Supporting Students with Autism in the Secondary Classroom

With the continuing increase in prevalence of children with autism spectrum
disorders (ASD), classroom teachers are being presented with new challenges. Teachers
often feel unprepared for the integration of students with autism into the general
education setting, reporting feelings of inadequacy and frustration. Teachers can reduce
frustration levels and increase their effectiveness in working with students with ASD by
taking the following steps: Developing an understanding of the characteristics of autism,
gaining an understanding of how the characteristics of autism can impact the student with
ASD in the classroom, and gaining an understanding of evidence-based strategies for
working with students with ASD. This knowledge will allow teachers to be better
prepared to provide a supportive learning environment for individuals with ASD which
will, in turn, help reduce challenging behaviors and increase student learning. This
project has been designed as a three-hour professional development opportunity for
general education teachers at the secondary level. The goal of this project is to provide
general education teachers information on the characteristics of autism, their impact on
teaching and learning, and strategies to use with students with ASD in the secondary
school setting. It includes a presentation, a resource guide, as well as a pre-test and posttest.