As the number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to rise, the question of a proper education within the least restrictive environment is of high priority amongst parents and teachers alike. While the spectrum encompasses a wide range of autism disorders, the individual needs of these students – both high functioning and low functioning – determines the proper educational placement and related services provided. In order to address the specific needs of higher functioning students on the autism spectrum, the NYC Department of Education has developed an inclusion program to “…help children with autism spectrum disorders learn how to function well academically, behaviorally, and socially in school and in their community.” (NYU Steinhardt, 2014) In a collaborative effort between New York University, the New York City Department of Education, and Hunter College, the ASD Nest Program was designed to address the growing number of student’s with higher functioning autism attending New York City public schools.
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders has risen drastically, to an estimated 1 in 68 children. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014) In order to address this growing phenomenon, educators in the New York City Department of Education – the largest public school district in the country – conducted a study of the growing number of higher functioning children with ASD attending New York City public schools. “Led by District 15 Superintendent Carmen Farina, with support from Dorothy Siegel and Shirley Cohen, the group studied the research findings of the National Research Council’s rep...
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...cation, and about 8,000 of them have been classified as having autism. Many students with that identification are in lower grades, and it is highly probable that substantial number of other students have not been identified as having ASD because they are higher functioning.” (Cohen & Hough, 2013) With the number of children being diagnosed with ASD continuing to rise and the search for answers still unclear, the ASD Nest Program has, according to recent research, effectively provided children, parents and teachers with an educational approach that targets the specific needs of children with higher-functioning autism. As the ASD Nest Program continues to expand throughout the New York City area, more and more children with this diagnosis will be provided the proper supports in order to allow these children to flourish both within their schools and their communities.
...is case, full inclusion means that all students, regardless of handicapping condition or severity, will be in a regular classroom full time. Although some may argue that that it is important to give every student equal opportunities to learn, and that it is only fair to include all students in regular learning environments, Decisions about including children with autism into fully integrated settings must be made consistent with the principle of the "least restrictive environment" as a guiding principle. No person with autism should be unnecessarily or inappropriately denied access to meaningful educational activities. However, it should be noted that the concept of least restrictive environment requires that appropriate learning take place. Placement decisions also require that students be capable of meaningful learning and functioning within the setting selected.
For all teens, the transition into adulthood is generally seen as a challenging and scary process. For teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as their caregivers, this transition is often more complicated. The period of transition for individuals with ASD into adulthood is intensely more challenging due to their “unique characteristics, the lack of services that address the special needs of such individuals in adulthood, and the expectations of society for a typical path to adulthood in the face of atypical problems” (Geller and Greenberg, 2009, pg. 93). Without the necessary resources to transition, teens with ASD find themselves unprepared for life at work, in college, or community living. Through this paper, the reader will obtain knowledge in regards to what ASD is, the barriers it yields concerning the transition into adulthood, and the effects it has on the individual as well
The red tree by Shaun Tan is all about depression. Shaun Tan wrote this book so the readers and viewers know what it is like with depression. The last picture is the book is when the girl is in her room with the tree uses lots of techniques including body language for an example the smile on the girls face which means she might feel happy agian and her gazing up to the tree. It would make the auidence feel happy as the girl found something to make her happy as some days beign with nothing to look forward to.
Ella Fitzgerald’s song “A Tisket a Tasket “is based on a children’s lullaby, and a game that she turned into a Jazz song. As a game the children would sing and dance in a circle, dropping and picking up a hankie. Whoever won the game would get a kiss. The Queen of Jazz created a tune with a catchy rhyme with the simple words for the time period. Which was a time of innocence, a naïve world, filled with sweet notes that lull an infant to sleep. The year was 1938, what seems to be a song for babies to sleep, is really shadowed with death, fear, and a longing to be home. (Azizi Powell, p1)
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements (PMBOK Guide, 2008). Using this definition, it is made evident that the parties involved in the Denver International Airport (DIA) Baggage System project in the 1990’s failed at applying basic organizational practices towards managing the triple constraint of scope, time, and cost goals. The combination of inherent risks, uncertainties, and dysfunctional decision making geared the project towards disappointment while simultaneously designating it as a text book example of what not do when taking on a complex project. By looking at the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats we can pull together a basic plan of action that would have set the DIA’s baggage handling system as a marvel model of rapid automation.
The authors of this article begin by defining autism spectrum disorder. There has been significant increase in ASD cases have occurred in the past 10 years, and many of these students are enrolling in a higher education institution. Autism presents challenges, in general, but students that enroll in a higher education institution are at risk of other issues. The article discusses these challenges as well as the transition from high school to college from actual students with autism. Using these challenges,
Yell, M. L. (2003). Developing legally correct and educationally appropriate programs for students with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 18, 182-191.
TEACCH is a comprehensive program designed to serve individuals with autism and their families. The acronym stands for Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children. Teachers around the world have adopted its program called “structured teaching”. A psychologist named Dr. Schopler created the program at the University of North Carolina in the mid 1960’s. The state of North Carolina began funding the program in 1972. That year the Carolina General Assembly passed legislation to make TEACCH the first state-wide service program for people with Autism and their families (The National Autistic Socieity, 2013). Research in the field of autism continues at TEACCH through the University of North Carolina. Also central to TEACH is its respect for “culture of autism.” It embraces a philosophy that people with autism have characteristics that are different, but not necessarily inferior to the rest of us (Autism Speaks, 2014).
As the prevalence of Autism continues to grow rapidly, it is proven fact that Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the United States. “On March 27, 2014, this surveillance study identified one in sixty-eight children (one in forty-two boys and one in one-hundred eighty-nine girls) as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).” (DSM-IV, 2000). Eight-hundred thousand people younger than eighteen years are on record as having Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States. Most children display abnormalities within the first year of life; although most are diagnosed with Autism between the ages of two and three. Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have Autism. However, females with the disorder are more feasible to exhibit serious mental retardation. There are “approximately seventy-five percent of children with Autism are mentally handicapped; meaning their IQ ranges from thirty-five to fifty. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV, 2000) research suggests that only a small percentage of individuals with Autistic Disorder go on as adults to live and work independently.” ( DSM-IV, 2000)
Zager, Dianne, Carol Alpern, Barbara McKeon, Susan Maxam, and Janet Mulvey. Educating College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. New York: Routledge, 2013. 21-58. Print.
...to grow and increase yearly, one can imagine the effect on society these rates already have, and can possibly have with continued growth. It will not be long before autism becomes the normal society. That is a concern will should all share as creatures of earth. All families that are faced with autism will find happiness with the life shared with an autistic individual. Sadly, these individuals face bullying, and social rejection. They deal with health care rejections, and limited services available into adulthood. A future unknown. Although these individuals are different, that doesn’t mean they are less. As humanity, we need to treat everyone as an equal part of this important reality we call existence. Autistic individuals are the quietest souls, but that may only be because we haven’t learned to pay attention. Autism speaks, so isn’t it time to listen (htt1)?
The number of children that display autistic traits keeps rising and the need for services is at an all-time high. Out of 10,000 children born, 60 to 100 children and families will be affected by autistic spectrum disorder (Gulberg, 2010). Autism is characterized by a lack of connection to other people, even parents, and an avoidance of interpersonal situations (Feldman, 2011). Children with autism also show limited, repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behavior, interest, and activities. Not one child with autism is the same as the next; each child has their own severity and indicators of autism. A child with intellectual disabilities and a gifted child can both be given the diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum, because of the wide range of severities. Many of these children will not attend special schools, but instead be included in the general education population by inclusion. Inclusion has been found to have a number of benefits for children with autism. In addition, negative perspectives have also come into play when discussing autism and inclusion. Furthermore, parents have the right to make decisions for their child on an individual basis.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
One of the most difficult things teachers will face when dealing with Autistic children is their lack of communication skills and inappropriate or nonexistent social skills. In addition to academic instruction children with Autism require instruction in communication techniques and social skills. Kamps et.al. says “A key to accommodating students with autism in public school settings is the provision of social and behavioral programming to develop meaningful participation with nondisabled persons” (p.174).
...of ABA, which has “demonstrated efficacy in…reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior” (Satcher, 1999, as cited in Brams, 2008, p. 6). Because all skill domains have the ability to be effectively addressed through the use of one multi-method ABA model, the process of confronting the many debilitating issues of ASD is simplified. There is still room for advancements within ABA and the Autism community, but the continual expansion of programs and dedication to ABA research is leading to more promises for the struggling ASD community. For the future of ASD, the hope is not only to keep individuals in their homes and out of institutions, but more importantly to provide them with the possibility of independence and the ability to thrive far beyond all of Autism’s previous restrictions (Blane, 2011, p. 6).