Inclusion In Education

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) involve an unconventional way of “experiencing the social world and an unusual pattern of development” (Wing, 2007, p.23). It is evident that there are many varying views on where children with ASDs should be educated. This debate links to the notion of inclusion being controversial, as it is difficult to decipher whether children with ASDs are truly included in mainstream schools, and whether them attending special schools is exclusive practice. There are many aspects to consider when exploring where children with ASDs should be educated. Some examples of these are government policies, parental experiences and the perspectives of teachers.

Inclusion is a challenging term to define, particularly in terms
Autism is a developmental disorder, which is “diagnosed on the basis of early-emerging social and communication impairments, and rigid and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests.” The extent that these are displayed vary with age and ability, therefore an autistic spectrum was introduced to “recognise this diversity” (Frith et al., 2005, p.786). Some examples of the difficulties children with ASDs face are apparent aloofness, poor grasp of abstract concepts and feelings, as well as the difficulty to deviate from one way of doing things (Bowen et al., 2006, p.9). These examples alone exhibit why there is controversy regarding whether children with ASDs should be educated in mainstream or special schools.

In 2001 the Department for Education released a document stating that parents of children with special educational needs should be supported whether they choose to send their child to a mainstream, or a special school (p.6). In addition to this their document titled Special Educational Needs: Code of Practice, “enhances the rights of children with special educational needs to be included within mainstream schooling” (2001). Collectively, these points imply the government is trying to support parents and children with special educational needs with school
conducted an investigation into parents of children with ASDs perceptions, and satisfaction, with the education their children were receiving. Participants were 144 parents of children who had a diagnosis of an ASD, and were currently enrolled in a mainstream school. Mothers, as opposed to fathers or both parents, completed 89.9% of the surveys. It was fount that 15.4% of children had been suspended, and all parents believed the reasoning behind it was the school staff’s inability to deal with the child’s behaviour. Furthermore, aggression committed by the child was a common reasoning for suspension. However, parents generally felt that the suspension occurred unnecessarily as the child’s behaviour was not dealt with adequately (p.210). This could suggest that children with ASDs should be educated in special schools, as the staff may be more understanding and better prepared for helping the child with any aggressive outbursts they may have. Moreover, it could be argued that special schools are more appropriate for children with ASDs as they will be with staff, and in an environment, that is better suited to their overall needs. Consequently, this could decrease the amount of exclusions, which will benefit the child, as they are detrimental to their education. However, this means that parents may feel forced to send their child to a special school, even if they don’t want to, due to the fear of their child not being fully supported in a mainstream