Autism Spectrum Disorders range from mild to severe and are marked by impairments in social interactions, communication, and restricted interests and/or activities (DSM IV, 1994). Because autism is a spectrum disorder, it encompasses a wide continuum of behavior and symptoms range from mild to severe. Asberger’s syndrome is a mild form of autism. Impairments in social interactions and communication can include inability to sustain conversations, difficulty making friends in age ap -propriate peers, lack of empathy, reduced eye contact, and language that
develops slowly or not at all (Dunlap & Bunton-Pierce, 1999). As a result of deficits in communication and language development, students with autism may rely predominantly on visual input as a way to acquire new
knowledge. This is contrary to typical modes of instruction in regular education classrooms that utilize lectures and class discussions as the primary mode of instruction (Scott, Clark, & Brady, 2000).