Level of Preparation of General Education Teachers to Include Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Authors

  • Emily E. Teffs Saint Joseph College
  • Kathleen M. Whitbread Saint Joseph College

Keywords:

Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, teacher preparation, teacher training, Low Incidence Disabilities, Inclusive Education

Abstract

Since 1998 there has been a dramatic increase in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150 children. Federal law requires schools to educate children with ASD in the least restrictive environment, increasing the number of children with ASD in regular classrooms. Teacher preparation rarely includes training in ASD, leaving many teachers unprepared to accommodate these students. Using an online survey distributed to a random sample of Connecticut teachers, this study explored formal and informal preparation for teachers as well as teachersâ feelings of confidence and competence to teach children with ASD.

Author Biographies

Emily E. Teffs, Saint Joseph College

Student, Department of Education

Kathleen M. Whitbread, Saint Joseph College

Associate Professor of Education, Program Director of Special Education, Department of Education

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Published

2009-10-07

How to Cite

Teffs, E. E., & Whitbread, K. M. (2009). Level of Preparation of General Education Teachers to Include Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Current Issues in Education, 12. Retrieved from https://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/172

Issue

Vol. 12 (2009)

Section

Articles

License

Authors retain copyright without restrictions. Unless otherwise indicated, from 2021 all articles are published under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA license. For more information visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Articles published prior to 2021 used a CC-BY-NC-SA license.