Exploring experience of autism among school staff and parents of autistic children, and the relevance of totalising and non-totalising approaches to facilitate understandings.
This thesis explored how the parents and school staff (teachers and teaching assistants) of primary aged autistic children understand and experience autism, including observation of the children they care for and educate. Totalising was used as a framework for conceptualising their understanding and use of non-totalising approaches such as externalising was also explored. Specific questions centred on a) how parents and teaching staff understand and experience autism in terms of the child being similar or different to other children, b) how relevant totalising is as a concept to aid in understanding of how the parents and teaching staff view autistic children, c) how parents and teaching staff experience non-totalising activities. A mixture of qualitative techniques were used, namely interviews, journals, and observations, alongside a questionnaire exploring the degree to which parents and teaching staff held totalising views of the children. The interview and journal data was analysed through thematic analysis and, for the questionnaire, descriptive and idiographic analysis methods were applied. The findings show that in Phases 1 and 2 the understandings and experiences of both parents and teachers in relation to autism were complex and contradictory. Themes which emerged including concepts related to othering, inclusive education, limited perceptions of autistic people, and mixed or contradictory views, which revealed aspects of totalising as useful in exploring understandings associated with autism. This was examined further in Phase 3, which explored the use of externalising techniques as a way of combating totalising of autistic children. The results revealed by the totalising questionnaire also allowed complex understandings and responses to autism, which were often contradictory including both totalising and individualised views around uniqueness. The analysis of the Phase 1 data highlighted the vital role of promoting social understanding and acceptance for autistic children and their parents. In addition, the potential for conflict and misunderstandings between home and school emerged. The teachers in Phase 2 showed various and often contradictory approaches to the education of autistic children and how they perceived children with autism. In some cases, the child was seen as ‘part of the team,’ but more often they were viewed as not meeting norms exhibited by their peers. The view of autism was often informed by previous experience of teaching autistic children. In Phase 3, analysis revealed that parents largely found the use of non-totalising, externalising approaches such as Self Autism Mapping (SAM) and Tracking as positive in understanding and supporting their children. Only one educator shared their experiences regarding the use of non-totalising techniques and found that these techniques were useful to manage difficult situations. Discussions and conclusions include the complex, overlapping and contradicting beliefs about autism which were reflected in the experiences, practices and meanings related to autism among participants. In addition, the concept of totalising and the use of externalising techniques are discussed in relation to fostering inclusive education. New systemic interventions supporting the whole family rather than just the autistic individuals, and new programs that explore the link between totalising and inclusive educational practices are recommended for any future research.
Inclusive Education, Autism, SAFE, Swis, support, intervention, primary education, Family Therapy
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