What level?

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What level?
By Debbie

I was a paraprofessional in an all autistic classroom for 2 years, so I feel I know the dilemma you're in when trying to figure out how to adapt your kids to the "outside world" of the general ed environment.

For the students
who will be mainstreamed, what is their functioning level? Are they high-functioning? Are they verbal? Will they be accompanied by an assistant for their voyages into the gen. ed. classroom?
It's important for the reg. ed. teachers to be knowledgeable about Autism and its behaviors. With the LRE requirements, it's amazing that so many reg. ed. teachers have had little experience

with disabled students and don't want to have them in their classrooms for even a short while. The students in the gen. ed. classrooms need to be told about your student(s). They need to know who the students are, and what behaviors to expect. Autistic behaviors can seem pretty bizarre to folks who have never seen them before!

As you know, autistic children do not adapt well to change. Easing them into the classroom setting was a great idea. If an assistant does not accompany the student, then it would be very helpful to have one of the gen. ed. students become your student's "buddy" and help with stressful times, such as transition from one area to another. If your student will have an assistant with him/her, then it will be easier to let your assistant "help" not only your student, but all of those who sit at his table, if the students are placed in a group setting in the classroom. That way your assistant will be nearby to help with your student, but also a help to the reg. ed. classroom teacher for the short time she is in the room with your student. That will also go a long way to easing any fears and/or reservations the reg. ed. teacher may have about your student being in her class.

I don't know if this has helped any, but I hope so. You'll love the autistic class. No two days are EVER the same. They're tough to work with at times, but they are wonderful, fascinating people and your days will fly by.

Best wishes,
Debbie