Do children with Autism help develop better in a mainstream education or in a special education needs school?

By

Acknowledgement

I would like to sincerely thank my friends, family and colleagues for the endless understanding, guidance and patience, and most importantly, the support and friendship during my studies. The mentorship of these people has been paramount in facilitating me a well-formed experience which has always provided unswerving guide in achieving my goals. They encouraged me to go further with all my projects and helped me groom into an independent thinker and a good student.

It is due to the humble efforts of my leaders and mentors that I have inculcated in me the confidence to develop my own individuality and sufficiency which enables me to perform the tasks with independence. In the course of completing this dissertation, I am also grateful to my co-workers and friends who provided me enough knowledge and entertainment and proved to be helpful in performing the huge research work. Besides this, the consistent guidance and assistance from my colleagues also gave me distinctive opportunities to gain a wider breadth of experience and undertake an extensive research work.

Finally, and most importantly, I extend sincere thanks to my family members, who provided utmost care and all the strength and encouragement. My faith and ambition has become stronger due to the prayers of my family who tolerated my temper and complains with patience. Without this unending support and encouragement, the completion of this enormous research work would not have been possible.

Declaration

I, hereby declare that this dissertation presents my own unaided effort and contains original work. Moreover, it is no illustration or supporting of University's opinions.

Name:Date:

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Problem Statement1

Background1

Aims and Objectives7

Research Questions7

Electronic Database Searches8

Learning Process8

Theoretical Framework9

Chapter I: Introduction9

Chapter III: Methodology9

Chapter IV: Critical Analysis and Discussion10

Chapter V: Conclusion10

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW11

Autism11

Social Impairment12

Essential Components of Effective Educational Programs13

CHAPTER 3: MAINSTREAM SCHHOLING FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN16

Naturalistic Teaching Procedures18

Peer-Mediated Interventions20

CHAPTER 4: SPECIAL SCHOOLING FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN23

Incidental Teaching25

Pivotal Response Training27

Milieu Teaching29

Structured Teaching: The TEACCH Program30

CHAPTER 5: ARGUMENT32

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION37

REFERENCES42

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The current study deals with the education of children suffering from autism. It elaborates upon the fact whether they are developed better in a mainstream education or in a special education needs school. This chapter gives a description of the background, aims, objectives and chapter layout on which the entire dissertation is based.

Problem Statement

In any research study, the statement of problems pertains to the short description of the issues which require being addressed through a problem solving team and is presented for the solution of the existing problems and issues. Similarly, the current study will aim upon discussing the education of the children with autism. It will discuss upon the facts whether they can be educated better in any common school or require a special school for their educational development.

Background

Over half a century has passed since Kanner (1943) first observed young children with a behavioral syndrome he labeled “autistic disturbances of affective contact” (p. 250), characterized by delayed language development, impaired social interaction, aloofness, poor eye ...