Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T15:24:15.990Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Collaborative Teams: Teachers, Parents, and Allied Health Professionals Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mainstream Australian Schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2020

Samantha Vlcek Open the ORCID record for Samantha Vlcek [Opens in a new window] ,
Michelle Somerton Open the ORCID record for Michelle Somerton [Opens in a new window]  and
Christopher Rayner
Samantha Vlcek*
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Michelle Somerton
Affiliation:
Nazarbayev University, Republic of Kazakhstan
Christopher Rayner
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: samantha.vlcek@utas.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The unique traits and behaviours of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present a range of barriers to their educational experiences and development. The present study investigated collaborative partnerships between 3 stakeholders that often support students with ASD: teachers, parents, and allied health professionals (AHPs). With current literature on collaboration between teachers, parents, and AHPs involved in the education of students with ASD predominantly relating to specific skill or knowledge acquisition, there was an insufficient understanding of ‘collaborative processes’ and the factors that benefit or limit effective practice. In the present study, the researchers explored the experiences, processes, and opinions of parents, teachers, and AHPs supporting students with ASD in mainstream Australian primary schools. A total of 129 responses were recorded (41 teachers, 44 parents, and 44 AHPs) through an online survey, and thematic data analysis was used to qualitatively interpret the open-ended questions. The findings highlight the current opportunities and challenges faced by key stakeholders in this important process.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorderinclusive educationcollaborationparentsallied health professionalsschool
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , December 2020 , pp. 102 - 115
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Umesh Sharma.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 Google Scholar
Anglim, J., Prendeville, P., & Kinsella, W. (2018). The self-efficacy of primary teachers in supporting the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder. Educational Psychology in Practice, 34, 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2017.1391750 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asher, A., & Nichols, J. D. (2016). Collaboration around facilitating emergent literacy: Role of occupational therapy. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 9, 51–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2016.1156415 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2012). 4428.0 - Autism in Australia, 2012: Autism and education. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4428.0MainFeatures52012?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4428.0&issue=2012&num=&view= Google Scholar
Australian Government. (2019). What is the NCCD? Retrieved from https://www.nccd.edu.au/wider-support-materials/what-nccd Google Scholar
Australian Government Department of Social Services. (2016). Helping Children With Autism (HCWA) and Better Start for Children With Disability (Better Start). Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/program-services/for-people-with-disability/early-intervention-services-for-children-with-disability Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2016). Disability support services: Services provided under the National Disability Agreement 2014–15. Bulletin 134. Cat. no. AUS 200. Canberra, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Barbaro, J., & Dissanayake, C. (2013). Early markers of autism spectrum disorders in infants and toddlers prospectively identified in the Social Attention and Communication Study. Autism, 17, 64–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361312442597 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baxendale, J., Lockton, E., Adams, C., & Gaile, J. (2013). Parent and teacher perceptions of participation and outcomes in an intensive communication intervention for children with pragmatic language impairment. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48, 41–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00202.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blacklock, K., Perry, A., & Geier, J. D. (2014). Examining the effectiveness of intensive behavioural intervention in children with autism aged 6 and older. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 20(1), 37–49.Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34, 844–850. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.844 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bull, A., Brooking, K., & Campbell, R. (2008). Successful home-school partnerships: Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Burgess, A. F., & Gutstein, S. E. (2007). Quality of life for people with autism: Raising the standard for evaluating successful outcomes. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 12, 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2006.00432.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Busby, R., Ingram, R., Bowron, R., Oliver, J., & Lyons, B. (2012). Teaching elementary children with autism: Addressing teacher challenges and preparation needs. The Rural Educator, 33(2), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v33i2.416 Google Scholar
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2017). Thematic analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 297–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cleaves, P. (2015). Collaboration: How do we actually develop this essential 21st century skill in students? Australian Educational Leader, 37(3), 79–82.Google Scholar
Cloninger, C. J. (2017). Designing collaborative educational services. In Orelove, F. P., Sobsey, D., & Gilles, D. L. (Eds.), Educating students with severe and multiple disabilities: A collaborative approach (5th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.Google Scholar
Colbert, A., Yee, N., & George, G. (2016). The digital workforce and the workplace of the future. Academy of Management Journal, 59, 731–739. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.4003 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00763 Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2006). Disability standards for education 2005: Plus guidance notes. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005 Google Scholar
Conderman, G., & Johnston-Rodriguez, S. (2009). Beginning teachers’ views of their collaborative roles. Preventing School Failure, 53, 235–244. https://doi.org/10.3200/PSFL.53.4.235-244 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.Google Scholar
Department of Education and Training Queensland. (2017). Fostering the development of transdisciplinary practice. Retrieved from https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/earlyYears/Documents/info-sheet-13-fostering-development-transdisciplinary-practice.pdf Google Scholar
Dykstra Steinbrenner, J. R., & Watson, L. R. (2015). Student engagement in the classroom: The impact of classroom, teacher, and student factors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 2392–2410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2406-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, B., & Marks, G. (2009). Autism research: A call for collaboration. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 6, 129–135.Google Scholar
Egger, J., Lehmann, J., & Straumann, M. (2015). “Collaboration with parents isn’t a burden. It’s just a natural part of my work.”: Parental involvement in Switzerland – An analysis of attitudes and practices of Swiss primary school teachers. International Journal About Parents in Education, 9, 119–130.Google Scholar
Ellis, C. R., Lutz, R. E., Schaefer, B. G., & Woods, K. E. (2007). Physician collaboration involving students with autism spectrum disorders. Psychology in the Schools, 44, 737–747. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20262 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emerson, L., Fear, J., Fox, S., & Sanders, E. (2012). Parental engagement in learning and schooling: Lessons from research. A report by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) for the Family-School and Community Partnerships Bureau. Canberra, Australia: Family-School and Community Partnerships Bureau.Google Scholar
Epstein, J. L. (1987). Toward a theory of family-school-connections: Teacher practices and parent involvement. In Hurrelmann, K., Kaufmann, F.-X., & Lösel, F. (Eds.), Social intervention: Potential and constraints. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Epstein, J. L., & Salinas, K. C. (2004). Partnering with families and communities. Educational Leadership, 61(8), 12–18.Google Scholar
Falkmer, M., Anderson, K., Joosten, A., & Falkmer, T. (2015). Parents’ perspectives on inclusive schools for children with autism spectrum conditions. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 62, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2014.984589 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrington, C. A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T. S., Johnson, D. W., & Beechum, N. O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become learners: The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.Google Scholar
Fettig, A., & Ostrosky, M. M. (2011). Collaborating with parents in reducing children’s challenging behaviors: Linking functional assessment to intervention. Child Development Research, 2011, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/835941 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finch, K., Watson, R., MacGregor, C., & Precise, N. (2013). Teacher needs for educating children with autism spectrum disorders in the general education classroom. The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 2(2), 1–26.Google Scholar
Gillis, J. M., & Beights, R. (2012). New and familiar roles for clinical psychologists in the effective treatment for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19, 392–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.02.007 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with parents: Strategies for teachers. School Community Journal, 15(1), 117–129.Google Scholar
Hedeen, T., Moses, P., & Peter, M. (2011). Encouraging meaningful parent/educator collaboration: A review of recent literature. Eugene, OR: Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education.Google Scholar
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V, & Sandler, H. M. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67, 3–42. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543067001003 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hornby, G., & Blackwell, I. (2018). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An update. Educational Review, 70(1), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2018.1388612 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koenig, K. P., Bleiweiss, J., Brennan, S., Cohen, S., & Siegel, D. E. (2009). The ASD Nest Program: A model for inclusive public education for students with autism spectrum disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990904200101 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, S., Proulx, M., Thomson, N., & Scott, H. (2013). Educators’ challenges of including children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream classrooms. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 60, 347–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2013.846470 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31, 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849209543534 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, H. (2016). Relying on high-stakes standardized tests to evaluate schools and teachers: A bad idea. The Clearing House, 89, 67–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2016.1156628 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otero, G. (2016). Connecting school, family, and community: The power of positive relationships. East Melbourne, Australia: Centre for Strategic Education.Google Scholar
Peranich, L., Reynolds, K. B., O’Brien, S., Bosch, J., & Cranfill, T. (2010). The roles of occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech/language pathology in primary care. Retrieved from http://encompass.eku.edu/ot_fsresearch/1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, K. (2010). Connecting parents and schools: Examining perceptions and building bridges to a more unified education community (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Prior, M., Roberts, J. M. A., Rodger, S., Williams, K., & Sutherland, R. (2011). A review of the research to identify the most effective models of practice in early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raftery, J. N., Grolnick, W. S., & Flamm, E. S. (2012). Families as facilitators of student engagement: Toward a home-school partnership model. In Christenson, S. L., Reschly, A. L., & Wylie, C. (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 343–364). New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_16 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reupert, A., Deppeler, J. M., & Sharma, U. (2015). Enablers for inclusion: The perspectives of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 39, 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1017/jse.2014.17 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Pianta, R. C. (2000). An ecological perspective on the transition to kindergarten: A theoretical framework to guide empirical research. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21, 491–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(00)00051-4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, J., & Simpson, K. (2016). A review of research into stakeholder perspectives on inclusion of students with autism in mainstream schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20, 1084–1096. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2016.1145267 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaaf, R. C., Benevides, T., Mailloux, Z., Faller, P., Hunt, J., van Hooydonk, E., … Kelly, D. (2014). An intervention for sensory difficulties in children with autism: A randomized trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 1493–1506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1983-8 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schultz, T. R., Sreckovic, M. A., Able, H., & White, T. (2016). Parent-teacher collaboration: Teacher perceptions of what is needed to support students with ASD in the inclusive classroom. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51, 344–354.Google Scholar
Sobsey, D. (2017). Partnering with parents and families. In Orelove, F. P., Sobsey, D., & Gilles, D. L. (Eds.), Educating students with severe and multiple disabilities: A collaborative approach (5th ed., pp. 27–60). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Soto-Chodiman, R., Pooley, J. A., Cohen, L., & Taylor, M. F. (2012). Students with ASD in mainstream primary education settings: Teachers’ experiences in Western Australian classrooms. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 36, 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1017/jse.2012.10 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoner, J. B., & Angell, M. E. (2014). Trust and communication: Perspectives of mothers of children with disabilities on the role and importance of communication in trusting relationships with teachers. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 2014(1), 141–162.Google Scholar
Tanner, K., Hand, B. N., O’Toole, G., & Lane, A. E. (2015). Effectiveness of interventions to improve social participation, play, leisure, and restricted and repetitive behaviors in people with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(5), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2015.017806 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, G. (2013). NAPLAN, MySchool and accountability: Teacher perceptions of the effects of testing. The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, 12(2), 62–84.Google Scholar