Perceptions of typically developing children in India about their siblings with disabilities

ABSTRACT

In India, people with disabilities often struggle to access various opportunities and resources. As a result of perceptions within the Indian culture around disabilities, families may face social, financial, and emotional difficulties. Within the family, a child with a disability may lead to strained relationships, particularly with siblings. Often siblings have little knowledge about disabilities and may feel ostracised. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of 12 Indian children regarding their siblings with disabilities, including their perceptions about disabilities against the backdrop of societal attitudes. Participants were interviewed to understand their knowledge of their siblings’ disabilities, to examine their sibling relationships, and to assess how school and society influenced their perceptions about disabilities. Results from this study can help family members understand how disability shapes relationships between children. The findings also provide key stakeholders with information that might help them better support families.     

Living with children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder: parental and professional views

The number of children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising and is now thought to be as high as 1:100. While the debate about best treatment continues, the effects of having a child diagnosed with ASD on family life remain relatively unexplored. This article, by Karola Dillenburger of Queens University Belfast, Mickey Keenan of the University of Ulster, Alvin Doherty from the Health Service Executive Western Region, Tony Byrne of Parents' Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) and Stephen Gallagher of the University of Ulster, sets out to adjust that balance. Drawing upon data from a comprehensive study of parental needs, these authors argue that parental and professional views do not always concur; that families make extraordinary sacrifices; that siblings are affected; and that parents are under tremendous stress. Parents argue that educational and social service supports are not efficient and that they are forced to rely largely on support from within the family or from friends. In particular, some important differences between parental and professional perceptions became apparent in relation to interventions based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). The authors of this article propose that these differences need to be taken seriously by teachers and other professionals as well as by policy-makers.     

Investigating the efficacy of concept mapping with pupils with autistic spectrum disorder

Pupils with autism often present significant challenges to teachers. They seem to have real strengths in visual processing but a cognitive style that encourages them to focus on detail rather than the overarching connections between concepts. Veronica Roberts, currently undertaking doctoral training at the Institute of Education, University of London, in order to become an educational psychologist, and Richard Joiner, senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, set out to explore these issues. In this article, they report the outcomes of a naturalistic experiment in which they investigated the utility of concept mapping as an educational strategy with pupils diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Theoretical arguments supporting the use of concept mapping with an autistic population are outlined in the paper. A tutor group of ten pupils with ASD, aged between 11 and 14 years, took part in the study. Concept mapping tasks were integrated within National Curriculum science lessons in collaboration with the school's science teacher. The study found that the increase in pupil performance in subject-specific questionnaires was nearly four times greater in the concept mapping condition than after a more conventional teaching intervention. Veronica Roberts and Richard Joiner tentatively draw out the implications of their work for staff who work with pupils with ASD and make recommendations for further research into the use of these learning strategies.     

A cross‐national review of evidence‐based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders in the United Kingdom,Ireland, and United States

The most thoroughly researched topic in relation to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) is the evaluation of interventions. Educational psychology in the United Kingdom and Ireland is the most closely allied profession to school psychology in the United States. In considering what is published by and for the profession, it is important to include all of those journals that are directly relevant to the profession including educational psychology journals. This review reports on the type, focus, and quality of school‐based ASD intervention research reported in school and educational psychology journals between 2005 and 2015. Twelve evaluation studies are reported, which evaluated 10 discrete interventions and two commercial packages. These interventions targeted academic, social, communication, and behavioral outcomes. Implications for the practice of school psychologists are discussed including the application of research to the idiographic nature of the work of school psychologists.     

Living with autistic spectrum disorder: parental experiences of raising a child with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)

The focus of the study was to explore parental experiences of raising a child with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A mixed‐method approach consisting of questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews was used in order to elicit parental perspectives of raising a child with ASD. Two semi‐structured interviews were conducted with parents of children with ASD. Questionnaires were sent to parents of children with ASD in two special schools. The findings indicate that although each of the parents had a child with ASD, their experiences were all different. Many interesting accounts were documented and a wealth of information regarding the characteristic traits that children with ASD portray was recorded. The findings suggested that the majority of the parents experienced a low level of support from agencies and professionals. The general verdict was that of poor communication and a lack of understanding of parents' needs following formal diagnosis. Finally, a series of coping strategies were discovered ranging from family support to paid help.     

A qualitative comparison of perceived stress and coping in adolescents with and without autistic spectrum disorders as they approach leaving school

During the research reported in this article, differences in perceived stress and coping between adolescents with and without autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) were examined by a series of interviews. Emphasis was placed on examining the issue with regard to the prospective transition at the point of leaving secondary education. Ten pupils with autism and seven without any identified disorder were interviewed. The participants with ASD indicated worry about specific objects and social relations; demonstrated a lack of external expression of their stress; and indicated a reliance on self, rather than others, for help. Those with ASD also indicated more concerns regarding items not affecting their education and were self-admittedly poor at dealing with both current and future stress. Participants without a disorder were far more concerned with their education and outlined different methods of stress management. James Browning, an Educational Psychologist in training, Dr Lisa A. Osborne, a Research Fellow in the Learning and Adaptive Behaviour Group, in the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, and Professor Phil Reed, the Director of the Learning and Adaptive Behaviour Group, in the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, suggest that these differences should be addressed and argue that the further incorporation of techniques to improve coping with stress may ease the transition from school for students with ASD.     

Including pupils with autistic spectrum disorders in the classroom: the role of teaching assistants

The aims of the current study were (i) to explore the extent to which pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) were effectively included in lessons, compared with pupils with dyslexia (DYS) or no Special Educational Needs (CON) and (ii) to understand how the presence of a teaching assistant (TA) influences the inclusion/exclusion process. One hundred and twenty pupils (40 each in the ASD, DYS and CON groups) drawn from 12 mainstream secondary schools in the north-west of England were observed in a variety of lessons using structured observation schedules. Additionally, the classroom inclusion of 21 pupils with ASD was examined through qualitative observations. The analysis indicated that pupils with ASD were less effectively included in lessons than pupils in the other two groups. Specifically, they were less likely to work independently and be socially included, particularly when a TA was present. The findings are discussed in relation to the growing literature on inclusive education for pupils with ASD.     

Using aromatherapy massage to increase shared attention behaviours in children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties

Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) characteristically display a lack of shared attention behaviours and the lack of these behaviours impacts on their ability to develop social interactions and relationships with others. Steve Solomons, assistant headteacher at Rectory Paddock School and Research Unit in the London Borough of Bromley, set out to explore these issues as an aspect of practice when he was working at St. Ann's School in the London Borough of Merton. He carried out this research as part of his MEd in special education at the University of Birmingham, for which he received the prestigious Annie Deakins prize in 2003. The aim of his study was to investigate whether aromatherapy massage could increase shared attention behaviours in a sample of four children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties (SLD). Aromatherapy massage was introduced into the daily timetable and children's responses were observed. The results indicate that children's shared attention behaviours increased during aromatherapy massage and that other aspects of their behaviour also changed over the course of the research. Family involvement in the study enabled these changes to be transferred from school to home. In this article, Steve Solomons explores the implications of his research for new teaching and learning opportunities for children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe learning difficulties.     

Parents' experiences of applied behaviour analysis (ABA)‐based interventions for children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)‐based programmes are endorsed as the gold standard for treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in most of North America. This is not the case in most of Europe, where instead a non‐specified ‘eclectic’ approach is adopted. We explored the social validity of ABA‐based interventions with 15 European families who had experience with home‐based, mainly self‐managed, ABA‐based programmes for their own child/ren with ASD. The results of the study highlighted the overwhelmingly positive impact that ABA‐based interventions had on their children in areas such as social skills, challenging behaviour, communication, gross and fine motor skills, concentration, interaction, independence, overall quality of life and, most importantly, a feeling of hope for the future. Implications for European policy on ASD are discussed.     

Social Involvement: Deconstructing practices relating to the formation of students who work with autistic children in a university service-learning course

Participation in service-learning courses has always been considered a part of the informal education in tertiary education worldwide. Originating from the assumption that service-learning courses increase students’ civic engagement and bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, service-learning courses have gradually acquired the status of compulsory courses at universities. This being as it may be, it would seem that the nature of such courses would benefit from further analysis and discussion regarding their function in knowledge reproduction, and their role in teaching and education. The aim of this article is to examine and analyze a university service-learning course—the National Taiwan University (NTU) Star-Rain course with a commitment to serving children with autism—from a Foucaultian perspective, and reflect on how the process of putting knowledge during a service-learning course into practice comes to constitute the subjectivity of students who work with children who are autistic. We argue that the course under investigation has, in effect, become wholly entangled in the medical system’s treatment of autism in Taiwan. The service-learning process involves knowledge acquisition as well as long-term, detailed, concrete hands-on experience, and shapes, in a very complete way, students’ construction of their subject knowledge of autism.     

The social and emotional functioning of students with an autistic spectrum disorder during the transition between primary and secondary schools

The transition from the primary to the secondary phase in education can be a pivotal moment for many students, but for students who have autism, their difficulties with socialisation and emotional regulation can make this time period especially challenging. This article explores the experiences of key stakeholders regarding the issue of students with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning from primary to secondary school. Five students with an ASD who were about to transfer to mainstream secondary schools, their parents and members of their primary and secondary school staff were invited to participate in the study. Using mixed methods of data collection, a complex picture of student experiences was discovered. The article highlights the need for further research in the field of school transitions for the student with ASD.     

The computer in the classroom: a medium for enhancing social interaction with young people with autistic spectrum disorders?

Angela Jacklin is a senior lecturer in education and director of student support at the University of Sussex. William Farr is a teacher at a primary school in Sussex, and a former MA student at Sussex University. In the project reported in this article, they worked together to consider how valuable the computer may be as a medium to enhance social interaction with pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. The research took place in a special school for pupils with severe learning difficulties in the South East of England and involved 12 children from the school's unit for pupils with autism. From this initial group, three pupils were selected for more focused study. Using a mix of qualitative data gathering and analysis stragegies, the research highlighted the importance of social interaction a round the computer and indicated that the computer could be a useful tool for enhancing social interaction. This was found to relate in part to the adult's ability to follow the child's lead, as well as the complex intermingling of events known as 'tricky mixes'. Where this happened, use of the computer appeared to result in more sustained and more positive interactions for young people with autistic spectrum disorders.     

Comparison between mothers and fathers in coping with autistic children: a multivariate model

The main purpose of this research is to compare the differences between how mothers and fathers cope with autistic children based on a multivariate model that describes the relationships between parental psychological resources, parental stress appraisal and parental adjustment. 176 parents who lived in Israel (88 mothers and 88 fathers) of children aged between 6 to 16 most of them (81%) were diagnosed as suffering from PDD and the rest (19%) as suffering from PDDNOS. The parents answered several questionnaires measuring parental psychological resources (social support, sense of coherence, locus of control), parental appraisal of stress (challenge vs. threat), and parental adjustment (mental health and marriage quality). The results show that all the variables entered the path analysis model with the same pattern. However, some links between the variables are quite similar for mothers and fathers while others are different. The results lead to several interesting suggestions for future research using dynamic systems framework and process-oriented methodological approaches.     

Educators' perspectives on working with a humanoid robot in a French preschool class for autistic children

Humanoid robots have shown to provide interesting perspectives for autistic children. Yet, few studies have looked at educators' point of view on the use of such robots in educational settings. This paper presents a case study of the use of a humanoid robot, NAO, in a French preschool class dedicated to autistic children. Our work focuses on the perspectives of the adults working with these children. We interviewed the professional staff about changes in their teaching due to the presence of the robot, about the effects on the pupils' behaviour, and about the collaboration between the special needs teacher, the special needs support worker and the operational specialist from the digital education department of the district academic head office. Four themes were identified: joint reflection and collaboration when working with NAO, working with NAO, impact of NAO on pupils, impact of NAO on adults. The professionals underscored the necessity of adopting certain attitudes, in particular, the most neutral facial expression possible, so as not to disturb the children's learning process. They were under the impression that the robot had a beneficial effect on the pupils in terms of learning and social skills, and that it facilitated collaboration among them.     

Children with autism and picture books: extending the reading experiences of autistic learners of primary age

Autistic learners master visual and spatial abilities; they use visual language to organise, understand and give meaning to the world. Although they might struggle with verbal skills, they have an associative way of thinking. Taking into consideration the characteristics of seven autistic pupils, the aim of this paper was to identify the potential of picture books in relation to autistic readers in order to explain why picture books can be supportive tools for improving verbal and social communication skills. The findings, based on a qualitative case study and a reader response framework, show that picture books help children with autism develop social and communication skills as well as foster imagination. Their written outcomes clearly showed children's need to tell stories.     

Parent–teacher problem solving about concerns in children with autism spectrum disorder: The role of income and race

Problem solving between parents and teachers is critical to maximizing student outcomes. The current study examined the associations among the different components of problem solving, as well as the relationship between various characteristics and problem solving in parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with ASD. Parents and teachers completed a demographic survey, phone interview, and dyad observation. Results indicated that parent and teacher problem solving strategies were correlated with each other. Lower‐income parents and parents interacting with White teachers displayed less problem solving. Findings suggest that school‐based service delivery models to improve problem solving should consider both skill development, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics that parents and teachers bring to their interactions.     

Provision for youngsters with autistic spectrum disorders in mainstream schools: what parents say — and what parents want

Relatively little research has focused on parental perceptions and experience of educational provision in mainstream settings for children and young people with autism. Much of that which has been undertaken (and certainly that which is most widely cited) has tended to rely on samples which may not be sufficiently representative. In the study reported here, Philip Whitaker, of the Children and Young People's Service in Northamptonshire sought the views of every parent or carer of a child with an autistic spectrum condition living within one English county. Almost half the parents of the 350 children attending mainstream schools responded to a questionnaire exploring their experiences, views, attitudes and levels of satisfaction. The analysis looks at the differences and similarities between the experiences and views of the 'satisfied' and 'dissatisfied' groups of parents.
Overall, 61% of respondents reported themselves satisfied with the provision being made for their children. The extent to which parents felt that school staff understood (and empathised) with their children's difficulties, and the perceived flexibility of the schools' responses to the children's needs were the factors which most sharply differentiated the two groups of parents. The extent and quality of reciprocal communication between home and school also seemed strongly associated with levels of satisfaction. The two groups of parents shared many concerns, with the schools' role in promoting social development and social relationships emerging as a high priority. Philip Whitaker discusses the implications of these findings for schools and for the development of local authority provision founded in mainstreaming.     

iPad: efficacy of electronic devices to help children with autism spectrum disorder to communicate in the classroom

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to have difficulty in social communication, with research indicating that children with ASD fail to develop functional speech (Lord and Rutter, 1994 ). Over the years a number of Augmented and Alternate Communication (AAC) devices have been used with children with ASD to overcome this barrier and to facilitate communication. This article examines an Indian AAC tool called AVAZ (meaning sound), which is the first of its kind in India. The project reported also looks at the effectiveness of using AVAZ and the use of iPads by children with ASD in the classroom. Additionally, the article examines the suitability of using iPads for all learners in the spectrum. Twenty children between the ages of 4 and 10 years were selected to trial the use of AVAZ. They received three sessions weekly of 45 minutes over a period of 10 weeks. The feedback of the special educators who trained the children was analysed. The findings of this small scale study indicates that the children preferred using the AVAZ app and the iPad to pen and paper. Huguenin ( 2004 ) too indicated similar reports in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in enhancing children's motivation to learn and communicate. The trainers felt it could be used as an educational tool, and many more educational concepts could be added. Research also suggests that ICT can be used as a tool to tutor for educational purpose (Means, 1994 ). The AVAZ app could be recommended to children with ASD who are included in mainstream schools. This study was conducted at Sankalp, a special school in Tamil Nadu, Chennai.     

A comparison of parent and professional perceptions of children with autism spectrum disorder in Portugal

Improving early intervention in Portugal for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires parents and professionals to collaborate in assessing and planning intervention programmes. This article analyses parental and professional assessments of children with ASD, in the dimensions of social communication, repetitive behaviours and restricted interests, and sensory processing. The study presents contrasting perspectives from professionals and parents from a range of socio‐academic backgrounds. The sample consists of 136 Portuguese children (aged three to six years old) with ASD and involves children, parents and professionals from across the country. All children, at the time, were in preschool and receiving early special education intervention. Parents and professionals used the Assessment Scale for Children with ASD to complete the assessments. The results show that parents rate children's development and learning more positively compared to professionals; and that this difference is more significant in the field of social communication. Further, parents with higher academic qualifications showed statistically significant differences in comparison with professionals in the social communication dimension. These findings are discussed in relation to the literature and some suggestions are made regarding certain practices related to intervention in early childhood.