Professional Development Needs for General Education Teachers to Educate Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify areas in which educational leadership could aid in preparing general education teachers to educate children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A needs assessment was conducted through a case study in a rural Missouri school district to identify the level of efficacy noted by teachers of various experience levels. Pre-service preparation and provided professional development were examined to identify ways in which educational leaders could further the knowledge base and effectiveness of general education teachers to teach students with ASD.

Obstacles to Success of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in General Education Settings

“…The results of this study could be utilized when designing a holistic plan to better prepare teachers to help students transition into general education (Precise, Finch, & Macgregor, 2018). For example, if disorganization and written language concerns are a major obstacle in high school, educators and service providers at the elementary and middle school levels might engage in professional development to learn to help students with executive functioning skills in order to prepare students for this challenge by integrating these skills into their instructional routine (Walker et al, 2017).…”

“…Students with ASD may have difficulty building on others' ideas and expressing their own thoughts clearly. All core content areas requiring learners with ASD to read, write, listen, respond to, analyze, and interact with others and/or materials have the potential to be challenging for learners on the spectrum (Precise, Finch, & Macgregor, 2018;Riccomini, Morano, & Hughes, 2017).…”

“…Knowing what general education teachers believe are potential obstacles to student success would help focus professional development and training for teachers which could maximize opportunities for successful inclusion of students with ASD. The research purpose is to help educators and others involved in service delivery make better-informed decisions about instruction, behavior management, and other forms of support needed to help teachers maximize the potential for success of students with ASD in less restrictive settings (Precise, Finch, & Macgregor, 2018;Stokes et al, 2017). Results could be used to make decisions about teacher training which can help educators and service providers to identify and utilize evidence based practices (EBPs) designed to assist learners with ASD (McIntyre et al, 2017).…”