Engagement of children with autism in learning

Abstract

Early engagement with the world around us provides opportunities for learning and practising new skills and acquiring knowledge critical to cognitive and social development. Children with autism typically display low levels of engagement, particularly in their social world, which limits the opportunities for learning that occur for their typically developing peers. An investigation of the literature on engagement suggests a lack of consensus about definition and measurement that may undermine the usefulness of this construct to educators. This article argues that the engagement construct can assist educators in the development and implementation of effective teaching interventions for children with autism.