RESEARCH ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUPPORTING SYSTEMS FOR INCLUDING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS

Yuntong PENG

Doctoral thesis

Abstract:

Inclusive education, characterized by its emphasis on human rights and educational equity, has become a trend in many countries. Great efforts have been made to ensure the educational rights of children with special educational needs and to promote the implementation of inclusive education. Supports, which are tailored to meet the needs of every individual child, are indispensible elements in inclusive practice. A well-constructed system of supports can help students to reach their potential and to succeed in regular schools. Focused on supporting systems for preschool inclusion of children with ASD, the research is aimed at exploring the supporting systems for preschool inclusion of children with ASD in China, and therefore to contribute to the improvement of the quality of preschool inclusive education. The researcher adopted a qualitative paradigm, and collected data through interview, observation, and examination of physical items. Grounded theory approach was applied to analyze the qualitative data, and to develop theories that can further interpret the reality and offer new insights into the practice of supporting systems construction. Based on the data collected, the researcher summarized the current situation of children with ASD in regular classrooms, and outlined the structure of the current supporting systems. The socio-ecosystem of the children with ASD in the inclusive context consisted of the inclusive classroom, the kindergarten, the family, institutions, the resource center, hospitals, government and the society; persons involved in the systems provided direct or indirect supports for the children. The supports providers included preschool teachers, childcare workers, parents, peers, directors of the kindergartens, resource center teachers, other professionals, doctors and so on. The roles played by different support providers were presented. The interaction between different support providers forms a network within the support systems. The collaboration between support providers varies in term of ways of communication, frequencies of collaboration, content/ways of collaboration, and effectiveness of the collaboration. The collaboration between main support providers was further elaborated. Having illustrated the current supporting systems for including children with ASD, barriers and facilitators which were found in the current supporting systems were discussed. The barriers included: (1) loose internal structure of the supporting systems, (2) insufficient collaboration between different supports providers, (3) lack of services integrated within routines in kindergartens, (4) insufficient preparation for inclusion from the kindergartens, and the (5) lack of mechanisms to underpin the implementation of inclusion. The facilitators comprised: (1) straightforward and open attitudes during collaboration, (2) personal relationship between support providers, (3) successful experience of including children with ASD, and (4) well-organized internal structure of family systems. In the final part, recommendations have been proposed, including: (1) establishment of referral systems, (2) regularization of the functioning of resource centers, (3) pre-service and in-service teachers training, (4) intervention for parents of children with ASD, (5) further development of regulations and policies, and (6) promotion of inclusive education in the public. These strategies were aimed at optimizing the construction of supporting systems so as to improve the inclusive practice for children with ASD.

Abstract:

Inclusive education, characterized by its emphasis on human rights and educational equity, has become a trend in many countries. Great efforts have been made to ensure the educational rights of children with special educational needs and to promote the implementation of inclusive education. Supports, which are tailored to meet the needs of every individual child, are indispensible elements in inclusive practice. A well-constructed system of supports can help students to reach their potential and to succeed in regular schools. Focused on supporting systems for preschool inclusion of children with ASD, the research is aimed at exploring the supporting systems for preschool inclusion of children with ASD in China, and therefore to contribute to the improvement of the quality of preschool inclusive education. The researcher adopted a qualitative paradigm, and collected data through interview, observation, and examination of physical items. Grounded theory approach was applied to analyze the qualitative data, and to develop theories that can further interpret the reality and offer new insights into the practice of supporting systems construction. Based on the data collected, the researcher summarized the current situation of children with ASD in regular classrooms, and outlined the structure of the current supporting systems. The socio-ecosystem of the children with ASD in the inclusive context consisted of the inclusive classroom, the kindergarten, the family, institutions, the resource center, hospitals, government and the society; persons involved in the systems provided direct or indirect supports for the children. The supports providers included preschool teachers, childcare workers, parents, peers, directors of the kindergartens, resource center teachers, other professionals, doctors and so on. The roles played by different support providers were presented. The interaction between different support providers forms a network within the support systems. The collaboration between support providers varies in term of ways of communication, frequencies of collaboration, content/ways of collaboration, and effectiveness of the collaboration. The collaboration between main support providers was further elaborated. Having illustrated the current supporting systems for including children with ASD, barriers and facilitators which were found in the current supporting systems were discussed. The barriers included: (1) loose internal structure of the supporting systems, (2) insufficient collaboration between different supports providers, (3) lack of services integrated within routines in kindergartens, (4) insufficient preparation for inclusion from the kindergartens, and the (5) lack of mechanisms to underpin the implementation of inclusion. The facilitators comprised: (1) straightforward and open attitudes during collaboration, (2) personal relationship between support providers, (3) successful experience of including children with ASD, and (4) well-organized internal structure of family systems. In the final part, recommendations have been proposed, including: (1) establishment of referral systems, (2) regularization of the functioning of resource centers, (3) pre-service and in-service teachers training, (4) intervention for parents of children with ASD, (5) further development of regulations and policies, and (6) promotion of inclusive education in the public. These strategies were aimed at optimizing the construction of supporting systems so as to improve the inclusive practice for children with ASD.

Keywords

preschool inclusion, inclusive education, support, supporting system, autism spectrum disorders

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 4. 5. 2017

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 20. 6. 2017

PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC

Faculty of Education

Doctoral programme / field:
Special Education / Special Education