ABSTRACT

This chapter talks about some of the challenges teachers face in educating children with autism. It then addresses what is currently known about what causes autism, looking briefly at some controversies surrounding prevalence and diagnosis in particular. Recognising the crucial explanatory role of cognitive-level explanations in autism, three prominent cognitive theories of autism are reviewed: theory of mind, executive dysfunction and central coherence. It examines the significant role that psychological theory and research have played in developing approaches to the education of children who have autism. Two distinct strands of influence are identified, one that draws on behavioural psychology and takes no specific account of diagnostic features of autism, and one that draws directly on cognitive theories of autism. The major international diagnostic classification systems identified the following diagnostic indicators for autism: Qualitative abnormalities in reciprocal social interaction, Qualitative abnormalities in communication, Restricted, repetitive behaviours, activities or interests.