Teachers give autism education manual high marks

By Staff Writer

A manual that is designed for special education teachers has received mostly positive reviews.

The 181-page guide called Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools, which was written by the National Austim Center, is in circulation in all 50 states and dozens of countries. It was crafted specifically to help educators who work directly with children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In a national survey to gauge the impact of the manual, 89 percent of respondents said that their knowledge about effective treatments for students with ASD has improved. The guide covers a variety of topics, such as early intervention treatment choices and collaboration techniques with parents.

About 96 percent of respondents said that they would recommend the manual to another educator, while 100 percent reported that the guide was easy to understand. An educator in the Midwest who used the manual said that materials serve as outstanding resources for parents and teachers, and the content should form the foundation for constructive dialogues about treatment strategies that should be implemented for individual children.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that an average of one in 110 children in the U.S. have an ASD.