Exploring opportunities and challenges experienced by teachers teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a special school resource centre

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.ENGLISH SUMMARY: This thesis is about opportunities and challenges experienced by teachers teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a special school resource centre. Before inclusive education was in place, special schools were there only to accommodate learners with disabilities. As a consequence of White Paper 6 of 2001 (Department of Education, 2001) there has been a very important change in the education system and the school is now referred to as a resource centre. The motive of White Paper 6 was to give opportunities to learners who were previously disadvantaged by the education system. Its main aim is to make sure every child of school-going age is given a chance to access the education with the support needed. It is for this reason that the Department of Education (DoE) decided not to abolish special schools, but instead to strengthen them to be resource centres to offer the necessary support to their teachers and the neighbouring schools. This is a qualitative, exploratory study that attempts to gain a rich understanding of the experiences of teachers teaching children with ASD in a special school resource centre (SSRC). Inclusive education is a process where all children of school-going age, including those experiencing barriers to learning, are catered for, with the required provision of removing problems to education. ASD is regarded as one of the more complex disabilities that needs low to high support. It is a disorder that is difficult to manage and manifest itself through lack of social interaction, communication and language. The research found that, because learners with ASD experience lack of interaction, they struggle to learn (Keen, 2009). Other researchers define ASD as a complex development-related disability that affects the child from an early age. It affects the ability to talk and to relate to others, and the child shows a repetitive pattern of behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Geschwind & Levitt, 2007). The aim of this study was to give teachers teaching these children an opportunity to voice and share their experiences. This study provides a qualitative analysis. I conducted semi-structured interviews as a means to gather data. Significant findings revealed that teachers experienced more challenges than opportunities. The study is significant because it sheds light on the following challenges experienced by these teachers: managing the behaviour of children with ASD, not enough teacher training, little knowledge about ASD among the participants and other teachers, parents, the department of education and the school management team (SMT), and a lack of educational resources. Difficulty in managing the behaviour displayed by these children results in teacher frustration. This is the reason teachers emphasised the need for extensive training to deal with behavioural problems that are shown by these children. Teachers felt that it would be better if there is someone who knows more about ASD in the district office and the SMT. They strongly felt it would be an advantage if children with ASD could have their own school with appropriate facilities. Teachers mentioned positives, such as limited numbers in their classroom and having a teacher assistant in each classroom to assist one on one and helping to attend to the child’s needs.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor die geleenthede en uitdagings wat deur onderwysers ervaar word wat kinders met outisme spektrum versteuring (OSV) (autism spectrum disorder (ASD)) in ’n spesiale skool hulpbronsentrum onderrig. Voor inklusiewe onderrig in plek was, kon leerders met gestremdhede net in spesiale skole geakkommodeer word. As gevolg van Witskrif 6 van 2001 (Department of Education, 2001) het ’n baie belangrike verandering in die onderwysstelsel plaasgevind en die skool staan nou bekend as ’n hulpbronsentrum. Die doelwit van Witskrif 6 was om geleenthede te verskaf aan leerders wat voorheen deur die onderwysstelsel benadeel is. Die belangrikste doel was om seker te maak elke kind van skoolgaande ouderdom is ’n kans gegun om toegang tot onderwys te he, tesame met die nodige ondersteuning. Dit is om hierdie rede dat die Departement van Onderwys besluit het om nie spesiale skole te sluit nie, maar om hulle eerder te versterk om hulpbronsentra te word wat die nodige ondersteuning aan hulle onderwysers en nabygelee skole kan bied. Hierdie is ’n kwalitatiewe, verkennende studie wat poog om ’n ryk begrip te bekom van die ervarings van onderwysers wat kinders met OSV in ’n spesiale skool hulpbronsentrum (SSHS) onderrig. Inklusiewe onderrig is ’n proses wat voorsiening maak vir alle kinders van skoolgaande ouderdom, insluitende die wat hindernisse tot leer ervaar, met die vereiste voorsiening dat hindernisse tot onderwys verwyder word. OSV word beskou as een van die meer komplekse gestremdhede en benodig lae tot hoe ondersteuning. Dit is ’n versteuring wat moeilik is om te bestuur en manifesteer in ’n gebrek aan sosiale interaksie, kommunikasie en taal. Navorsing het gevind dat omdat leerders met OSV ’n gebrek aan interaksie ervaar, hulle sukkel om te leer (Keen, 2009). Ander navorsers definieer OSV as ’n komplekse ontwikkelingsverwante gestremdheid wat die kind reeds van ’n vroee ouderdom affekteer. Dit affekteer die vermoe om te praat en om met ander in verhouding te tree, en die kind vertoon ’n herhalende gedragspatroon (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Geschwind & Levitt, 2007). Die doel van hierdie studie was om die onderwysers wat hierdie kinders onderrig, ’n geleentheid te gee om uiting te gee aan hulle ervarings en dit te deel. Hierdie studie verskaf ’n kwalitatiewe analise. Ek het semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer om data in te samel. Onder die vernaamste bevindinge was dat die onderwysers meer uitdagings as geleenthede ervaar het. Die studie is belangrik omdat dit lig werp op die volgende uitdagings wat deur hierdie onderwysers ervaar word: beheer van die gedrag van kinders met OSV, nie genoeg onderwysopleiding nie, min kennis oor OSV onder die deelnemers en ander onderwysers, ouers, die departement van onderwys en die skoolbestuurspan (SBS) en ’n gebrek aan opvoedkundige hulpbronne. Probleme met die bestuur van die gedrag wat deur hierdie kinders vertoon word, lei tot frustrasie onder die onderwysers. Dit is hoekom die onderwysers die behoefte aan breedvoerige opleiding benadruk het om die gedragsprobleme van hierdie kinders te hanteer. Die onderwysers het gevoel dit sal beter wees as daar iemand in die distrikskantoor en die SBS is met meer kennis oor OSV. Hulle het sterk gevoel dat dit ’n voordeel sou wees indien kinders met OSV hulle eie skool met gepaste fasiliteite sou he. Die onderwysers het ook positiewe aspekte genoem, soos die beperkte getal kinders in die klaskamer en die feit dat daar in elke klaskamer ’n onderwysersassistent is om die kinders afsonderlik te help en om die kind se behoeftes aan te spreek.Master