Autism and Inclusive Education: A Guide for Teachers, Practitioners and Parents [Hardcover]

This handbook provides educators and school practitioners with a practical resource to successfully support speaking and non-speaking autistic students in K-12 school settings.

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As a parent of two school-aged autistic children and as a researcher focusing on technologies to enable better inclusion of autistic students, I cannot overstate the importance of this book for parents, teachers, and school administrators. Autistic students find it extremely challenging to access age-appropriate education due to incorrect and outdated assumptions about their abilities. They are often judged by how they present externally (behaviours), and these snap, ableist judgements often lead to adverse outcomes such as placement in segregated classrooms and the accompanying loss of meaningful instruction, autonomy, purpose, community, and connectedness. While Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) initiatives have ramped up in large organizations such as school boards and have (rightfully) benefitted several marginalized groups, the autistic student community continues to be sidelined and left in the dark. This book presents a practical, step-by-step guide steeped in research and the lived experiences of autistic students to address this problem. ?It details concrete alternatives to current behaviourist approaches and illustrates how the voices of autistic students can be channelled to build a truly inclusive and meaningful educational environment for them. ?In summary, this book is a timely tool for anyone who is interested in systematically implementing practices that transform educational outcomes for autistic students, thereby allowing this community to flourish and thrive.

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Diwaker Krishnamurthy, PhD., Professor, Schulich School of Engineering

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This book results from a brave and relentless effort to transflãQ