Supporting Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Insights from Research and Practice

Post-school social inclusion 103

for people with disability as those that are valued by people without disabilities
(Wehmeyer and Schalock, 2001).
Considering the ecological nature of quality of life, strategies for improvement
should include a systems perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), by addressing issues
related to individual, organisational, and societal levels (Schalock et al., 2016).
Understanding the quality of life status of individuals with disability can guide
directions for development through person-centred planning and intervention at
the individual level. Examining quality of life outcomes for adults with ASD can
direct needed changes to policies and programs and improve the attitudes toward
Autism at the organisational and societal levels (Schalock et al., 2016). Quality of
life measures must be sensitive enough to detect changes to ensure that progressive
policy changes are not undermined by an apparent lack of progress (Brown, Hatton
and Emerson, 2013). Subjective indicators of quality of life need to include the per-
spectives of adults with ASD, as the majority of literature has only employed parent
perspectives (Muller and Cannon, 2016; Parsons, 2015).

Social inclusion

Social inclusion can be described as being nested within the broader concept of
quality of life as a desired outcome for people with ASD (Wehmeyer and Schalock,
2001). It has been defined in a variety of ways within the literature (Martin and
Cobigo, 2011). According to the Commonwealth’s Social Inclusion Board, “being
socially included means that people have the resources, opportunities and capabili-
ties they need to” learn, work, engage, and have a voice (Commonwealth Australian
Social Inclusion Board, 2012, p. 12). Simplican, Leader, Kosciulek, and Leahy (2015)
exclude resources or factors that support participation in the community from
their definition and include interpersonal relationships as essential to social inclu-
sion. This chapter will focus on a conceptualisation of social inclusion that empha-
sises outcomes related to individuals with ASD having valued social roles through
community participation and interpersonal relationships, with the understanding
that resources, such as social capital, can mutually reinforce social inclusion (see
Figure 8.1). An increase in social capital can provide additional opportunities to
participate in the community and the interpersonal relationships developed can
further enhance social capital.

Social

inclusion

Social

capital

FIGURE 8.1 The mutually reinforcing outcomes of increased social capital and
social inclusion