Introduction 3(2014) confirmed that children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder were
experiencing increased rates of bullying relative to the general population and
higher rates of victimisation than peers with other forms of disability. Discussion
of the impacts of poor and/or negative socially inclusive opportunities within the
educational environment can be found in Chapter 3 where Sarah Feuerbacher,
Travis Moore and Hannah Gill investigate the broad spread, often long-term,
impacts of bullying and the social vulnerability of students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder.
Despite the nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder as a social disorder, limited
attention has been given to the importance of social identity in individuals with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. In Chapter 4 Caitlin van der Walt describes how
identity is a complex and ongoing process that provides an insight into a person,
determining how others view them and how they come to understand and view
themselves. This notion of identity emphasises the complexity of the ongoing social
processes involved in the formation of identities, as they are continually constructed,
challenged, adjusted and changed through the process of social inclusion.
Socialisation is a skill that is as important as communicating, reading and writ-
ing and needs to be included in students’ learning programs. But how socialisation
is taught varies significantly given the age and educational setting of the child or
student. Part 2 presents a series of chapters that investigate the social inclusion
construct across different educational timeframes, with each chapter highlighting
the challenges to social inclusion that children and students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder face as a result of their social communication and behavioural difficulties.
In Chapter 5, Janice Lee, Phil Strain, Jaclyn Joseph and Glen Dunlap discuss social
inclusion for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder across the preschool
years. From issues surrounding diagnosis and family-centred planning to choice
regarding preschool education, the chapter discusses the benefits of early inter-
vention for long-term success in developing children’s critical social behaviours.
Because children with Autism generally do not initiate interactions, social skills
training, including how to respond in social situations, should begin as early as
possible and continue throughout the child’s education. It is in these early years
that the foundations of these essential social behaviours begin to develop through
explicit and directed instruction.
For some children it may not be until they enter formal schooling that their
Autism features become clearly seen. When viewed alongside their peers, differ-
ences in communication, socialisation and behaviour can often become more
noticeable in a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In Chapter 6, Alice Jones
Bartoli examines social inclusion for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
across the primary school years, where educators expect school age children to talk
and play with others, not to be alone on the playground or have problems fitting in
with the expectations of the teachers and students. Jones details how individualised
planning and evidence-based strategies are used to address the unique social needs
of primary school–aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.