Analysis of Spanish Parents’ Knowledge about ASD and Their Attitudes towards Inclusive Education

Abstract

To make possible the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream settings, parental knowledge and attitudes towards the disorder play a key role between the home and the school setting. However, prior literature has not carried out an in-depth analysis of parents’ knowledge about ASD and their attitudes toward the inclusion of children with this diagnosis. This study examined the parental attitudes towards inclusion and knowledge about ASD. Participants were parents of children with ASD (n = 75), parents of children without ASD whose children had prior or current contact with peers with ASD (n = 44), and parents of children with no previous interactions with a peer with ASD (n = 51). The Attitudes of Regular Educators Towards Inclusion for Students with Autism Survey and the Autism Knowledge Questionnaire were filled out. Nonparametric statistical tests were used. Results showed that parents of children with ASD have better knowledge about this disorder and hold more favorable attitudes towards the inclusion of children with ASD than the other parents. These findings suggest that the benefits of inclusive schooling are limited to the school setting and do not appear to affect families of children without ASD.

A Research on the Current Status of Inclusive Education for Children With Autism in Beijing: Perspectives From Parents of Children With Autism

“…There also existed an equity gap in the provision of inclusive education support between urban and rural areas (Alduais & Deng, 2022). Concurrently, parents of children with autism aspired for inclusive attitudes from both typical children and their parents, and they hoped that typical children can play a positive role in integrating autistic children into school life (Gómez-Marí et al, 2022). They harbored concerns about their children being ostracized or suspended from school due to behavioral issues (Starr & Foy, 2012), as well as the potential decline in acceptance as children undergo physical and psychological transformations during adolescence (Able et al, 2015).…”

Relationship Between Parenting Educational Styles and Well-Being in Families with Autistic Children. A Systematic Review

“…The unique demands of autism require parents to reorganize their parenting responsibilities and roles (Hock et al, 2012) [9], which can affect family life (Gau et al, 2012) [10]. Families are a key factor in inclusive education because their children can play an important role in the inclusion of other children with ASD (Gómez-Marí et al, 2022) [11]. Likewise, the sense of parental competence in these cases is related to their expectations and family support needs (Arellano et al, 2019) [12].…”

Relationship between Parenting Educational Styles and Well-Being in Families with Autistic Children: A Systematic Review

“…The unique demands of autism require parents to reorganize their parenting responsibilities and roles [ 11 ], which can affect family life [ 12 ]. Families are a key factor in inclusive education because their children can play an important role in the inclusion of other children with ASD [ 13 ]. Likewise, the sense of parental competence in these cases is related to their expectations and family support needs [ 14 ].…”