Inclusion of Students on the Autism Spectrum: The Impact of Knowledge and Experience Among Preschool and Early Childhood Educators

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article examines, both theoretically and empirically, the factors that can promote teachers’ positive attitudes toward the inclusion of children with ASD. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The study utilized the Teachers’ Multidimensional Scale of Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education, an experimental version of the Autism Knowledge Questionnaire for Professionals, and a demographic questionnaire to explore the relationship between teachers’ knowledge and their attitudes. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The article first provides an overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including the difficulties associated with functioning in a school setting. It then reviews previous research on the factors influencing attitudes toward inclusion. Finally, the study’s methods, results, and discussion are presented. RESEARCH RESULTS: Findings indicate that teachers demonstrate moderate knowledge of autism, with the highest levels of understanding in ASD symptoms and the lowest in therapy methods and interventions. Additionally, greater knowledge of therapy methods correlates with the behavioral component of attitudes toward inclusion. However, no significant correlation was found between knowledge and the cognitive or emotional components of attitudes. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: The results suggest that teachers with higher knowledge are more likely to take concrete actions to include students with ASD in mainstream classrooms. Since this study was a pilot, further research is needed to investigate additional factors influencing teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion.