Ethical Concerns when teaching children with ASD

1. Ethical Concerns
By: Mia Poindexter

2. Code of Ethics
 Special education professionals:
1. Are committed to developing the highest educational and
quality of life potential of individuals with disabilities
2. Promote and maintain a high level of competence and integrity
in practicing their profession
3. Engage in professional activities which benefit individuals with
disabilities, their families, other co workers and students
4. Work within the standards and policies of their profession
5. Exercise objective professional judgment in the practice of
their profession
6. Seek to uphold and improve where necessary the laws,
regulations, and policies governing the delivery of special
education services
7. Do not condone or participate in unethical or illegal acts, or
violate professional standards adopted by the Delegate
Assembly of CEC (The Council for Exceptional Children,
1993.)
(Hall, 2009)

3. Confidentiality
 Educators are instructed by law to protect the
identity and protect information regarding any
student
-ALL information about a student should only be
disclosed to teacher’s and administrators or any
one who is working with the student or family
-Information about a student may not be shared
with another student
-discussions about students should only take place
in restricted areas
-Sub teachers/Sub Para's should be informed about
confidentiality guideline by administrators

4. Inclusion Ethical Concerns
 Main issues concerning inclusion is whether or
not disables students deserve equal access to
education and not be segregated in detrimental
ways. In 1975, the education for all handicapped
children act was passed, stating all children
should receive the least restrictive environment to
receive their education

5. Inclusion Ethical Concerns
 Inclusion must be made functional
 Educators must balance time spent between their
general education and special education peers
 Educators need to find ways to include peer
support groups to increase the child’s sense of
inclusion and allow then to develop relationships
with other students

6. Behaviors and Punishments
 When working with ASD children, a teacher’s goal
is to decrease negative behaviors. In order to do
that we have to show them that certain actions
are not okay. This is where a teacher designs a
system for punishment whether it is a behavior
chart or timeout. Teacher’s should know that
when punishing a student with autism you cannot
keep them in timeout for hours and for reasons
other than their undesirable behavior. Some
teacher’s may punish a student because the child
may be getting on their nerves. This is not
beneficial to the child, so punishment must be
used in an effective way. Teacher’s should try
least intrusive ways of punishment before
administering timeout.

7. Paraprofessionals
 As we all know paraprofessionals are usually
assigned to a child who exerts troubles behavior.
Para’s are with these children all day long and
eventually in most cases form bond’s with their
assigned child. Children with autism are usually very
unattached so when they form a bond with a Para
they can get extremely attached. In result the child will
only work for the Para and not for the teacher or
anyone else. This is actually a bad thing because our
goal as teacher’s is to make sure transition success is
implemented. Keeping a child with a Para who they
are attached is a detriment to their progress because
if they will not work for anyone else, no one else will
be able to teach them. This is definitely an ethical
concern and the teacher should seek for assistance
from an administrator about switching Para's.