The purpose of this paper is to summarize a research article examining the social integration of autistic students in inclusive elementary school classes. The article is: Boutot, E. A. & Bryant, D. P. (2005). Social integration of students with autism in inclusive settings. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 401(1), 14-23.
This article by Boutot and Bryant (2005) begins with a relatively comprehensive review of the pertinent literature that is used to establish that there are reasons to believe that the social integration of autistic students in elementary schools may be problematic and difficult to attain. The literature indicates that autistic students may, in fact, have difficulties gaining social status and establishing friends.
This section of the article also conceptually defines autism, delineates the various deficits common to elementary students who are autistic, and discusses the components that comprise the concept of "social integration." The discussion of social integration as a concept is extensive. Each component is separately discussed in terms of what the literature typically shows as to how autistic children function relative to the component, especially when they are in inclusive settings. The components include measures of social status and establishing friendship. Specifically, they are: social preference, social impact, and social network affiliations.
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