ABSTRACT
The path toward social inclusion for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be traced from its existence as a subset of the broader concept of inclusion generally, through the educational setting via enrolment to the educational opportunities afforded by classroom teachers. Underpinning these opportunities of social inclusion for students are the dynamic relationships between 'key players' in the students' educational environment. This chapter examines the active interactions between these key players in the educational environment within the framework of bioecological systems theory. It focuses on the bioecological framework to explore the impact of relationships both within and between key players in the school community who both influence and shape the social inclusion of a student with ASD. The chapter addresses the contributions of school administrators and of teachers in the enactment of social inclusion through a discussion of findings from a research study exploring mainstream education primary teacher attitudes toward the social inclusion of students with an ASD.
