Including children with autism in general education classrooms. A review of effective strategies.
Old-school antecedent tweaks, self-monitoring, and peer buddies remain the cheapest, strongest levers for inclusion.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Simpson et al. (2001) read dozens of papers and wrote a story about what works.
They looked at kids with autism who sit in regular classrooms.
They asked: which ABA tricks help them stay, learn, and make friends?
What they found
The team says three tools win the day.
First, change the room before trouble starts: posted rules, clear schedules, and desks away from noisy spots.
Second, teach the child to watch and score his own behavior.
Third, pair the child with trained classmates who give prompts and praise.
How this fits with other research
Crosland et al. (2012) updated the same story and added big school-wide frames like PBIS and RTI.
The 2001 paper still holds, but now you hang those small tricks on a larger structure.
Haas et al. (2019) and Van Hanegem et al. (2014) give step-by-step peer-tutoring plans that prove the 2001 idea works in real class periods.
Knight et al. (2013) sound a warning: most computer-based lessons lack proof, so stick with the people-first tactics the 2001 review favors.
Why it matters
You can start Monday with zero cost.
Post a visual schedule, move a desk, pick two kind classmates, and hand the learner a self-check sheet.
These low-tech moves are still the backbone of modern inclusion models and now have twenty more years of classroom tests behind them.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children with autism can benefit from participation in inclusive classroom environments, and many experts assert that inclusion is a civil right and is responsible for nurturing appropriate social development. However, most children with autism require specialized supports to experience success in these educational contexts. This article provides a review of the empirical research that has addressed procedures for promoting successful inclusion of students with autism. Strategies reviewed include antecedent manipulations, delayed contingencies, self-management, peer-mediated interventions, and other approaches that have been demonstrated in the literature to be useful. The article concludes with a discussion of future research needs.
Behavior modification, 2001 · doi:10.1177/0145445501255006