Impact of UK Educational Policies on Autistic Children's Learning

This report provides an overview of UK educational policies concerning autistic pupils, examining the historical perspective of autism and the evolution of educational approaches. It highlights the importance of educational policies in creating inclusive learning environments, particularly for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The report discusses the development of policies, their effectiveness, and the challenges faced in mainstream schools. It also covers the significance of teacher training, school practices, and the use of technology to meet the specific needs of autistic learners. The report analyzes the current assessment environment, referencing research and reports to illustrate positive changes and improvements in the educational experiences of autistic children, emphasizing the need for a supportive and comfortable atmosphere within educational institutions.

Issues, Development
and Policies

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Historical perspective of Autism............................................................................................1
Educational policy for development of educational environment for autistic pupils.............2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Education plays an essential role in a person’s life, that helps in mental growth and develops
political ideology. Educated person not only lives a successful but also support others in
improvement of their vulnerable conditions (Reynolds & et. al. 2019). In this regard, to ensure
that proper learning environment is created for a student to grab essential skills and knowledge, it
is adhered for institutions to implement educational policies and procedures. It aligns
development of physical and mental growth of a child by providing proper learning environment
(Sherfinski, 2018). The present assignment is going to reveal the importance of educational
policies of UK, in changing learning environment, especially for children suffering from autism.
For this purpose, how educational policies establish rules and regulation to ensure that proper
learning environment is provided to all students, especially mentally disabled children, issues
and effectiveness of policies are highlighted. This report discusses the current assessment with
related education policy of UK in context with inclusion of learners on the autistic spectrum
within mainstream schools. For this assistance, research and reports of various practice are also
examined in light of positive changing assessment environment.
Historical perspective of Autism
There is a tremendous progress which has made in field of autism that is over last six
decades (Contreras and Hippenmeyer, 2018). While once this disease has been considered as a
syndrome that was very rarely discussed within a public, certain information and data has been
collected regarding the ASD which is autism spectrum disorder from all of the methods such as
one radio and television, internet searches, online websites, the announcements in public service
and there are also some celebrities who has shared their views and stories upon this disease
(Historical Perspective, 2019). Moreover, the political leaders have also discussed about the
significant of this autism diagnosis and its cure as well as causes which helped in earmarking the
federal dollars for treatment and research initiatives which will be instrumental to further in
upcoming years.
Before the discussion regarding the current autism stage, its history should be reviewed in
brief regarding this disorder which has been collected over the years. In the year 1943, there was
a doctor named Leo Kanner has been began to observe that a group of children who previously
thought that they have some mental retardation (Mulder and et. al. 2019). He after researching
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upon this, came to know that these children are having a developed speech and they were not
able to interact socially with their peers. It is also noticed that they were engaged in repetitive
behaviours towards exclusion of different activities. It is seen that they were having difficulty
regarding transitions and they do not like any kind of changes in schedules (Penner and et. al,
2018). Some of them has even experienced regression which means that they were losing their
skills over time which were previously possessed by them.
At the time, the treatment of such disease was limited and its treatment is not easily
available as people took time in understanding this disease. Most of the children who were
suffering from this disease were placed in certain institutions which was far from the eye of
public for the purpose of living out their lives (Copenhaver and Tewksbury, 2019). Professionals
held view which determines that the refrigerator mothers can be held responsible for such
symptoms which were observed in these children. There was a deficit in the functioning of these
children which has been assumed to linked it towards poor attachment and absentee its parenting.
As the parents were blamed often for the disorders of their children, many of them had
experienced a great shame for having a child that has ASD. In these last six decades, there are a
lot of things which has been changed (Warner, Parr and Cusack, 2019). Now, people are aware
of the causes of this disease that is caused by environmental and genetic combination factors.
Although, the parents are no longer blamed and its treatment is also available now which has
resolved certain misunderstanding that was there about this disorder.
During the same Dr. Kannar was finding out indication of syndrome, paediatrician Hans
Asperger was examining another team of children. These children were also having some issues
in interpersonal interactions with their peers (Okuno and Uehara, 2018). Such as their similitude,
they exposed behavioural issues normally seen in girls and boys with autism. Moreover, this
bunch of girls and boys did not have shortage in speaking and communication expression. In
addition to it, these children rarely spoke advance and frequently. They also did not
demonstration inadequacy in reconciling utility (Barton and et. al, 2018). Apart from it, these
girls and boys could nutrient and dress themselves, take part in their personalized care and
running severally in the society. Kanner ascertained that most of the children did not have raised
psychological feature and cognition. They were rarely lambent and had particular domain of
curiosity in which they could accumulate wide range of data and info. It is unfortunate that the
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research has not been discovered yet and even three decades later (Parsons, 2018). Asperger has
made a lot of difference in this manner in which this disorder has been understood.
Educational policy for development of educational environment for autistic pupils
For developing equal learning environment for normal children and those having autism
issue, a number of policies have been established. As it is difficult for autistic learners to learn a
thing through normal teaching methods (Hafid and Touhamiahami, 2018). Therefore, Autism
and educational assessment as an educational policy and practice has been established in UK,
with aim to maintain an individualised and effective education plan for each child with ASD.
This policy focus on providing training to school staff for development of their skills to
understand behaviour and needs of pupils having different learning requirement. Along with this,
adjustment in school practices to embedded autism in the teaching style and education system, so
that requirements of pupils with learning disability can be met (Burke and et. al, 2019) .
It has been analysed that teachers plays an important role to make children learn various
aspects of education. It is necessary for every school in country and carry out more effective ass
well as efficient training sessions to make then capable for providing education to kids with
autistic. However, it is observed that normal teaching tools and methods are not much sufficient
to teach autistic students because they face difficulty to understand the various concepts. In
addition to this, it has been evaluated that children with autism already face son many problems
in their daily life then it is very important to help them regarding their learning. Moreover,
government can take actions towards schools and other education institutions to apply effective
use of methods including technology which increase effectiveness of teaching towards them
(Miniscalco and et. al, 2018). Besides of training, it is significant of every teacher to become
friendly and make them comfortable to learn at school premises. It is very important to maintain
healthy and comfortable atmosphere in education institutions for kids with autism where any
kind of negative gossips or taunting should be absent completely.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barton, K. S. & et. al. (2018). Pathways from autism spectrum disorder diagnosis to genetic
testing. Genetics in Medicine, 20(7), 737-744.
Burke, M. M., & et. al. (2019). Pulling back the curtain: Issues in conducting an intervention
study with transition-aged youth with autism spectrum disorder and their
families. Autism, 23(2), 514-523.
Christian, S. M. (2018). Autism in International Relations: A critical assessment of International
Relations’ autism metaphors. European Journal of International Relations, 24(2), 464-
488.
Contreras, X., & Hippenmeyer, S. (2018). Incorrect trafficking route leads to
autism. Brain, 141(9), 2542-2544.
Copenhaver, A., & Tewksbury, R. (2019). Interactions Between Autistic Individuals and Law
Enforcement: a Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study. American Journal of Criminal
Justice, 44(2), 309-333.
Hafid, A., & Touhamiahami, A. O. (2018). Autistic Children Food Habits and the Risk of
Running Malnutrition in Morocco. Asian Journal of Epidemiology, 11(1), 8-13.
Mazzone, L., Postorino, V., Siracusano, M., Riccioni, A., & Curatolo, P. (2018). The
relationship between sleep problems, neurobiological alterations, core symptoms of
autism spectrum disorder, and psychiatric comorbidities. Journal of clinical
medicine, 7(5), 102.
Miniscalco, C., & et. al. (2018). Development problems were common five years after positive
screening for language disorders and, or, autism at 2.5 years of age. Acta
Paediatrica, 107(10), 1739-1749.
Sherfinski, M. (2018). Challenges to goals of “Recovery”: A narrative analysis of
neoliberal/ableist policy effects on two mothers of young children with autism. Journal
of Early Childhood Research, 16(3), 276-290.
Warner, G., Parr, J. R., & Cusack, J. (2019). Workshop report: Establishing priority research
areas to improve the physical health and well-being of autistic adults and older
people. Autism in Adulthood, 1(1), 20-26.
Online
Historical Perspective. 2019. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.nationalautismcenter.org/autism/historical-perspective/>.
Autism and educational assessment. UK Policy and Procedures. 2017. [Online]. Available
Through:<>.
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