Impact of the Inclusion of Students With Autism on the Academic Achievement of General Education Students

The impact of inclusion on general education students has barely been mentioned in the professional literature. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine impact of inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the academic achievement of the general education students in inclusive classes using an independent measures pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on the research and theories in the areas of effective inclusion for students with ASD. The study included elementary school students in a school that has a large population of students with ASD in self-contained as well as general education classes. The hypothesis for the study was that the inclusion of students with ASD would have no impact on the academic achievement of the general education students. Data analysis involved using independent measures t tests to compare academic achievement (measured using a district administered standardized test) of the comparison and treatment groups. The two groups compared were comprised of general education students assigned to classes that were either inclusive or non-inclusive of students with ASD. Results indicated no patterns of significant differences between the 2 groups. Implications for social change include the improvement of the quality of life for students with ASD through the development and implementation of successful inclusion programs that will carry over the lessons of tolerance, communication, and socialization into the daily lives of both students with ASD and their general education peers. These lessons may then carry over into the adult lives of all students and enable students with ASD to remain active and socially connected within their communities as adults.