TITLE:
The Inclusion of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mainstream School: Views of Special Education Teachers
AUTHORS:
Aristotelou Afroditi
KEYWORDS:
Inclusion, Autism, Special Education Teachers, Mainstream School Teachers, Integration
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.8 No.11,
November
30,
2021
ABSTRACT: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, when interacting with people in their immediate environment (such as other family members, classmates, educators, therapists), have difficulty in understanding the position of other people so that they can react appropriately. This is related to the difficulty these children face, which is recognizing and understanding the feelings of other people around them. The ever-increasing use of technology in education could be combined with the emotional development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as it offers a variety of visual stimuli, which contributes positively to the learning of these children. The aim of the present study was to collect research data on the views of Special Educators and Therapists on their observation of specific behaviors developed by students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The sample consisted of two hundred and fifty-six (256) Special Educators and Therapists, including as factors their demographic and professional characteristics. A quantitative approach and a thoroughly structured questionnaire were used as a tool for data collection to explore these views. The results of the research process demonstrate the attitude of experts towards the inclusion of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the general school, as well as argue that these children can generalize the ability to understand emotions. However, some factors, such as the lack of specialized technological equipment, the lack of training of teachers on the treatment of students with ASD, the financial data of parents who do not allow students to enroll in a special school, act as obstacles in the educational process. It is understood that education is particularly effective for the development of communication skills of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, for their socialization, for the improvement of their behavior inside and outside the classroom. On the part of educators and therapists, positive views are expressed about the effectiveness of education in the general school of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.