A Qualitative Exploration of Teachers' Experiences with Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning and Adjusting to Inclusion: Impacts of the Home and School Collaboration

Abstract

Although inclusive classrooms provide unique opportunities for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), these students face barriers during the initial transition from self-contained classrooms (Sanahuja-Gavaldà, Olmos-Rueda, & Morón-Velasco, 2016). The purpose of this qualitative, generic study was to identify how home and school collaboration impacted the transition and adjustment of students with ASD to an inclusive setting. Using a generic qualitative methodology, we collected data from 16 teachers who responded to a series of open-ended questions about their experiences with parental engagement during the transition to inclusion for students with ASD. Three themes emerged; teachers indicated that when parents and educators collaborated, (a) the students demonstrated improved academic performance, (b) the transition phase progressed more smoothly, and (c) the students achieved better social adjustment. Further, home-school collaboration resulted in teachers' ability to adjust the curricula to meet the needs of the students, students' increased motivation to complete tasks, and parents' willingness to reinforce skills at home.