Eric.ed.gov – Included Students with Autism and Access to General Curriculum: What Is Being Provided?

Public education has worked to address the needs of all students with disabilities, although it has been a gradual process. The most pivotal change in public education for students with disabilities in general education classrooms dates to the implementation of the federal law, Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, which is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law itself has undergone several revisions over the years from 1975 to 2004, including but not limited to: (1) disability category changes; (2) age group modifications; (3) a name change; and (4) expansion of services. One of the most significant revisions of IDEA pertinent to autism was in 1990 when it was added as a disability category, having not been included in the law previously. While IDEA has been a driving force for change in the education of students with disabilities, another federal law, The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has also contributed to educational changes for students with disabilities. NCLB has stressed not only access to the general curriculum, but also access to all state mandated tests for students identified for special education. NCLB requires state mandated assessment in the major subjects of math, reading, writing, and science. As a result of the combined requirements of IDEA and NCLB, general education teachers are required to adapt their instructional strategies in the general education classroom to accommodate students with disabilities. Research studies that examine how general education teachers adapt their instructional strategies to accommodate students with disabilities are few; and fewer still are studies focused on general education teachers’ use of instructional strategies for students with autism. Given the scarcity of studies examining access to the general curriculum for students with autism, this literature review looks at the following: (1) a description of the landscape of curriculum modifications and instructional accommodations for students with autism; (2) a review of research conducted on the meaning and degree of access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities, since there were none specifically for students with autism; and (3) specific studies on the inclusion of students with autism.