Professional Development for Enhancing Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness in Preschool Professionals.

The current study describes the design, implementation, and analysis of a professional development programme using a Lesson Study model to enhance awareness in preschool professionals regarding inclusive education for children with autism spectrum disorder. The mixed method approach included pre- an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 950 - 961
Main Author: Petersson Bloom, Linda
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Mar2021
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The current study describes the design, implementation, and analysis of a professional development programme using a Lesson Study model to enhance awareness in preschool professionals regarding inclusive education for children with autism spectrum disorder. The mixed method approach included pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, audio-recordings of group seminars, and an interview. The results indicated an increase in autism awareness among the professionals, suggesting that professionals changed their practice as a result of the programme. This was particularly clear regarding making adjustments to the learning environment and taking measures to prevent challenging situations. In addition to describing the implementation of a professional development programme in a preschool, this paper emphasises the importance of appropriate conditions for such initiatives.