mainstream schools. They have also considered the statement of the Department for Education and Skills that autism has ceased to be viewed as a rare disorder due to the increased awareness of the needs of the children with autism. The need for meeting the educational needs for children with this condition has increased following the finding that these children are in many times more likely than their peers without this condition, to be excluded from schools (Wilkinson & Twist 2010). This finding is in consistence with a statement by Hesmondhalgh & Breakey (2001), that the support of children with autism in mainstream schools is minimal. The teachers in the mainstream schools lack the required training to deal with these children and therefore the relevant support is needed for the students to be able to discover their personalities and better performance in their education. The inclusion therefore subjects the students to firm rules in the classroom, excellent adherence to instructions and guidelines given in times of partaking a given test or assignment. The researchers therefore address this issue by considering the importance of the mainstream schools to make adjustments to ensure that the students with autism are not disadvantaged (National Research Council & Hidy 1986). The researchers have evaluated and stated the problem which is the inclusion of children with autism in the mainstream schools. They have conducted a research to determine the conditions and issues underlying this inclusion. They have evaluated the various policies that relate to the inclusion for the children with autism, which include the UK teaching and assessment policy. The policy considers the government publications and proposals that are aimed at giving the children with autism and other special needs an opportunity of attaining the educational success (Monsen et al 2008).This policy is a basis for dealing with the issue of lack of support for the children with autism in the mainstream schools. The policy also is aimed at seeing that the needs of the parents of these children are met in the mainstream schools. Contained in the policy also is the Inclusion Development programme that the researchers have considered to be one of the programs introduced by the national strategies to deal with the issue of lack of the required expertise by the mainstream teachers and professionals in dealing with the children with autism. The programme is aimed at training and increasing the expertise of these pupils in dealing with these children in the mainstream schools. The researchers recognize the need for the schools to recognize the areas that need to be done for them to meet the individual needs of these students. They have also considered the Assessment for all programmes that are aimed at achieving an educational success, attainment and engagement for all the pupils including those with autism. The programme is aimed at reviewing the progress of the students and enhancing communication between the children’s teachers and parents to ensure that the parents have a follow up of what their children are doing is school. The researchers also focus on the need for assessing the appropriateness of the set assessment programmes considering the dynamic nature of the UK educational environment (Smith & Reich 2012). Wilkinson and Twist have well used the primary as well as the secondary sources of data in determining and finding the needed information. The use of secondary sources of data has been evidenced by use of information that had formerly been obtained. They have also used the secondary source of data by conducting the research to determine the problems that are associated with the inclusion of the children with autism into the mainstream schools. The researchers have also assessed the UK teaching and practice in order to determine what ought to be done in the existing programmes for them to fit the inclusion of the children with autism (Ripoll-Núñez et al 2012). They have used the case study on English in order to show the gap that exists between the teaching programmes and what is expected to meet the needs of the children with autism. They have obtained information from this research that many schools lack the necessary provision for students with autism. They have been able to obtain findings that the children with autism and their parents get the least satisfaction from the programs offered by the mainstream teachers and professionals. This has raised more concern for the inclusion of these students into the mainstream schools. They have also arrived to the finding that these children require individual interventions and no single one can be suitable for all the students that affected with autism. This is normally necessitated by the different strengths and weaknesses in these children that cause them to have different levels of understanding (Boer 2009). The researchers have also conducted research to determine the various teaching strategies that are used by the mainstream teachers to find out whether they are suitable for the children with autism and have come up with findings that the strategies in use are not appropriate for these children. They have therefore come up with a proposal for the appropriate strategies that are aimed at discovering the strengths and weaknesses of these pupils and that are relevant to them. These strategies are such as setting rules including the social ones to govern the interactions of the children in and outside classrooms (Luiselli 2008). Wilkinson and Twist have found the need for the mainstream teachers to understand the needs of the children with autism to enable them to boost the children’s academic performance and to reduce the cases of these students being expelled from schools. This is also important in helping the parents to understand the needs of the children based on what the teachers know and what they communicate to communicate to them. The researchers have conducted both primary and secondary data collection in order to determine the effects of inclusion of the children with autism in UK into the mainstream schools to parents and families. They have come up with findings that the if the strategies existing in the mainstream schools are altered to meet these children’s needs then the inclusion results to positive effects in the sense that the parents are able to get response concerning the children’s performance from the schools. The parents are also able to acquire other important information based on the teachers’ understanding (Hollander et al 2011). The researchers have also maintained ethical standards in the collection, analysis and presentation of their data. They have ensured this by recognising the source of all their data and information. This is usually done by mentioning the source of information that is used in the research. The researchers have evidently done this by appropriately citing and referencing the sources (Rosenfeld & Bluestone 2003). The research question addressed, concerning autism is also relevant since the question of inclusion of children with autism is an important aspect in the UK. The research population considered as well is the population in the UK, which is relevant since the issue is one of the issues of concern in the UK. It is also important and relevant since it is used to address the problems that the children with autism are likely to encounter in the special schools thus creating the need for inclusion as well as offering recommendations to what changes ought to be effected in mainstream schools to address the issue of inclusion (Shatz 2004). Conclusion In conclusion, the research by Wilkinson and Twist deals with inclusion of children with autism into mainstream schools. It is efficiently carried out in the UK where a proportion of the entire population possesses the disorder and where the issue of inclusion of the children with autism is relevant. The researchers have efficiently carried out both primary and secondary data collection methods in conducting the research and has observed the required ethical standards by stating the source of the information by appropriately citing and referencing. The research has therefore succeeded in addressing the issue of inclusion of children with autism and its effects on families. Reference list Boer, S. R. (2009). Successful inclusion for students with autism: Creating a complete, effective ASD inclusion program. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Hesmondhalgh, M., & Breakey, C. (2001). Access and inclusion for children with autistic spectrum disorders: Let me in. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Hollander, E., Kolevzon, A., & Coyle, J. T. (2011). Textbook of autism spectrum disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub. Luiselli, J. K. (2008). Effective practices for children with autism: Educational and behavioral support interventions that work. New York: Oxford University Press. Monsen, E. R., Van, H. L., & American Dietetic Association. (2008). Research: Successful approaches. Chicago: American Dietetic Association. National Research Council (U.S.)., & Hidy, G. M. (1986). Peer review and credibility in TVA environmental research and development. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. Ripoll-Núñez, K. J., Comunian, A. L., & Brown, C. M. (2012). Expanding horizons: Current research on interpersonal acceptance : selected papers from the Third InternationalCongress on Interpersonal Acceptance and rejection, held in Padua, Italy, July 2010. Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press. Rosenfeld, R. M., & Bluestone, C. D. (2003). Evidence-based otitis media. Hamilton, Ont: B.C. Decker. Rosser, W., Slawson, D., Shaughnessy, A., & Rosser, W. (2004). Information mastery: Evidence-based family medicine. Hamilton, Ont: B C Decker. Shatz, D. (2004). Peer review: A critical inquiry. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Smith, T., & Reich, D. (2012). Making inclusion work for students with Autism spectrum disorders: An evidence-based guide. New York: Guilford Press. Wilkinson, K. and Twist, L. (2010). Autism and Educational Assessment: UK Policy and Practice. Slough: NFER. Read More