This special topic report shows that although autism is prevalent across genders, income levels, and racial/ethnic and age groups, students with autism who receive special education services are predominantly white and male and live in two-parent households with incomes greater than $50,000.
SEELS findings accentuate the importance of communication skills for this population. Students with autism with high communication skills are more likely to participate in general education and whole-class instruction, to perform well academically, and to have higher functional cognitive skills ratings. Many are not only expected to graduate from high school, but also to graduate from a postsecondary institution and to live independently. However, like other students with autism, students with high communication skills also experience difficulty in developing social skills and in taking standardized assessments. This report highlights the characteristics, academic profiles, performance and progress, and social adjustment of students with autism during their transition from elementary and middle to middle and high school. The analysis indicates a population performing less well than other students with disabilities as a whole on several measures—a finding that is especially prevalent among students with autism with low communication skills.
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last update: 7/10
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