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You’re Going to Love this Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom By Paula Kluth, Ph.D. Reviewed by Robert Naseef, Ph.D. Brookes Publishing, 2003, 304 pages, $27.00. Looking for a good book about inclusion for children with a diagnosis within the autism spectrum? Look no further. A book dedicated to guiding the teaching of students with autism in the inclusive classroom is long overdue. You’re Going to Love this Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom is a landmark work by Paula Kluth, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Leadership at Syracuse University. She has been a special educator and inclusion facilitator and currently consults with school districts across the country. In her book, she provides ready-to-use strategies for including students with autism in both primary and secondary school classrooms. First-person accounts of students who have autism give readers insight into the experience of having autism and show educators how to adapt classrooms to support student participation in class work, school routines, social activities and more. This volume is unique in many ways in the world of teacher education. It focuses exclusively on inclusive education as both ideology and pedagogy. Communication, behavior, and learning problems are understood in context and within relationships. Useful strategies for teachers, administrators, therapists, counselors, etc. are included. In addition, the voices of students with autism spectrum disorders are featured in a sensitive and enlightening fashion. As the author notes, "…these students are often a catalyst for change and creativity. Specifically, including students with autism may help teachers think more carefully about the choices offered to students: the design of the lesson; the ways in which students can participate in teaching and learning; and the comfort, engagement, and opportunities for all." (p.31) Kluth shows educators how to adapt their classrooms to support student participation in classwork, as well as school routines and social activities. The author skillfully weaves relevant research with lessons learned from her teaching experience to give readers a comprehensive approach with specific ideas that are both pragmatic and creative for: · understanding the attitudes, values, and actions that support inclusive schooling · connecting, communicating, and collaborating effectively with families · enhancing literacy by adapting reading materials, using visuals, and tapping in to student interests · planning challenging, multidimensional lessons that encourage all students to participate and help students reach their individual goals · supporting student behavior in sensitive, positive ways · fostering friendships and social relationships between students with and without autism · adapting the physical environment for students with autism who may have heightened sensitivity to factors like temperature, sounds, and smells |
Kluth believes strongly in meeting students "where they are" at every turn. Furthermore, the language and practices of inclusive education go a long way towards responding to the diversity that exists already in every classroom. The weakness for this reader is the incomplete treatment of how to handle the nonverbal child with autism who does not have a reliable communication system and whose behaviors can be extremely challenging and even disruptive to the classroom as a whole. One gets the impression that all specialized settings and self-contained classrooms are obsolete. My own experience both as a parent and a professional leads me to the conclusion that children and families need a full range of options. We have to mix and match methods and approaches according to the needs and abilities of each individual child. Another stumbling block that needs more consideration is the resistance to accepting inclusive education in a school culture that is often competitive, individualistic, and authoritative. As we can see all too clearly in the world around us, culture changes slowly and only with respect and patience for the other’s point of view.
On the whole, Kluth’s book is a dynamic and absorbing read that gives educators a humanistic perspective on understanding students with autism — and helping them participate as fully as possible in every aspect of classroom life. The author’s aspirations encompass the whole classroom--that all learners feel safe, comfortable and capable. Towards this objective, Kluth provides astute guidance in preparing teachers and students for inclusive schooling. Learner-centered, multi-dimensional perspectives for effectively educating kids with autism, their peers and their teams come to life. Paula Kluth intelligently embraces the full spectrum of team, family, and learning perspectives.
While the primary audience for this book is classroom teachers, parents and other professionals working in partnership on a child’s team will find this volume comprehensive and extremely valuable.
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