TY - JOUR
T1 - School participation
T2 - The shared perspectives of parents and educators of primary school students on the autism spectrum
AU - Hodges, Amy
AU - Joosten, Annette
AU - Bourke-Taylor, Helen
AU - Cordier, Reinie
PY - 2020/2/1
Y1 - 2020/2/1
N2 - Background: An international focus on the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream schools and the increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has contributed to increasing numbers of students with ASD enrolling in mainstream schools. The school participation restrictions of adolescent students with ASD is widely researched, but less is known about the challenges faced by primary school students with ASD and how early in their schooling these challenges arise. Methods: Focus groups were used to explore the perspectives of parents and educators on the school participation of primary school students with ASD. Focus group data were analysed thematically. Results: Four themes were derived from the data: (1) more than just being there; (2) meeting in the middle; (3) consistency of supports; and (4) embrace difference. Conclusions: Findings from this study highlight that students aged between 6 and 11 years experience school participation restrictions due to a range of intrinsic (e.g., sense of self and school belonging) and extrinsic factors (e.g., school culture, educator knowledge and skills). It is imperative school based interventions are developed and implemented in the early primary years, that not only target students’ skills, but the range of environmental enablers and barriers impacting student school participation.
AB - Background: An international focus on the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream schools and the increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has contributed to increasing numbers of students with ASD enrolling in mainstream schools. The school participation restrictions of adolescent students with ASD is widely researched, but less is known about the challenges faced by primary school students with ASD and how early in their schooling these challenges arise. Methods: Focus groups were used to explore the perspectives of parents and educators on the school participation of primary school students with ASD. Focus group data were analysed thematically. Results: Four themes were derived from the data: (1) more than just being there; (2) meeting in the middle; (3) consistency of supports; and (4) embrace difference. Conclusions: Findings from this study highlight that students aged between 6 and 11 years experience school participation restrictions due to a range of intrinsic (e.g., sense of self and school belonging) and extrinsic factors (e.g., school culture, educator knowledge and skills). It is imperative school based interventions are developed and implemented in the early primary years, that not only target students’ skills, but the range of environmental enablers and barriers impacting student school participation.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - Mainstream
KW - Perspectives
KW - Primary school
KW - Qualitative research
KW - School participation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076699194&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103550
DO - 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103550
M3 - Article
C2 - 31881439
AN - SCOPUS:85076699194
VL - 97
JO - Research in Developmental Disabilities
JF - Research in Developmental Disabilities
SN - 0891-4222
M1 - 103550
ER -