Schools and Behavior

ASAN Southwest Ohio recently received an inquiry from a Cincinnati educator who wanted to discuss school policies regarding special needs children and behavioral issues. She wrote that she was recently assigned to work with two autistic children and that she has been doing her own research to gain a better understanding of their needs. Although she loves her job, she says, it frustrates her that the school does not seem to have an effective policy for dealing with behavioral incidents. The children she teaches have been placed in a room with five non-autistic children identified as having severe behavioral handicaps, and she feels that this placement is not helping her students. When she reports behavioral incidents, nothing is done to address the problems.

We responded by discussing the federal requirement that as to special needs children, responses to behavioral issues must be determined on an individual basis, according to each student's needs as identified in the IEP. Of course, this does not mean that teachers should deal with behavioral problems on an ad hoc basis, just making things up as they go along. Children need consistency from their teachers in addressing behavioral issues, and such consistency can be especially important for autistic children. It is therefore advisable for each special needs student to have an individual plan that identifies problematic behaviors (if any) and the appropriate responses by teachers and staff to those behaviors. When a behavioral incident is reported, the plan should be reviewed, in consultation with the parents, to determine what classroom changes and accommodations could be helpful to the child's development. Teachers who work with special needs children should receive regular continuing education to improve their understanding of behavioral differences.

We also agreed that the placement she described was not helpful for her autistic students. ASAN advocates for inclusive settings for children with developmental differences, rather than segregated placements. Inclusive education recognizes that all children have the potential to contribute to society, that their differences should be respected, and that they should receive reasonable accommodations when necessary. All children benefit from a greater understanding of the diverse ways in which humans learn and adapt to our surroundings.

ASAN Southwest Ohio welcomes inquiries from educators and others who seek to learn more about the characteristics and needs of the autistic population.