AUTISM’S INTERPLAY WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT
Julie R. Woods cer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. A
As awareness of the disorder has grown over the last thir- ty years, public policy has responded. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) now specifically includes autism as a disability entitling a student to federal protection.
For practitioners, it is important to gain an overview of autism, IDEA, and the interplay between the two issues involving key legal concepts such as protections afforded by the act to such students, mainstreaming, and policy.
Ultimately, mainstream inclusion of students with autism stands to benefit U.S. classrooms by increasing an early ap- preciation for a diversity of ideas that will arm all students to contribute to global society.
WHAT IS AUTISM? Autism is considered a spectrum disorder—Autism Spec- trum Disorder (ASD)—because diagnosis is based upon any combination of the varied symptoms within its range, or “spectrum.”
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder, meaning it is an impairment in the growth or development of the brain or central nervous system caused by unknown biological factors. Although it is a permanent condition, it is typically diagnosed during childhood because the disorder shows it- self in delayed or lacking development of communication skills, social interactions, behavior, and learning.
In 1991, Congress amended IDEA to include autism as one of the enumerated disabilities entitled to federal protection. The definition of autism in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) used by most legislatures and courts is: “a develop-
30 FALL 2011
utism is one of the most predominant dis- orders affecting children today, with the rate of diagnosis of 1 in 110 children (up from an estimated 1 in 166 just one year ago). Autism is more common than pediatric can-
mental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonver- bal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” 34 C.F.R. §§ 300.8(c)(1)(i), (iii) (2006).
The C.F.R. definition continues: “Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to envi- ronmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.”
Typical symptoms marking the disorder may include a combination of:
BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENTS • Understanding, interpreting, and predicting actions, emotions, and thoughts with customary social cues
• Engaging and interacting with others • Difficulty relating to others • Repetitive or restrictive behaviors • The need for a constant environment
COMMUNICATION IMPAIRMENTS • Delay in language development • Parroting speech (repeating what others say) • Difficulty expressing oneself verbally or with intonation
• Nonverbal communication such as odd facial expressions, movements, and gestures that don’t accurately reflect an intended message
PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS • Repetitive or restrictive behaviors and routines • Idiosyncratic physical movements • Hypersensitivity of any of the five senses to environmental factors
MENTAL IMPAIRMENTS • Depression and anxiety in response to being misunderstood
• Presence of some degree of mental retardation • Seizures or benign tumors that grow in the brain
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