I. INTRODUCTION
Autism Spectrum Disorder now affects over two million people in the United States and
tens of millions of people worldwide.1 In the United States, 1 out of 54 boys, and 1 in 252 girls
are diagnosed with autism.2 This means that more and more children will now require special
education from an early age, and as discussed in court decisions such as Abbott v. Burke, it is
imperative that children are provided with quality early childhood education even if there is no
national constitutional right to education.3 Even more so, the United States Supreme Court
determined that special education students, including autistic students, have the right to “free
appropriate education,” to give them quality education provided to any other non-special
education student.4 While there are many types of education provided for students in the United
States, Reggio Emilia may be the most beneficial for students on the autism spectrum if included
with their Applied Behavior Analysis.