Abstract of T. Goren lecture

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR INCLUSION– CAN THEY

PREDICT SUCCESS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD IN INCLUSION?

T. Goren, O. Hetzroni

University of Haifa, Israel

Objective. When deciding on the inclusion of children with ASD,

teachers often use a list of competencies which are considered

essential for success of the inclusion. The purpose of this study was to

examine whether the child's level in these competencies can predict

the level or the success of his inclusion. Methods. The study included

45 elementary school children with ASD, of which 55% participated in

an inclusive setting. Questionnaires, assessing the child's level in 64

competencies, were filled by teachers at the beginning and the end of

the school year. The child's IEP, inclusion goals, number of hours and

success in the inclusive setting, as evaluated by the teachers, were

measured. Results. The number of hours the child participated in the

inclusive setting was predicted by the level of academic

competencies. Child's performance in the inclusion was predicted by

the level of social and behavioral competencies. Essential

competencies explained only 20% of the variance in the children's

participation in the inclusive setting, and 75% of their success

(p<0.001). Conclusion The strong correlation between child's success

in the inclusive setting and the essential competencies found in this

study reflect the deep understanding teachers hold regarding skills

needed for including children with ASD in the regular educational

system. However, the essential competencies failed to predict the

number of hours children with ASD were included, reflecting a strong

discrepancy between theoretical understanding and the actual

decision making processes accompanying inclusion. Possible

explanations for these discrepancies 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.