Training Needs and Attitudes of Greek Educationalists on Good Autism Education Practice for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Katingo Giannoulis,Karen Guldberg,Marios Koukounaras Liagkis,Katerina Laskaridou

doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20211001.11

Abstract

The current scoping study conducted in Greece aimed to explore the training needs and attitudes held by educationalists on inclusive education for pupils with autism. Whilst educational policies and practice advocate for inclusive education for children with autism, actual provision is segregated between mainstream, special schools and multi-disciplinary therapy centers. These centers operate under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and are certified by the Ministry of Education. They collaborate with schools to ensure the seamless inclusion of children with autism into school. Whilst Greek educationalists believe on principle that inclusion is essential in the quest to foster community presence and integration for children with autism, in practice there are barriers to inclusive education; primarily these include the current financial crisis and budget cuts in Education as well as an anxiety on the part of teachers on how best to practice inclusive education, whilst protecting and maintaining the safety of autistic children. This ambivalence stems from insufficient knowledge, skills and experience and has significant implications for children with special needs, their families and for society as a whole. The current study aimed to address this ambivalence by, as an initial step, ensuring that all teachers are granted appropriate training and professional support so that children with autism are given the opportunity to flourish within inclusive educational settings.

Highlights

Participants were asked two additional open-ended questions, namely “Please list up to 3 competencies you think are essential for staff to have or to develop when working with pupils with autism?” and “What types of staff training would be most helpful in developing your own knowledge and skills?” After a pilot questionnaire was administered, 274 questionnaires were distributed to professionals working in 16 outpatient therapy centers, 8 special schools and 10 mainstream nursery and primary schools
The 274 questionnaires were completed by professionals, comprising of head teachers, mainstream teachers, support/shadow teachers, teachers working in integration classes, special education teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and child psychiatrists
As regards their experience of working with autistic children, approximately half of the participants (54%) had fewer than five years of working experience, followed by those who had up to years of experience (27%), a further 11% had been working with children with autism between and years, 4% had more than years of experience and 4% had more than 20 years of experience

Summary

Introduction

Background Information on Autism Education in Greece To this day, in Greece, disability is seen as a personal tragedy or misfortune, defined primarily by medical difficulties and social isolation [1]. The historical perspective in Greece needs to be addressed to understand the phase of inclusion Greece is currently in It was not until the end of the 1930s that the educational needs of children with intellectual disabilities ( labeled “mental retardation”) were considered for the first time in Greece [2]. At the time, these children were seen as “abnormal and retarded”, uneducable in school. For those considered “educable”, special schools or “special classes” (as they were called at the time) within mainstream schools were eventually introduced

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion