Abstract of T. Goren lecture

TEACHERS' PERCEPTION OF THE ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES

FOR SUCCESSFUL INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH ASD

T. Goren, O. Hetzroni

University of Haifa, Israel

Objective Teacher attitudes towards the inclusion of children with

special needs are a major factor in the child's success in the regular

school setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the

attitudes of teachers towards the inclusion of children with ASD,

specifically the perceived competencies needed for successful

inclusion. Methods Participants included 101 teachers from regular

and special education elementary schools. Teachers filled

questionnaires assessing the importance of 64 competencies for

successful inclusion of children with ASD. Results indicated that none

of the competencies were considered to be prerequisites for

successful inclusion of children with ASD. Nine of the items were rated

as essential. Those items were associated with daily living skills,

behavioral issues, and basic communication. Toilet training was

ranked the most important competency. Academic abilities were listed

as least important. There were no significant differences between the

teachers in regular and special education in their ratings. Most

participants believed that students should be included only if they had

the required capabilities. Conclusions. Although all teachers

participating in the study selected no prerequisites for the inclusion of

children with ASD in regular education schools, teachers indicated

that students should be included based on their abilities. Most of the

teachers selected personal hygiene as highly essential for successful

inclusion. Correlations, similarities and differences between this study

and previous studies will be discussed. Grants: Partial support for this

study was obtained from the Center for Absorption in Science in the

Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, Israel.