Comparison of Supported and Unsupported Environments for Students with Level One Autism

Abstract

The research ahead explores the differences in two types of classroom environments. The first type of environment to be discussed is an inclusive classroom supported environment. Inclusion is a classroom with both special education and regular education students. Inclusive classrooms that are supported have two teachers in them; one is a regular education teacher while the other is a special education teacher. An unsupported classroom has only the regular education teacher with a mixture of regular and special education students. The purpose questioned whether students could be more successful in either of these environments. The mixed methods research showed average successes of students with autism and teachers experiences in working with Autism Spectrum Disorder in their classroom. Conclusions showed no remarkable difference between the two types of classroom environments. This paper identifies student success in inclusive classrooms based on a supported or unsupported environment.