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Abstract: The inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex issue for schools. This study investigates the impact of the inclusivity of Slovenian primary schools on the inclusion of their students with ASD. We postulated that each pedagogical dimension of inclusion (i.e., academic, social, and emotional inclusion) of students with ASD would demonstrate a positive correlation with each dimension of inclusiveness of primary schools (i.e., inclusive culture, policy, and practice). Forty regular Slovenian elementary schools participated in the research. The Perceptions of Inclusion Questionnaire was completed by 200 respondents (40 students with ASD, 40 parents, 120 teachers), and the Index for inclusion by 240 respondents (40 parents, 200 school professionals). The analysis revealed one significant correlation, a weak positive correlation between inclusive practice and academic inclusion. Multiple regression analyses also identified one conditionally substantial pair. When we excluded the inclusive culture and policy and only considered the control of demographic variables, the results showed that the increase in inclusive practices corresponds to the increase in academic inclusion. The absence of correlations between the dimensions of school inclusivity and the pedagogical dimensions of including students with ASD can be attributed to the lack of systemic solutions for accommodating a diverse student population and the failure to conduct a thorough analysis of the inclusion and implementation of whole-school approaches. However, the Slovenian adaptation of the Index for Inclusion, a promising tool, offers hope in addressing these challenges.
Keywords: social inclusion, academic inclusion, emotional inclusion, inclusive policies, inclusive cultures, inclusive practices, autism
Published in DKUM: 02.08.2024; Views: 93; Downloads: 19
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Abstract: Using storybooks as a teaching tool has proved an effective teaching and learning technique that aids in developing and enhancing vocabulary, promotes reading and comprehension skills and even fosters social skills in learners with different needs and abilities. Developing and enhancing key social skills is all the more important for learners diagnosed with autism. Autistic learners experience deficits in social interaction and communication, struggle with fear of the unknown, have constant need for sameness, and might encounter sensory hypo- and hypersensitivities. Promoting social skills has been shown to significantly alleviate social difficulties in children with autism, and one of the successful social skills teaching and intervention methods for learners diagnosed with autism is – according to Amy Bohlander et al. and other researchers in the field – storybook reading. The theoretical part of the thesis aims at presenting key features of autistic behavior correlated with the neuroimaging findings on the irregular functioning of certain parts of the autistic brain; addressing effective inclusion strategies for teaching (young) autistic learners enrolled in general education settings, and discussing the characteristics that constitute a potentially appropriate storybook for use with young autistic learners in inclusive story reading lessons. The empirical part provides a descriptive analysis of ten storybooks, which offer a step-by-step guidance on how to cope with (a) socially challenging situation(s) and were not specifically adapted for learners with autism. The results of the storybook analysis have shown that the storybooks are mainly appropriate for promoting social skills in young autistic learners, whereby the number of storybooks classified as fully appropriate equals the number of partially appropriate items. However, to ensure a quality inclusive story reading experience that allows for effective, autism-friendly social skills teaching, the teacher or story reader needs to consider meeting the adaptation requirements for each storybook, irrespective of its classification, and identify the autistic individual´s unique set of weaknesses, enhanced abilities and (anti-)social behavior patterns prior to selecting a storybook for a group story reading.
Keywords: autism, inclusive education, social skills teaching, storybooks, story reading
Published in DKUM: 16.11.2023; Views: 492; Downloads: 27
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