The Pros and Cons of Autistic Support - A Parent's Perspective

A while ago, I had written an article about the benefits of autistic support. My son has been in an autistic support classroom for the last four years, and during that time, I felt like it was the best choice. It is only now that I am contemplating other choices. There truly are benefits to autistic support, but there also are some negatives. Here, I will include the positives, and the negatives, in order to offer a more balanced look at autistic support.

The Positives 

1.) The teacher- Autistic support teachers are specially trained to teach children with autism. Autistic support teachers help to create and follow goals for each child. They try to develop teachings based on how the individual child learns best. They are also better trained to understand and deal with challenging behaviors.

2.) The support staff- In autistic support classes, there are much smaller teacher to student ratios. In my son's class, there is one teacher, two Para educators, and eight or nine students. This structure allows a lot of very small group learning, and more one on one interactions.

3.) In class therapies- In autistic support classrooms, there is often speech and occupational therapy provided in the classroom. In my son's class, the students receive these services as a group, and individually according to their needs. 

4.) Autism friendly environment and class structure- This is important, In autism classrooms, the physical environment is adjusted to be more sensitive to the senses. The structure of classroom activities are also more accommodating to autism. For example; The lessons are usually kept short and focused, and there is a lot of positive reinforcement. 

The Negatives

1.) More distractions- Having a classroom of children all with special needs in my opinion probably creates more distractions. From behavioral distractions, to sensitivities to different learning styles and abilities, all of these things can cause frequent distractions.

2.) Can be a coddling environment- I have to question whether my child would learn more in a different setting. I believe that autistic support can be coddling to some extent, despite the best intentions. 

3.) Socially Limiting- My child is Included with his "typical" peers for morning meeting, and some non core classes. Despite this fact, I still think autistic support can be socially limiting. He is still with a handful of other children with autism 90% of the day and has been for the past few years. 

4.) Not reflective of real world experiences- Transitioning to a typical classroom, and later getting a job will probably be harder if children are used to everything being accommodated to their own special needs.

Please note that these are my opinions based on having a son in autistic support. I realize that every child's situation is different, and there is no right answer. I am just trying to offer a balanced opinion on the subject.