The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Research Writing 115 be matched to what they are learning. Furthermore, the article says that examining technology choices is important because technology is constantly changing, and therefore, all options must be weighed. Creating ways to incorporate technology with other instruction activities is considered useful because it can be damaging to use technology as a stand-alone activity. Finally, the article suggests that handling the implementation of technology and its impact on the students is important in making sure that technology is actually being used to impact the students’ learning. (571-2) Overall, this article promotes the idea of teachers embracing current technology and using it for instructional purposes in the classroom. The article entitled “Special Education versus Inclusive Education: the Role of the TEACCH Program” discusses a study that was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the TEACCH program, which is a programdesigned to use structured interventions and environmental adaptations to teach children with autism (Panerai et al 875). The results of the study confirmed TEACCH to be an effective program, producing positive results in both natural and inclusive settings (880). “TEACCH stresses the importance of an appropriate environmental organization and the use of clear visual cues to circumvent communication difficulties” (879). In other words, the goal of TEACCH is to cater to the individual needs of autistic children, and to provide a setting that promotes ease of communication. Moreover, the program promotes the collaboration of parents and teachers. This collaboration creates shared objectives and ultimately helps the program become a natural part of the child’s life (879). Whalon and Hart, in their study on elementary inclusive settings, observe three students who receive instruction in a classroom setting in order to determine how students with ASD engage in reading instruction and respond to different teaching strategies. Overall, Whalon and Hart determine that students in the study showed strengths in decoding but struggled with reading comprehension, and they conclude that children with ASD require teaching strategies that focus mainly on text comprehension (Whalon and Hart 253). The authors also say, “Implementing strategies to enhance the reading and language development of all students, but in particular those with ASD, will require collaboration between general and special educators” (253). They suggest a reading comprehension