Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multi-Informant Predictors of Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Attending Mainstream School

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined differential profiles of behavioural characteristics predictive of successful inclusion in mainstream education for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and comparison students. Multiple regression analyses using behavioural ratings from parents, teachers and peers found some evidence for differential profiles predicting peer acceptance and rejection. High levels of peer-rated shyness significantly predicted social rejection in comparison students only. Parent-rated prosocial behaviour also differentially predicted social acceptance; high-levels of prosocial behaviour predicted acceptance in comparison students, but low-levels were predictive for students with ASD. These findings suggest that schools may seek to augment traditional social skills programmes with awareness raising about ASD among mainstream pupils to utilise peers’ apparent willingness to discount characteristics such as ‘shyness’.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Association, A. P. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders—4th edn, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird, G., Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., Meldrum, D., et al. (2006). Prevalence of disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in south Thames–the special needs and autism project (SNAP). Lancet, 368, 210–215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, J., Prior, A., & Potter, D. (2000). Autism and inclusion: Is it working? London: National Autistic Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauminger, N. (2002). The facilitation of social-emotional understanding and social interaction in high functioning children with autism: Intervention outcomes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 283–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bauminger, N., & Kasari, C. (2000). Loneliness and friendship in high-functioning children with autism. Child Development, 71, 447–456.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, B., Kasari, C., & Rotheram-Fuller, E. (2007). Involvement or isolation? The social networks of children with autism in regular classrooms. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 230–242.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1983). Continuities and change in children’s social status: A five-year longitudinal study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 261–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department for Education and Skills (DfES). (2004). Trends in education and skills. National statistics. Overview and school inspections (OFSTED). Retrieved August 28, 2009, from www.dfes.gov.uk/trends/upload/xls/3_1t.xls.

  • DfEE. (2001). Special educational needs and disability act. London: The Stationery Office Limited, ISBN 0101378521.

  • DfES. (2001). Special educational needs code of practice. London: DfES.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfES. (2003). Every child matters. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfES. (2006). Ethnicity and education. The evidence on minority ethnic pupils aged 5–16. Nottingham: DfES Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugan, E., Kamps, D., Leonard, B., Watkins, N., Rheinberger, A., & Stackhaus, J. (1995). Effects of cooperative learning groups during social studies for students with autism and fourth grade peers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 175–188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Education, U. D. o. (2002). No child left behind. Public law: 107–110. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, I. M., Salisbury, C. L., Palombaro, M. M., Berryman, J., & Hollowood, T. M. (1992). Acceptance of elementary-aged children with severe disabilities in an inclusive school. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 17, 205–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederickson, N. L., & Furnham, A. F. (1998). Sociometric classification methods in school peer groups: A comparative investigation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 921–934.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frederickson, N. L., & Furnham, A. F. (2001). The long-term stability of sociometric status classification: A longitudinal study of included pupils who have moderate learning difficulties and their mainstream peers. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42, 581–592.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frederickson, N. L., & Furnham, A. F. (2004). Peer-assessed behavioural characteristics and sociometric rejection: Differences between pupils who have moderate learning difficulties and their mainstream peers. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 391–410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frederickson, N., & Graham, B. (1999). Social skills and emotional intelligence: Psychology in education portfolio. Windsor: NFER-Nelson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederickson, N., Simmonds, E., Evans, L., & Soulsby, C. (2007). Assessing the social and affective outcomes of inclusion British. Journal of Special Education, 34, 105–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (1997). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1337–1345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hansard. (2007). Information on free school meals for maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools for January 2007: 3 Sep 2007: Column 1716 W. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070903/text/70903w0029.htm.

  • Humphrey, N., & Lewis, S. (2008a). ‘Make me normal’: The views and experiences of pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools. Autism, 12, 23–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Humphrey, N., & Lewis, S. (2008b). What does “Inclusion” mean for pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools? Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 8, 132–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaccard, J., & Turrisi, R. (2003). Interaction effects in multiple regression (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janney, R. F., Snell, M. E., Beers, M. K., & Raynes, M. (1995). Integrating children with moderate and severe disabilities into general education classes. Exceptional Children, 61, 425–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamps, D. M., Barbetta, P. M., Leonard, B. R., & Delquadri, J. (1994). Classwide peer tutoring: An integration strategy to improve reading skills and promote peer interactions among students with autism and general education peers. Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, 27, 49–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merrell, K. M., & Gimpel, G. A. (1998). Social skills of children and adolescents: Conceptualization, assessment, and treatment. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nabuzoka, D., & Smith, P. K. (1983). Sociometric status and social behaviour of children with and without learning difficulties. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 1435–1448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newcomb, A. F., Bukowski, W. M., & Pattee, L. (1993). Children’s peer relations: A meta-analytic review of popular, rejected, neglected, controversial and average sociometric status. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 99–128.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • NIASA. (2003). National autism plan for children. London: National Autistic Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochoa, S. H., & Olivarez, A. (1995). A meta-analysis of peer rating sociometric studies of pupils with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education, 29, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OFSTED. (2004). Special educational needs and disability: Towards inclusive schools. London: OFSTED.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 921–929.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Statistics, O. o. N. (2008). Special educational needs in England. London: DfES.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tager-Flusberg, H., & Joseph, R. M. (2003). Identifying neurocognitive phenotypes in autism. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 358, 303–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special education. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verhulst, F., & Van der Ende, J. (2008). Rating scales. In M. Rutter, D. Bishop, D. Pine, S. Scott, J. Stevenson, E. Taylor, & A. Thapar (Eds.), Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry (pp. 70–86). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, J., Center, Y., & Bochner, S. (1994). A question of attitudes: Integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms? British Journal of Special Education, 21, 34–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warnock, M. (2005). Special educational needs: A new look. London: Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1999). Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

  • WHO. (1992). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioral disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, D., & Torrey, K. (2001). A comparison of two peer-referenced assessment techniques with parent and teacher ratings of social skills and problem behaviors. Behavioural Disorders, 26, 173–182.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the parents, teachers and students who took part in this study. This work was supported by Buckinghamshire County Council. AJ was also supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the ESRC (PTA-026-27-1981).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, Lewisham Way, London, SE14 6NW, UK

    Alice P. Jones

  2. Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK

    Alice P. Jones & Norah Frederickson

Authors
  1. Alice P. Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Norah Frederickson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alice P. Jones.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jones, A.P., Frederickson, N. Multi-Informant Predictors of Social Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Attending Mainstream School. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 1094–1103 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0957-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0957-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation