Theses Bachelor's

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Mainstreaming Students with Autism

Hammel, Alexa

The issue of mainstreaming students with autism into general education settings has become a major source of controversy. Many educators view mainstreaming as beneficial for students with autism, as it allows them access to neurotypical peers who can serve as role models for acceptable social behavior and it teaches their neurotypical peers to be receptive to those who are different from them. In contrast, others believe that mainstreaming will cause students with autism to be socially excluded given their atypical behavior and they will lose out on the necessary individualized instruction they would receive in a special education classroom. The benefits and drawbacks to inclusion will be discussed in this paper. The paper will also address the ethical considerations regarding the role of regular education teachers in accommodating students with autism in general education settings and proposed classroom modifications. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the need for further research.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Psychology (Barnard College)
Degree
B.A., Barnard College
Published Here
January 24, 2013