One in every sixty-eight children are born with autism in the United States alone. This number is a 30% increase from two years ago when it was one in every eighty-eight. As the presence of this disorder keeps growing, so should the awareness, but that is not the case. Instead, school systems are trying to integrate autistic children into mainstream classrooms with no regard of how the child will perform in this setting. They are presuming that autistic children will be put into regular classrooms and maintain the expected level of learning and development as children in normal classrooms, with no difficulty or strain. This integration has proved damaging to the child’s learning and social development through various studies and articles. There are steps that need to be taken that would increase the success of not only autistic children, but teachers and mainstream children as well. 

Every person is unique but when dealing with people with autism, they are even more so. There are five different classifications of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) but the three most common are Autistic Disorder (classic autism), Asperger’s Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The most severe being Autistic Disorder and the least being Asperger’s Syndrome. Every person with autism has similar issues on varying degrees that include problems with communication, empathy, social contact, adaptable behavior. No matter how a child or person is diagnosed, every person is unique no matter what category they’ve been placed in.

When you picture a child, you picture a kid running, playing with toys, or asking you a million questions. Children with ASD aren’t like this. They don’t get distracted easily by every little thing, instead they appear to be uninterested or oblivious to what is happening around them. They lack the creativity of normal children and crave structure in their life, more than normal people. They behave and act the best when every day is the devised the same. So, in a mainstream classroom, when there is something like a fire drill, they have a very different reaction, straying away from the norm causes them extreme distress. If put into a specialized environment, the teachers understand how to handle this behavior and ways to calm them down. They also won’t be judged for not being interested in the same things that normal kids are or not understanding how a certain toy works. 

Not every person with autism is the same, or requires the same things. Some children may be able to handle things that others can’t, so while integrating may work for a few children, you must look at the bigger picture. There are various examples of people that have had much better success in a specialized environment and that is why parents are willing to pay private school costs for the ability to put their child into these settings. As Laura McKenna states, “Kids with high-functioning autism are usually folded into local public schools, but it’s not easy for these institutions to cope with many of the unique needs” (McKenna, 2014). She then goes on to list different examples of different sensitivities that autistic children can have. So, while one student may do well in an integrated classroom, others may have a more difficult time. As a result, children with ASD can’t be grouped together as needing the same resources and attention. 

A real-life example of a child receiving large success after being put into a specialized learning environment comes from a video found on YouTube. This tells the story of Sammy Quesada. Sammy Quesada attends a private institution called Banner Academy where she discovered her passion for cooking. Before attending Banner Academy, she was a part of the public-school system, so both her and her family know what both experiences are like. She explains how her experience in a public-school classroom was so bad that she would leave class but now she enjoys learning. So, while there may be some opinions that would say integrated learning is more effective to the overall development of the child, how effective would it be if the child is miserable and is leaving the classroom? The answer to this question is that it isn’t effective at all. Sammy is able to make quality friends that don’t bully or make fun of her, while participating in programs that allow her to learn cooking with mainstream people and having no difficulties with it. Comparing her experience of being integrated vs. being segregated is like comparing night and day. This segregated environment allows her specialized learning that is much more effective and enjoyable. 

Because autistic children’s brains are different than others, they have different techniques that help improve their learning and development. One of the things that have been proven to be the most effective when communicating and teaching autistic children are visual aids. In Alyson Harris’ article, she discusses the importance of visual aids and the way they can be incorporated into learning and daily tasks. Harris states that, “visual supports, when implemented correctly, allow students with autism the freedom to engage in life, regardless of impairment. Visual supports have been successfully used to teach children with autism a variety of skills to include literacy skills, cooking, encouraging positive behavior, and providing activity schedules” (Harris, 2012). Visual aids can be very effective when used correctly in certain situations. It allows them to be more engaged in what they are doing by a more effective method of communication. In specialized environments for autistic children, visual aids are a large part of their learning, which allows for better results in their learning and better fluidity of their day. 

While effective learning is the primary focus, social development is also a major part of schooling. Many people believe that not developing proper social skills is a reason that autistic children should be put into normal classrooms, but this isn’t always the case. An experiment was preformed and written by Ariana Anderson, Jill Locke, Mark Kretzmann, Connie Kasari, and AIR-B Network. In this experiment, multiple children with ASD were placed into public school classrooms where they were observed and tested, using numerous techniques and trained professionals. The result of this experiment was that overall, throughout the school year, the children with ASD had decreasing connectivity with other classmates. They began to slowly isolate themselves more and more, causing the barrier between them and the mainstream children to grow. The ages of these children were 5-K, imagine the barrier that will be formed when they reach high school. By that age, children notice the differences between them and children with autism, and the bullying begins, crushing their sociability. So, while autistic children may be interacting with real world people, they, in reality, are just being crushed by it, allowing them to become isolated from their peers. 

The main reason that mainstream classrooms do not work for autistic children is because they weren’t designed for them. In an article written by the Autism Site, they say that, “Unless special education teachers are assigned to the classrooms where children with autism are taught, there is rarely an instructor present that is specifically trained to handle the challenges of the condition. Additionally, general education classes typically include a larger number of students” (Autism Site). With no instructor present that knows how to handle children with autism and a large classroom that doesn’t allow for the necessary attention that they need, not only does it hurt all the students (autistic or not), but the teacher as well. Having to teach children they weren’t trained to teach is overwhelming. Not only this, but when the teacher is unable to do things they wasn’t trained for, the parents will get frustrated and blame them, even though in no way is it the teachers fault. So, not only are the children not getting the best quality education they can, the teacher is also put into a very difficult situation. In a specialized environment, the teachers are trained to handle the encounters of autism and it is the job that they wanted, not one they were thrown into without a choice. Classroom size in specialized classrooms are also exceedingly smaller, giving ASD children the attention they need. 

In another experiment that was written and performed by Ariana Anderson, two groups of kindergarteners were separated and at the end of the year, their test scores were compared. One group was a combined classroom of both autistic and normal children. The other was a specialized environment of entirely autistic children. The results were that the children in the specialized environment had higher mean standard test scores in all skill areas than the children that were put into mainstream classrooms. The difference was so dramatic, that the model program did almost two times better than the comparison one (autistic children in mainstream classroom). Before the year started, there was no difference in their test scores, but that year of education made a significant difference in their level of learning. If only one year can make that much of a difference, imagine all of grade school (6 years). Denying them the potential success wouldn’t be fair or just, they deserve the chance of an education that meets their needs. Not only their learning, but if their experiences were considered, the children in a specialized environment would have probably had a better experience, with the ability to learn and fit in easier. This experiment proves that specialized environments, not only benefit their social skills, but their academics as well. 

Some families do not have the choice of a specialized environment for their child. Whether that be because they can’t afford it, their public-school system doesn’t offer it, or there isn’t a private autistic education institution located near them, they have never been given the option. However, when families do have the choice, they ultimately choose the specialized setting and are glad they did. When compared to success in normal classrooms, the success of the child is usually substantially better so it is favored. In a news article by Wendy Leonard, she talks about the presence of private schooling designed for children with autism, along with a set of interviews she conducted. In her interviews, the parents of the autistic children describe the transition, “’Seeing a child go from being completely nonverbal to speaking is life-changing…it’s huge”’ (Leonard, Hood, 2015). This mother has witnessed, first-hand, the impact a specialized environment has made on her child’s education and is astounded. You wouldn’t put a monkey in the middle of the ocean and expect it to thrive. The environment wasn’t meant for them; therefore, they don’t succeed in it. This is the comparable to putting a child with autism into mainstream classrooms. These classrooms were not built and designed for children with autism, therefore, how are they expected to succeed?

In a counter argumentative article written by Melisa Daily, she discusses that every child, autistic or not, has unique needs and one environment will never be able to fulfill all of them. She writes, “Most successful programs incorporated by school systems are guided by the same principles; all students are not alike and should be educated in the manner that is most beneficial to the individual. No one program or strategy will benefit all student, ASD or not” (Daily, 2005). It is true that all children would have greater success in a program designed specifically for their needs and not a general program, because she is right; every child is different. However, this isn’t realistic. With how common autism is, it does make sense and it is realistic to implement a specialized program for them. There is a reason why children are split up into grade levels, it is because they are all at different levels of learning and maturity. This is the same for autistic children. If autism is found in 1 in every 68 people born, that means that in a school of 1500, 22 of them, statistically, will be autistic. So, while Daily’s statement is true, it comes to the wrong conclusion. Every individual can’t have a specialized program to meet all their needs, but a large group that is impacting their own education, mainstream children’s education, and teachers, can.

These children did not choose to have ASD, but they do. As of today, there is no cure or medicine for autism so there is no option but to accept autism as it is. Instead of thinking of ways to get around ASD or doing what is easiest for the rest of the world, we need to think about it in a different way; a way that is fair. They don’t know why they’re always one step behind everyone else in the class or why their behavior is so much more sporadic. In a mainstream classroom, they are forced to sit and compare themselves every day to others, who weren’t made the same way as them. This comparison makes them seem like their less than the other kids. Being different in any adolescent environment is considered bad and as they grow older and begin to mature this difference becomes more obvious and as a result, they are isolated more and more. The solution to this problem isn’t to force them into these difficult situations where they are constantly confused, upset, and possibly bullied, while struggling to keep up with learning and social development. The solution is to put them into an accepting environment that is designed for their disability where they can socialize and learn without fear of rejection or comparison. 

Many people would say that integrating autistic children into a mainstream classroom, while it may not be enjoyable at first, is what is best for the child in the long run. They are put into a less sheltered environment that prepares them for the real world, and real jobs. While this may be true to some extent, just because they aren’t in mainstream classrooms, doesn’t mean they aren’t interacting with mainstream children. They will still be within the same building as normal children and may have interaction’s during things such as recess or lunch. This proposition/argument isn’t to separate them from society or the community of students in a school, it is to put them into a different environment for learning so that they are able to reach their academic potential. 

It is proven that putting autistic children into a specialized environment, not only benefits their learning, which is the priority, but it also benefits their social abilities and overall experience in general. Autistic children have the right to reach their potential and not be grouped in with everyone else just because it is easier or lower in cost. Implementing settings for autistic children with tools such as visual aids or trained teachers and peers that accept them creates a chance for a much greater success rate. Growing autism rates should mean growing awareness and sensitivity instead of grouping it in with the norm. Every child deserves an education free of bullying, comparison, constant inability to keep up, and peers/teachers that don’t understand their disability or how to deal with it. A specialized environment is not only needed but deserved.
