Graduation Date
5-2013
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Education
Department or Program Chair
Elizabeth Truesdell PhD
First Reader
Madalienne F. Peters, EdD
Abstract
General education teachers currently have children in their classrooms who are on the autism spectrum. These teachers have had little to no training in either their teacher preparation nor-school based professional development programs in teaching children on the spectrum. The purpose of this paper is to explore teaching strategies that are successful for these children and can be easily implemented in the classroom. The research literature reveals little on this topic. There is information on early intervention with preschool students as well as environmental, communication, and social supports. Educators from general and special education were interviewed for their ideas and experiences in working with this population. Their information was analyzed and summarized to form a list of recommendations for classroom teachers. Results indicated that teachers are open to having students on the autism spectrum in their classroom. They appreciate formal training as part of their inservice opportunities. There are many strategies available to implement. These strategies address social, emotional and some academic supports. Teachers need to understand that with this population, their strategies may have inconsistent results, given the nature of the differences both between and among children.