Teachers’ Perceptions on Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Abstract
As a result of federal legislation, today’s teachers face the challenge of educating
a diverse population of learners, which includes students with autism spectrum disorders.
Research has focused on teacher preparedness to teach children with autism in an
inclusive classroom setting as well as teacher perceptions and attitudes about educating
these children. The purpose of this research was to better understand the perceived
abilities and attitudes of teachers in southeastern Wisconsin. This study used a snowball
sampling method to survey forty teachers regarding their levels of knowledge and
confidence toward teaching students with autism spectrum disorders. The five-point
Likert survey responses were analyzed statistically through linear regression and a series
of two-sample t tests assuming equal variance. Results indicate that female teachers and
primary level teachers have the highest levels of knowledge and confidence in teaching
this unique population of students. Additionally, findings show there is no correlation
between number of years of classroom teaching and a teacher’s level of knowledge and
confidence in teaching a child with autism. This is supportive of current research, which
states that teacher-student relationships as well as a very specialized skill set are critical
for the successful education of students with autism spectrum disorders. Further research
that is more comprehensive and widely applicable should be considered.
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