Academic Skills

Definition

Academic skills have the same meaning within the field of autism as without; they refer to skills in subject areas that form the academic curriculum, available to all children in that country. Increasingly, children and young people within the autism spectrum are entitled to the skills, knowledge, and understanding available to others as a matter of human rights, although there may be problems in exercising these rights where there are additional inherent problems (such as language or intellectual difficulties) or behavioral difficulties. There are also common comorbid conditions that may occur with autism (such as specific learning difficulties: dyslexia, dyspraxia) that may cause particular academic difficulties. However, there are no reasons why individuals with autism should be excluded from any academic area as a result of their autism alone. There may be difficulties in accessing certain subjects because of the way they are taught or the physical or social context in...