Schools and Parents Working together Supporting Students Diagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum: Learning from Each Other

Abstract

The concept of 'inclusion' within the mainstream education system is defined as a process taking into consideration features such as welcoming diversity, promotion of teacher consistency and collaboration, and the provision of learning opportunities and experiences to match the needs of the child. Students diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and other learning disabilities often find successful negotiating all aspects of the primary school classroom typically challenging and stressful on a number of fronts, particularly the social curriculum. This paper provides parents of children diagnosed with AS a voice to speak about their own experiences and perspectives of how inclusive the New South Wales' (NSW) Australian primary school system was in meeting their child's needs. Based on parental experiences working with their child and primary school staff, the paper puts forward strategies and recommendations to teachers, education staff and parents on how to improve the process of inclusion for students with AS, and for those students who exhibit similar difficulties at school. Through the use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, 12 parents participated in the "Looking Back to Work Forward" research and their data analysed initially using the Leximancer Version 2.25 (2001) qualitative software. A thematic analysis was undertaken using Bruner's (1990) concept of generative themes that revealed key topics shared by the participants, including bullying, the importance of community and social supports, and parental involvement with schools.