No Teacher Left Behind: Educating Students with ASD and ADHD in the Inclusion Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a token economy on on-task behaviors by two seventh grade boys with varying disabilities within a public school inclusion classroom setting. At the end of the study, the participant identified with ASD increased his on-task behaviors approximately 52%. The participant identified with ADHD increased about 59% and decreased an average of 3.3 talk-outs per minute, although there were environmental limitations that impacted the design and confounded the ability to determine an educational effect. One specific limitation was the lack of support for the general education teacher to influence the learning environment to be conducive for the students who required more structure than the curriculum typically provided. It is likely that increased support from the administration to provide training and collaboration with special educators for general education teachers would have increased the on-task behavior and participation of both participants.