Curriculum innovation to educate students with autism in general education

It is imperative to understand the salient characteristics of autism before selecting and embarking on curricular experiences. One cannot engage in any innovative programming for students he/she does not understand. The American Psychiatric Association (2000) indicates that children with autism exhibit three, namely, (a) impairment in reciprocal skill interaction, (b) impairment in verbal and communication, and (c) restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. These characteristics have direct impact on curriculum innovation and instructional strategies for teachers, parents, and community (see Brock, Nishida, Chiong, Grimm, & Rimm-Kaufman, 2008; Crooke, Hendrix, & Rachman, 2008; Palmer, Didden, & Arts, 2008). The three characteristics should be viewed as a framework that educators and families might employ when communicating about services and planning curricular experiences (Park, 1996). Because on the impact these characteristics have on learning, they are highlighted in the following subsections.