THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND a PRIMARY SCHOOL TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

 

Rita Raudeliūnaitė¹*, Vida Gudžinskienė²

¹Prof. Dr., Mykolas Romeris University, LITHUANIA, ritara@mruni.eu

² Prof. Dr., Mykolas Romeris University, LITHUANIA, vida.gudzinskiene@mruni.eu

*Corresponding author

 

Abstract

One of the priority goals of future education is inclusive education. When creating inclusive educational environments, it is important to ensure that every child would have the opportunity to receive quality education together with his peers in the local community closest to him, in the educational institution closest to his home.  This obliges schools to constantly monitor the quality factors of education and improve their readiness to accept all learners regardless of any individual characteristics, obstacles or arising difficulties, and to strive to ensure the effective education of pupils. Research shows that in many countries, including Lithuania, general education schools experience a number of difficulties in educating children with autism spectrum disorder (hereinafter referred to as ASD). It is appropriate to conduct research on good practices in inclusive education based on the subjective perceptions and attitudes of different participants. The purpose of the study is to reveal the importance of cooperation between parents and primary school in order to achieve the success of inclusive education in children with autism spectrum disorder based on the experiences of parents.

Qualitative research type was chosen for the study. In the study, the method of a semi-structured interview was used. The study data were processed by using the method of content analysis. Six parents, whose child had been diagnosed with ASD and attended primary school of general education, participated in the study.

The study revealed that in order to achieve the successful education of a child with ASD in primary school, it is important to establish a cooperative relationship between parents and the school before a child with ASD begins to attend school, to maintain the continuity of cooperation between parents and the school after the child begins to attend school, and to have the cooperation of parents when creating a favourable educational environment in the classroom. The establishment of a cooperative relationship between parents and the school before a child with ASD begins attending his school is associated with the parents' openness and the disclosure of their child's disability, the emphasis on the child's abilities, not his disability  and the difficulties arising for the child when presenting a child to the school administration and his future teacher, the willingness of the school to engage in equal cooperation with parents while considering them experts of their child, the creation of conditions for a child with ASD and his parents to get acquainted in advance with the school and his class environment and the class teacher, the discussion of the peculiarities of the child's education and his needs with his parents, the drawing up of a plan for individual assistance to the child, as well as the positive attitude of a child with a autism spectrum disorder to start attending school. The continuity of cooperation between parents and the school, after a child with ASD began attending school, is associated with the activeness of parents in cooperation with the school, their involvement in the educational process, cooperation of parents with educational assistance specialists and the involvement of parents in assessing the quality of their child's inclusive education. The cooperation of the parents of a child with ASD in creating a favourable educational environment in the classroom is associated with their close cooperation with the teachers working in the classroom, their cooperation with the class children and their parents in building and maintaining positive relationships.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, child, parents, primary school, cooperation