IAN Research Findings: 40% of Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder Spend Full School Day in Special Ed Class
New data from the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), a project collecting data online from families of children with autism spectrum disorders, or ASDs, all over the United States, shows that 40% of children on the autism spectrum spend their entire school day in a special education setting. Twenty percent
are fully included in a regular classroom and 40% spend at least part of their day with “typical” peers. Classroom setting varied with ASD diagnosis – 12% of children with autism are fully included, for example, compared to 45% of those with Asperger's Syndrome. However, the majority of all children with ASD spend at least part of their day in a special education setting.
Table 1. Classroom Setting: Children on the Autism Spectrum
Table 1. Classroom Setting: Children on the Autism Spectrum
In addition, the data show that more children spend more of their day in special education settings at younger ages. During the elementary grades, the proportion of the day spent in a regular education setting increased for many children. It decreased again, however, as children aged. Perhaps part of the answer is the increasing social complexity faced by older children who attend regular classes with their peers. The social nuances at play in a middle or high school setting may be more challenging for children with ASDs than those faced in elementary school. Further investigation will be needed to discover the truth of this shift back to a more restricted setting from a more inclusive one.
Table 2. Children with ASDs: Classroom Setting Over the Years
Table 2. Children with ASDs: Classroom Setting Over the Years
What is IAN?
The primary goal of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) is to accelerate the pace of autism research. Families affected by autism answer questionnaires over the internet, from the comfort of home. Researchers apply to IAN to use the resulting data, or to find participants for their local studies. The IAN Community (www.iancommunity.org ), meanwhile, provides evidence-based basic information on Autism Spectrum Disorders, articles by leading researchers in the field, and reports on IAN's latest findings.
To learn more about the IAN Project, please go to www.ianproject.org.
To join the IAN research project, please go to IANresearch.org.
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