Experts point out that the most important thing for childrenwith autism is to ensure that they are included in the society they live in and emphasize the importance of education. According to Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp, children with autism who are together with their peers observe the people around them, model their behaviors, learn and increase their ability to adapt to the environment.

Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp, Head of Child Development Department at Üsküdar University, pointed out the importance of mainstreaming in children with autism in early childhood.
Emphasizing that although children with autism are all different from each other, they have similar distinctive characteristics, Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp listed these characteristics as follows: "Communication problems, difficulty in understanding and using language, repetitive body movements, unusual use of objects and toys."

Adaptation skills improve

Stating that what is important for children with autism is to ensure that they participate in activities with their peers in order to include them in the society they live in, Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp said, "The most effective method in this regard is education. The aim of the inclusion program applied to autistic children is to increase the autistic child's ability to generalize and adapt to the environment. When autistic children aged 3-6 years are in an appropriate educational environment with their peers with normal development before school, they make a lot of progress in social and educational aspects."

Inclusion teaches modeling

Stating that there are many benefits for autistic children to be in the same play and educational environments as their non-autistic peers, Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp said, "The child observes the people around him/her, models their behaviors and learns. In the prepared educational environments, the autistic child's existing abilities develop. The autistic child establishes social communication and develops friendship relationships. Autistic children develop positive peer attitudes as well as communication and play skills. Children with normal development also develop positive and realistic attitudes towards autistic children."

Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp stated that the most important task for families is to make an effort for their children to put into practice the skills they gained in kindergarten and gave the following advice to families:

"In less structured social environments, there should be someone who will be an older brother or sister to accompany them. These people can be young people who can volunteer or work two days a week for a certain fee, especially those who are trained in child development. The work to be done and the materials to be used should be recorded in a notebook. There should be a separate file for each type of activity. There should be two sections, one for homework assignments and one for finished work."

Home environment is the area where they feel most comfortable

Stating that it is very important for autistic people to trust and follow the daily schedule, Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp said: "The environment where the autistic child feels most comfortable is his home and the people who know him best are the individuals in his family. If the behavior of the autistic child is to be corrected, changed and improved, this work should be done in the home environment where the behavior occurs and with the support of the people who know him best. It should be organized in a way to help him progress in all areas of development."

Dependency decreases with education at home

Prof. Dr. Nilgün Sarp listed her other recommendations as follows "Language skills should be functionalized for use in social environments. Motor skills should be developed to improve his/her ability to use the environment skillfully. Cognitive skills should be aimed at improving problem solving and active learning. Activities in the home environment should be enjoyable for both the child and family members. When preparing the table, tidying up or making the bed, you should explain the work done in a way that is appropriate to your child's level and that he/she can understand. The same methods should be followed for behaviors such as hand washing, tooth brushing and eating. As the child's dependency decreases, his/her self-confidence increases and he/she begins to perceive and feel his/her environment more."

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