ERIC Number: EJ1377687
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1555-6913
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Level of Autism Awareness among Preservice and Practicing Teachers in Saudi Arabia
Alnahari, Maram M.; McGinley, Vicki A.; Bolton, David L.
Journal of the International Association of Special Education, v20 n1 p67-76 2020
Identifying autism early is important if children are to receive the services they need to allow them to function in society. It has only been relatively recently that the Saudi Arabian educational system has acknowledged children with autism's learning challenges as a significant problem. Many practicing and preservice teachers may have misconceptions about autism. These misconceptions could significantly impact the educational system's ability to identify children with autism as well as the services that children with autism receive. The purpose of this study was to explore preservice and practicing teachers' awareness of autism in Saudi Arabia, focusing on common misconceptions that teachers may have about autism. The results of this research showed that overall, teachers in Saudi Arabia have limited knowledge of the nature of autism and its impacts on children's education. Only a very small portion of teachers, 11%, reported receiving special training on autism and 74.3% reported having little knowledge of how to teach students with autism. Recommendations to improve the current situation are included.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Barriers, Learning Disabilities, Misconceptions, Disability Identification, Special Education, Knowledge Level, Measures (Individuals)
International Association of Special Education. c/o College of Education, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5774, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5774. Tel: 928-523-8979; Fax: 928-523-1929; Web site: https://iase.org/journal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A