Legislation and policy within Croatia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Poland supports the educational inclusion of children with autism; however, such inclusion is nascent in these countries. A survey of experienced teachers working directly with children with autism in both inclusive and special schools was undertaken in winter 2018-19. Five…

Research into the school experiences of autistic adolescents tends to utilise predominantly male samples, effectively neglecting the views of autistic girls. This study explores the perspectives of three autistic girls attending a mainstream secondary school recognised for its good autism practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with…

This study investigated the perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE) of primary school teachers in Ireland who are working in special classes for students with autism. Furthermore, it sought to examine whether these perceptions of TSE were related to special class teaching experience, their engagement in professional development pertaining to autism,…

Approximately 1.3% (42,555 pupils) of secondary school pupils in England are autistic and there are numerous reports of poor academic and social experiences among this group. The intense interests that form part of an autism diagnosis relate to an increased focus on specific topics or objects and are reported to positively impact learning when…

There is general support among teachers for inclusion of children with special educational needs, but many lack the confidence and knowledge to support autistic pupils. This can have an adverse effect on their education. Previous studies have explored the attitudes of teachers towards inclusion, but less is known about the experiences of teachers…

There is a lack of research on the relationship between emotional intelligence and social competences, and the difficulties experienced by teachers in the process of educating students, especially those with special educational needs, which is why the aim of this research was to discover if the difficulties experienced by teachers in working with…

Resourced provision is an important model for inclusive education, possibly providing the 'best of both worlds' for pupils with Special Educational Needs. Typically, pupils split their time between specialist and mainstream classes, offering balanced support that is highly valued by parents. However, there is little research about resourced…

Evidence suggests the social development of typically developing children and adolescents is significantly influenced by their peers. In contrast, little is known about peer influence on the autistic behaviours of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In structured interviews, 22 teachers from a special needs school for…

The aim of this study was to examine classification accuracy for the expressive language skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of object play and imitation scores. A total of 61 children with ASD, who were 2.0-5.11 years old, were included in the study. In order to collect data play and imitation assessment tasks which…

Involving students on the autism spectrum in decision-making about their education is good practice for inclusion and mandated by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice in England. This article reports on two linked studies investigating the perspectives of 12 secondary mainstream students on the autism spectrum aged…

Despite the steps taken to improve support in universities, many students and graduates with autism face a substantial employment gap when completing university as compared to any other student group with disabilities. The literature shows that often students with autism do not have appropriate support to prepare them for entering the workforce.…

Friendships have a central importance in childhood and adolescence, and the friendship demands on girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be higher than for boys. Few previous studies have examined the experiences of friendship from the perspective of girls with ASD. A qualitative focus group methodology was used with ten adolescent girls…

This paper examines experiences of families and children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with a focus on Autism during a 9-week period in 2020 of 'lockdown' due to COVID-19 where the UK Government's message was 'stay home, stay safe'. For these families, home is where children can be themselves, shut out the outside world…

There is growing awareness of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the Czech Republic. As a result, there has been an increasing number of diagnoses, more services have become available, and legislation has been developed with regard to practices for children with ASD. In the past, families seeking services to support the needs of children with ASD…

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout, life satisfaction and quality of life in parents of disabled children and the mediating role of burnout in the relationship between life satisfaction and quality of life. Relational comparison, which is a quantitative research method, was used. The study sample consisted of…