NEA is one of the primary national teacher's unions. On many issues the NEA takes positions that are adverse to the interests of special education students particularly regarding behavioral protections. Recently, however, the NEA has come out with guidelines and an overview for working with children with autism.[ Download NEA Autism Guidelines.pdf ] While it is by no means as authoritative as other texts, the fact that the NEA has officially endorsed these guidelines has an undeniable authority that schools would be hard pressed to dismiss.
The document from the NEA is entitled "The Puzzle of Autism". It appears to be geared in large part for the general educator, and appears to be premised on the concept that children with autism can be taught in inclusive settings. This point is not made explicitly but is implicit in the text. If only for this reason the document is worthwhile reading and as a reference at your next IEP meeting.
The chapters are broken down as follows:
- Strategies
- Communication
- Sensory Integration
- Social Skills
- Behavioral Issues
There are some truly remarkable nuggets in this guidance. It explicitly acknowledges that autism is not the product of poor parenting [a myth that dies hard], it is not a behavioral disorder, and sensory integration is a primary characteristic. Sensory integration is a topic that many schools still argue with me as if it is still an experimental concept, that is not in the mainstream of educational thinking. With this guidance that debate should be over.
I was simply delighted to see an emphasis on being proactive, use of social stories, developing strategies for transition, giving clear directions, structuring space and time in the classroom, coupling up verbal and visuals among other topics. For each of these topics the document devotes a few paragraphs; far from definitive information it marks a milestone that these concepts are part of the mainstream of sound teaching strategies. Using visuals, for instance, is not the icing on the cake for students with autism, it is the cake.
The NEA guideance does not touch on ABA, Greenspan or any other teaching method which is unfortunate. Nor does it touch on the need for making good use of assistive technology, but in a separate document it does endorse the vital need for AT in the classroom. This document should be judged positively for what it does include as opposed to what is missing. If widely disseminated this document would certainly raise the minimum standards for students with autism in both inclusive and self contained settings.
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