Browsing by Author "Manukwana, Xoliswa"
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- ItemExploring opportunities and challenges experienced by teachers teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a special school resource centre(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Manukwana, Xoliswa; Collair, Lynette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Educational Psychology.ENGLISH SUMMARY: This thesis is about opportunities and challenges experienced by teachers teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a special school resource centre. Before inclusive education was in place, special schools were there only to accommodate learners with disabilities. As a consequence of White Paper 6 of 2001 (Department of Education, 2001) there has been a very important change in the education system and the school is now referred to as a resource centre. The motive of White Paper 6 was to give opportunities to learners who were previously disadvantaged by the education system. Its main aim is to make sure every child of school-going age is given a chance to access the education with the support needed. It is for this reason that the Department of Education (DoE) decided not to abolish special schools, but instead to strengthen them to be resource centres to offer the necessary support to their teachers and the neighbouring schools. This is a qualitative, exploratory study that attempts to gain a rich understanding of the experiences of teachers teaching children with ASD in a special school resource centre (SSRC). Inclusive education is a process where all children of school-going age, including those experiencing barriers to learning, are catered for, with the required provision of removing problems to education. ASD is regarded as one of the more complex disabilities that needs low to high support. It is a disorder that is difficult to manage and manifest itself through lack of social interaction, communication and language. The research found that, because learners with ASD experience lack of interaction, they struggle to learn (Keen, 2009). Other researchers define ASD as a complex development-related disability that affects the child from an early age. It affects the ability to talk and to relate to others, and the child shows a repetitive pattern of behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Geschwind & Levitt, 2007). The aim of this study was to give teachers teaching these children an opportunity to voice and share their experiences. This study provides a qualitative analysis. I conducted semi-structured interviews as a means to gather data. Significant findings revealed that teachers experienced more challenges than opportunities. The study is significant because it sheds light on the following challenges experienced by these teachers: managing the behaviour of children with ASD, not enough teacher training, little knowledge about ASD among the participants and other teachers, parents, the department of education and the school management team (SMT), and a lack of educational resources. Difficulty in managing the behaviour displayed by these children results in teacher frustration. This is the reason teachers emphasised the need for extensive training to deal with behavioural problems that are shown by these children. Teachers felt that it would be better if there is someone who knows more about ASD in the district office and the SMT. They strongly felt it would be an advantage if children with ASD could have their own school with appropriate facilities. Teachers mentioned positives, such as limited numbers in their classroom and having a teacher assistant in each classroom to assist one on one and helping to attend to the child’s needs.