For a long time, I was part of a theatre group for autistic people. I joined when I was 13 and I remained part of the group in some capacity or other for a total of ten years (although for the final year I was only irregularly attending meetings as a substitute instructor). I suppose it’s fairly obvious I wouldn’t have stayed for such a long period – indeed, from the beginning of my teenage years until I was finishing…
Today, I’ll be continuing my assault on the idea that everybody should be forced to attend all-inclusive mainstream schools with a sixth post on the subject. We’ve already heard how autistic students in the mainstream can be bullied and isolated. Furthermore, I’ve argued that the mainstream does little to help us learn social skills and instead probably delays social learning. We’ve also discussed how educational placement decisions are made and we’ve discussed why all of this is so critically important….
If you read this blog, you might notice that I have devoted a lot of time to the question of inclusion and specialization in the school system. Why am I so obsessed with schools and school placement? Well, I admit I hadn’t really thought about that question for the longest time – I just knew, from my own experiences and my observations of a couple of specialized schools in the community, that school placement can make a real difference in…
I’m a big believer in the idea of an autistic community. We live in a world where autistic people are isolated and marginalized. Furthermore, we live in a world where typically-developing people’s expectations and preferences regarding social interactions and customs are valued, and where autistic people’s own preferences are generally not valued. Communities of autistic adults can provide us with unconditional acceptance and the opportunity to be among others who, even if they’re not necessarily similar to us, will at…
Many autistic people suffer in mainstream schools. They can be bullied and victimized, isolated and ostracized. They can experience the distress which comes from being in an environment that is hostile to their senses. Their mental health can suffer. Some autistic people, in the schools, do not learn the subjects being taught in their curriculum, but helplessness and fear. There are at least two major responses to this problem. One group – those who could be called “full,” “universal,” or…
In previous posts, I have argued that the mainstream school can be – rather than an inclusive environment – a place where autistic children are victimized and isolated. It isn’t always, but it often is. However, we often hear the idea that autistic people should be mainstreamed because exposure to neurotypical peers can improve their social skills (e.g., Lynch & Irvine, 2009, p. 848, Roberts & Simpson, 2016, p. 1086; Sansosti & Sansosti, 2012, p. 924). In theory, because neurotypical…
[Author’s Note, June 2020: This post is now out of date. It was written before the emergence of crucial new empirical evidence from Jaswal et al. that changed the RPM debate. I also feel that there are sections of this post that are not sufficiently nuanced given the complexity of this issue and importance of the right to communication. The post thus does not reflect my current perspective, which can be seen here: http://www.autisticscholar.com/rpm-and-fc/.] In recent years, a large segment…
I have already posted about what is perhaps the most obvious disadvantage of the mainstream school – bullying. But there is another problem which is at least as important, and probably much more so. It is more subtle and insidious, but certainly no less damaging. It is the problem of social isolation. There is ample research to demonstrate that autistic people in the mainstream are isolated. Autistic children often lack friendships and may find themselves reduced to the peripheries of…
Isn’t inclusion a wonderful idea? Imagine – a group of students, together in a local community school. Each student is different from the others, but all are equal. Each student has their own interests and passions, but all are meaningfully included as full participants in their school community. Each student has their own abilities and needs, but all students are having their needs met. That image is inclusion. Seems very close to perfection, doesn’t it? Inclusion is a beautiful idea. …