Inclusive Literacy Access for Students with Autism
1 Stockton University
2 Plymouth State University
Note: It is important to note that the authors have purposefully used person-first language (e.g., student with autism, individual with autism) throughout this manuscript. While there is a lot of debate about person-first language and identity-first language (e.g., autistic student), this article models person-first language for educators as a way to remind them that the disability is one part of who the student is and that students are more than the disability label that they are often reduced to in schools that unknowingly marginalize and discriminate based on such labels. With this stated, the authors always encourage educators to respect all language preferences shared by students and/or their families.
Abstract
Designing effective literacy interventions is a primary topic of importance in educational law, research, and practice (IDEA, 2004; International Dyslexia Association, 2020). The purpose of this article is to examine inclusive approaches to literacy instruction and reading comprehension for students with autism that in turn supports instructional access within inclusive general education classrooms. This conceptual framework for this article is teaching for a) inclusive mindset and pedagogy, rooted in social justice and with a presumption of competence for all learners and b) disability studies in education to welcome innate student variation and understand the structural elements that lead to marginalization in schooling. As applied to this article, these conceptual frameworks help in understanding how space can be made to widen the literacy instructional access for students with autism within inclusive general education. The connection between inclusive strategies and examples of practice connected to Universal Design for Learning principles are explored and connects these with effective and evidence-based practices for students with autism in the research. Expanding access to literacy experiences for students with autism ensures this research to practice praxis in inclusive general education classrooms.
Keywords
- literacy instructional access
- autism
- inclusive education
- disability studies in education
- Universal Design for Learning
- presume competence
Cite
Share
Top
