Educational approaches in autism : What we know about what to do

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713417121 Copyright Informa / Taylor and Francis Group. DOI: 10.1080/02667360500512452 [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]There has been little attempt to relate well-known educational approaches in autism to increased psychological understanding about the condition. This paper addresses that gap. Four discrete educational approaches to autism (Higashi, Lovaas, Option, TEACCH), and two 'eclectic' approaches (SPELL, one LEA specific), are explored within the context of four psychological interpretations of autism. Our purpose is to better understand how the different educational approaches in autism align with, or diverge from, the core purposes of teachers, namely to develop independence and critical thought to the optimum level possible for individual pupils, irrespective of their underlying condition.Peer reviewe