Mainstreaming Benefits Autistic Students Summary

Cindy Long is a writer and editor for NEA Today. (Long par. 2) She discusses that enrolling autistic students in regular classes will benefit them. Teachers are given the opportunity to attend training, so that students are able to transition from special education into the real world. Also, before going into regular classes, students experience classrooms based on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), which prepare them for their regular classes. After reading “Mainstreaming Benefits Autistic Students,” I agree with Long that enrolling autistic students in regular classes benefits them because it teaches them to engage with others, demonstrates that students are capable of excelling in academics, and brings awareness of autism to the community. When students are enrolled in the Stepping Stone program they are given the opportunity to enroll in regular classes. Being around other peers, it allows them to learn valuable skills such as: engaging with others, managing their behavior,

We are able to aid these students in excelling, in all subjects, with the different techniques coming along to help them learn. Kristen, a 9-year old student with autism, has received help from a paraprofessional, Nancy Potter, since first grade. When Kristen started the Stepping Stone program her teacher, Carol Granoff, was a little worried at first. Later, she realized that Kristen was a bright student and even said, “She grasps so much. She attains 100s on the majority of her tests, and she has such a memory” (qtd. in Long par. 12). The majority of autistic students are like this, they are extremely bright, but they lack the essential social skills to succeed. For example, my cousin, who has autism, has a fascination with money. He can tell someone just about anything they would like to know about his collection; however, he lacks the social skills he needs to fully succeed in