Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...

<strong>Education</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Developmental</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong>, 2005, 40(1), 14–23
© <strong>Division</strong> on <strong>Developmental</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong>
Social Integration of Students with Autism
<strong>in</strong> Inclusive Sett<strong>in</strong>gs
E. Am<strong>and</strong>a Boutot
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Diane P. Bryant
University of Texas at Aust<strong>in</strong>
Abstract: Students with autism are <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly be<strong>in</strong>g placed <strong>in</strong> general education “<strong>in</strong>clusion” sett<strong>in</strong>gs for the
purpose of improved social <strong>in</strong>tegration. This article presents <strong>in</strong>formation on the social <strong>in</strong>tegration of ten students
with autism <strong>in</strong> elementary <strong>in</strong>clusive sett<strong>in</strong>gs. The purposes were to describe three social <strong>in</strong>tegration constructs
of students with autism <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>clusive classrooms, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g their acceptance (social preference), visibility (social
impact), <strong>and</strong> membership <strong>in</strong> a peer group (social network affiliation) <strong>and</strong> to identify the extent to which severity
of autism characteristics contributed to these social <strong>in</strong>tegration constructs. Results suggest students with autism
<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>clusive sett<strong>in</strong>gs are as accepted, visible, <strong>and</strong> members of peer groups, as well as both their peers without
disabilities <strong>and</strong> those with other disabilities. Post hoc observations revealed further factors that may impact these
constructs as well.
Historically, literature on social status of children
suggests that students prefer peers with
whom they have someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> common, who
are more like themselves, have good social
<strong>and</strong> communication skills, who are leaders
academically or athletically, <strong>and</strong> who do not
exhibit extreme behaviors (Adler, Kless, &
Adler, 1992). Children with low <strong>in</strong>cidence disabilities
such as autism, which by its very def<strong>in</strong>ition
<strong>in</strong>volves limited social <strong>and</strong> communication
skills as well as unusual stereotypical
behaviors, therefore, would be assumed to
have lower status <strong>and</strong> fewer friendships. Hav<strong>in</strong>g
important, reciprocal relationships with
peers is key to a child’s social, emotional, <strong>and</strong>
even cognitive development (Scheuermann &
Webber, 2002). Children with autism spectrum
disorders, by the very nature of their
disorder, often lack these basic skills (American
Psychiatric Association, 1994). Increas<strong>in</strong>gly,
parents <strong>and</strong> professionals are look<strong>in</strong>g to
<strong>in</strong>clusive sett<strong>in</strong>gs to provide social <strong>in</strong>teractions
<strong>and</strong> opportunities for children with autism
that might otherwise be lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a self-conta<strong>in</strong>ed
sett<strong>in</strong>g.
Successful social <strong>in</strong>tegration <strong>in</strong> the general
Correspondence concern<strong>in</strong>g this article should
be addressed to E. Am<strong>and</strong>a Boutot, University of
Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Special <strong>Education</strong>,
4505 Maryl<strong>and</strong> Parkway, Box 453014, Las Vegas,
NV 89154-3014.
14 / <strong>Education</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Developmental</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong>-March 2005
education classroom means be<strong>in</strong>g visible to
other students (social impact), be<strong>in</strong>g someone
with whom the other students wish to
spend time (social preference), <strong>and</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g a
member of a group of friends that spend time
together (social network affiliation). Placement
<strong>and</strong> programm<strong>in</strong>g decisions for students
with autism can be a difficult task. Often the
academic abilities of these students fall beh<strong>in</strong>d
that of their general education peers,
caus<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>clusive placements to focus more on
social <strong>in</strong>tegration benefits than on academic
ones. A student’s social <strong>in</strong>tegration abilities
are often considered significant to placement
<strong>and</strong> programm<strong>in</strong>g decisions. Compared to
typical students, students with autism often
have significant social skills deficits that may
<strong>in</strong>terfere with their acceptance by others. In
addition, students with autism vary greatly <strong>in</strong>
terms of severity of autism characteristics that
may prohibit successful social <strong>in</strong>teractions
(Mesibov & Shae, 1996). When decid<strong>in</strong>g to
place a student with autism <strong>in</strong>to <strong>in</strong>clusive classrooms
for the purpose of social <strong>in</strong>tegration,
one must consider the characteristics of the
disability as possible obstacles to success. Accord<strong>in</strong>g
to the Diagnostic <strong>and</strong> Statistical Manual
(4 th Edition) of the American Psychiatric
Association (DSM-IV; 1994), primary characteristics
of autism fall <strong>in</strong>to three categories:
communication deficits or delays, stereotypic
behaviors, <strong>and</strong> limited social relatedness. Sam-