How do learning support educators support the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder at school?

Abstract

This research investigates how Learning Support Educators (LSEs) support the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at school. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the level of support provided by LSEs to young children with ASD attending Maltese primary state schools. A total of 20 LSEs and Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) participated in this study. Ten LSEs were recruited from Primary State Schools and 10 SLPs from Primary Health Care Clinics. Two structured questionnaires were used to generate data from the research participants. The questionnaires were used to elicit reflective thoughts from the participants and to provide a coherent illustration of their experiences supporting the communication skills of children with ASD. Thematic analysis was implemented to analyse the primary data obtained. A set of themes and subthemes were identified to answer the research questions under investigation. Emerging results indicated that LSEs hold sufficient knowledge and skills in relation to the communication skills of children with ASD. However, supporting these children imposes a number of challenges for LSEs. It was found that LSEs require increased specialised training and more support from educators and SLPs in order to adequately and effectively carry out the responsibilities their roles entail. Findings indicated that collaboration between LSEs and SLPs was limited and, consequently, the inclusion of children with ASD into Maltese primary schools was not found to be achieved.