Publication Details

The prevalence of autism has increased year over year over the past several decades. The continued increase in rates of diagnosis has prompted various changes to models of service prior to, during, and following the school-age years. At present, most behavior analytic research with autistic children has focused on intervention during the preschool age range under the broader label of Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) and less research has focused on school-based support provided throughout the school-age years. This chapter provides a review of various school-based supports for school-aged autistic children as well as provides a review of the school-based systems that applied behavior analysts often operate within. A discussion of the diagnostic label of autism is presented to highlight the differences between determining eligibility for support in clinical and educational settings. Various interventions are discussed, special education law and policies are reviewed, and suggestions for behavior analysts supporting autistic learners within school systems are provided. Suggestions for current and future behavior analysts planning to work in school systems are also presented.