Supporting Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Drawing together contributions from experts at the forefront of research in the field, Supporting Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders demonstrates that social inclusion is a defining feature of successful education of students with a spectrum disorder. Divided into three parts, this book begins by proposing a contemporary and operational definition of social inclusion that will help facilitate active engagement by all stakeholders involved in supporting social inclusion within educational settings. The relationship between well-developed social skills and positive social outcomes is also explored, and subsequent chapters explicate and contextualize social inclusion across a range of educational settings. The final chapters present case studies and viewpoints from stakeholders central to the successful social inclusion of students with the disorder. Through discussion of its findings, this book provides the reader with a deep understanding of social inclusion and confirms its importance in facilitating positive educational outcomes for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A unique contribution to the field, this book will be of key interest to postgraduates, researchers and academics in the area of inclusive education and Autism Spectrum Disorder. It will also appeal to those who research, study and work in the areas of special and inclusive education, and developmental psychology.

Cathy Little is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Australia.

Introduction Cathy Little Part 1. An introduction to Social Inclusion for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders 1. Social Inclusion and Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder? Cathy Little 2. Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Sunny Kim, Brittany Koegel, and Lynn Koegel 3. Bullying and Social Vulnerability of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Sarah Feuerbacher, Travis Moore, and Hannah Robinson 4. Identity Formation in Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome Caitlin van der Walt Part 2. Social Inclusion across the Educational Environment 5. Social Inclusion in the Early Years Janice K. Lee, Jaclyn Joseph, Phillip Strain, Glen Dunlap 6. Social Inclusion in the Primary School Years Alice Jones Bartoli 7. The Transition from Primary to Secondary School for Students with Autism Spectrum Conditions Judith Hebron 8. Post School Social Inclusion for Adults with Autism in Australia Michelle Bonati Part 3. Key stakeholders in the support of Social Inclusion 9. The Role of School Communities in Facilitating Social Inclusion Cathy Little 10. Using Typically Developing Peers as Support for Social Inclusion of Children and Adolescents with Autism in School Settings Jill Locke and Colleen Harker 11. The Role of Families in Supporting Social Inclusion Iva Strnadová 12. The Influence of Culture on Social Inclusion of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Kanokporn Vibulpatanavong 13. Social inclusion: A Personal Reflection Stephen Shore