This project addresses Autism and the various types of therapy available to these children. Autism is an area that is studied and researched a great deal, but there is still so little that is really known about it. This disorder has a tragic history. At first, these children were thought to have childhood schizophrenia. Many were institutionalized. Then, parents were told that they were the cause of their child’s disorder. While we know today that neither of those ideas are true, there is still a wealth of information available on Autism that can be either misleading or misinterpreted. With so many new therapy and drug treatments appearing in the news, it is important for parents, therapists, and others involved with children with Autism to know what can help these special children.

I have been interested in Autism since we studied it in our class on Language Disorders. Also, I recently completed an observation at a Circle of Friends preschool. This program, which focuses on pragmatic skills, mixes children with normal developing language and children with Autism. The program is highly structured to try and encourage the children to communicate in natural situations. The children all had a great time at the preschool, but it really made me wonder whether or not their were any long term benifits from this, or any other, type of intervention approach. This is what sparked my interest.

The design of the Multi-Genre Research Project really encourages the researcher to consider the topic from several points of view. When I studied Autism, I tried to keep this in mind and find articles written by both parents of children with Autism and therapists. I also tried to considered how peers react, positively and negatively, to children with Autism. I then tried to present the information I found in natural contexts. I felt that lesson plans would be natural for a Speech-Language Pathologist to write and a newsletter would be natural for a parent. I have tried to express the voice involved while still conveying the necessary information.

Researching this topic has really meant alot to me. As a future Speech-Language Pathologist, I may one day work with children who have special needs. Like any therapist, I want to be able to provide competent therapy for my client and accurate support for their family. I hope the information I have learned while researching this project will help me in my future practice.

Proceed to Acknowledgements

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