Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2015, 3, 91-96 Published Online September 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/jss http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.39014 How to cite this paper: Mazzer, M. (2015) Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Italian Schools: From Theory to Practice. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 91-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.39014 Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Italian Schools: From Theory to Practice Marzia Mazzer Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy Email: marzia.mazzer@uniroma4.it Received 27 August 2015; accepted 15 September 2015; published 18 September 2015 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview about the issue of inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Italian Schools. Firstly, we will present an overall picture of the inclusion processes of students with disabilities in the Italian school system. Secondly, we will focus on teaching-learning strategies designed to meet the educational needs of students with ASD and to move towards an “inclusive classroom” in which all students, with their different abilities, are welcomed in the learning community. Finally, in order to put theory into practice, we will dis- cuss a “case study” of a 6-year-old pupil with ASD in an Italian primary school, identifying specific barriers and facilitators to accessibility and inclusion. Keywords Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inclusive School, Barriers and Facilitators, Teaching-Learning Strategies, Good Practices 1. Introduction Italy had adopted an inclusive scholastic model for more than forty years. The policy of “integration” has been implemented since the 1970s (Law n˚ 118/1971; Law n˚ 517/1977) in order to guarantee everybody’s right to attend ordinary schools and quality education. Since then, the Italian school system has undergone through sev- eral transition and changes for the purpose of providing more and more concrete answers to everyone’s educa- tional needs [1]. Since the beginning, it has been clear that the success of every integration/inclusion process was grounded in the collaboration and active cooperation of different agents: school staff (dean, teachers, assistants, classmates, school administrators, paraprofessionals, lunch and recess aides, etc.), family and socio-sanitary services. Building this network of alliances also represents the key to guarantee the necessary continuity between school and work in the perspective of the student’s “life project” [2]. A very important node of this network is represented by the figure of the specialized teacher that was first in- troduced by Law n˚ 517/1977. A specialized teacher is assigned to every classroom in which there is a student