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ERIC Number: EJ902011
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0040-0599
EISSN: N/A
Connecting with Families: Parents Speak up about Preschool Services for Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Stuart, Shannon K.; Flis, Laura D.; Rinaldi, Claudia
TEACHING Exceptional Children, v39 n1 p46-51 Sep-Oct 2006
Having a child with autism can severely disrupt family life. Parents may experience emotional stress, anxiety, fear, and guilt. Understanding parental efforts in learning about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their experiences with a variety of therapeutic interventions and educational strategies is an important component of building collaborative support structures. Several studies contribute a variety of different research perspectives about the educational needs of students with ASD, and several studies investigate parents' experiences of autism using standardized questionnaires. Few, however, offer specific insight into parents' perceptions of preschool services for their children with ASD. The program in this study is a preschool for children eligible to receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine parental perceptions of services offered by the program and of other intervention strategies for ASDs. Alumni families of the preschool program were questioned about their perceptions of the program and about educational strategies and other interventions for individuals with ASD. Grounded theory, a qualitative method, and descriptive statistics were used to foster a comprehensive understanding of parental responses to a questionnaire. Participants in this study indicated that they were most pleased with staff enthusiasm and positive school climate, daily communication with teachers, the knowledge level of teachers and paraprofessionals, and the range of therapies offered.
Council for Exceptional Children. 1110 North Glebe Road Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201. Tel: 888-232-7733; Fax: 703-264-9494; e-mail: cecpubs@cec.sped.org; Web site: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Publications1
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A