A survey of educators' perceptions of autism

This thesis / dissertation was completed and submitted at Nipissing University, and is made freely accessible through the University of Toronto’s TSpace repositoryEducators are feeling inadequately prepared to deal with some of the social, emotional, communication and behavioural challenges that go along with working with students who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), given their current levels of training and professional development. Recent changes in the definition of autism and the manifestations that children with autism present in the classroom have further complicated educators response to the inclusion of children with autism in classrooms, which is compounded by the creation of a single range of diagnosis based on severity and level of support required. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of understanding and perceptions that educators have about the general level of understanding of Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to determine if they believe they are prepared to work with students who have an ASD in regular classrooms. Their training, experience, level of commitment, and perceptions about the need for teacher preparedness were probed. Participants in the study clearly indicated they felt both a need and a desire to learn more and be better trained to deal with the inclusion of students with autism in their classrooms. Through collaboration, training, and reflection, educators can work together to share best practices and implement the necessary strategies that are proven to be effective in the inclusion of all students. It was acknowledged that the greatest factor in student success was teacher efficacy, which could be improved with the proper training and support needed for educators to feel confident in their abilities. Further research in the area of social constructivist theories surrounding how educators develop perceptions of ASD and how they act based on those perceptions would be greatly beneficial in understanding how to successfully include all students in every classroom.M.Ed