Article: In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, enacted in 1975) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (enacted in 1990) are federal laws that require public schools to provide a free and accessible education for all individuals. The laws cover children who meet eligibility requirements in one of thirteen areas, whose disability negatively affects his or her educational performance, and who requires special educational services as a result of their disability. Autism spectrum disorder is a qualifying diagnosis. Not only must the state provide a free education for all individuals, but that education must meet their unique individual needs, which can differ from neurotypical children (that is, children who have no brain-related disabilities). Every child who qualifies for special education services must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which specifies what accommodations a student requires because of his or her diagnosis. Reasonable accommodations for a child receiving special educational services can vary widely. Some students may only need extra time to take tests or assistive technology like a laptop, while others may require a paraprofessional, small group instruction, or curriculum modification. It is a teacher's responsibility to accommodate a student's IEP without singling out the child or disclosing his or her diagnosis to the rest of the class without permission. Students with special needs often have medical diagnoses, treatment plans, and medications included in their educational records, which are all protected under their right to privacy under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This makes you legally liable if you disclose their private information without the consent of their parents. Generally, the student's right to privacy is limited by a "need to know" basis. Faculty and staff (coaches, playground monitors, cafeteria staff, etc.) might need to know about an autistic child's condition in order to understand their communication skills, limitations, special interests, outbursts, or other aspects of their disability. If you are unsure about your district's confidentiality procedures, talk with the district special education coordinator. Consider arranging a topical workshop for teachers to learn about these procedures. If you need to initiate a class- or school-wide policy to protect the interests of a child with special needs (for instance, instituting a peanut-free policy at a school where a child is allergic), notify the families of the policy and indicate that it is to protect a student with a special need. However, do not mention the affected child by name. Autistic students and their classmates all benefit if the other students understand an autistic classmate's diagnosis, but for privacy reasons the teacher cannot disclose that diagnosis to the class. Many proactive parents will take it upon themselves to discuss their child's autism with the class; plan a meeting with the parents early in the school year to let them know that your classroom doors are open to them if they want to do this. " IDEA mandates that students with disabilities are entitled to the "least restrictive environment" in education, which means their learning environment should be as similar to their non-disabled peers as possible. The least restrictive environment for a given student will vary, and is determined and written into the IEP by a team of people including the parents, medical team, and the school district's special education department. The IEP will generally be re-evaluated annually, which means the least restrictive environment for a given student may change. In many cases, this means that autistic children should be educated in regular classrooms rather than in a special education classroom. This can vary depending on the student's diagnosis and IEP, but in general, autistic students are placed in regular classrooms as much as possible. This practice is called "mainstreaming" or "inclusion". In these situations, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make accommodations in the classroom for autistic children. Many of these accommodations will be specified on the student's IEP. But educated teachers can also adapt their teaching strategies in ways that will support the learning processes unique to autism, while simultaneously respecting the learning needs of the remaining neurotypical students. In addition to a student's IEP, adaptations that are made for autistic students should be evaluated and implemented based on the individual student's needs. Get to know the student as an individual. While stereotypes are common, every autistic person is unique, and will have different needs. As a teacher, you must become aware of each student's ability in each discrete educational area by assessing their current standing. Knowing a student's current strengths and weaknesses will help you develop a plan to develop practical interventions. This is true in academic subject areas, as well as social and communication skills.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Understand that every child has the right to an education, regardless of disability status. Respect your student's privacy through confidentiality. Support a "least restrictive environment. Evaluate approaches and interventions on an individualized basis.