Inclusive education for pupils with ASD: challenges and opportunities

Neil Humphrey and Wendy Symes School of Education, University of Manchester

Welcome, thanks and housekeeping

Welcome to everyone! We hope you enjoy the seminar Thanks to:

ESRC for funding the research Our various speakers for giving up their time to contribute today The schools and pupils for their participation in the project Wendy and her various junior researchers for helping to collect and analyze the project data

All of the presentations in this seminar series, the papers we have written from the project, and various other resources are housed at: www.asdinclusion.info Please visit the site and bookmark it as it will be updated regularly as we continue our dissemination

Overview of today

Session overview

Life in school: a rationale for this project

What do we mean by inclusion? The challenge of inclusion for pupils with ASD

Project design Key findings

Peer group

Peer interaction patterns Bullying, social support and popularity Teacher attitudes, experience and knowledge Teaching assistants role, deployment and teacher relationships Perspectives on life in school To what extent are pupils with ASD included in lessons?

Staff

Pupils with ASD

The classroom

Key characteristics of effective inclusion for pupils with ASD Where are we now and where are we going?

This is barely scratching the surface of our dataset in the time we have we are only able to give the headlines please check www.asdinclusion.info regularly for updates as we continue to write up our findings

Life in school

Life in school

What do we mean by inclusion?

Not just about where a pupil is educated inclusion is about the quality of their experiences in education Some key indicators?

Presence Participation Acceptance Achievement

The challenge of inclusion for pupils with ASD

Excellence for All Children (DfEE, 1997) resulted in sharp rise in numbers of pupils with ASD attending mainstream schools in England

e.g. 16% increase from 1997-2001(Keen & Ward, 2004)

e.g. less than 1% change from 2004-2010 (DfES, 2004; DCSF, 2010)

This has evened off more recently

Around 70% of pupils with primary need reported as ASD receiving provision at School Action Plus or with a Statement of SEN attend a mainstream school (DCSF, 2010)

At secondary level:

Pupils with primary need reported as ASD make up 6.6% of all pupils with special educational needs receiving provision at School Action Plus or with a Statement of SEN in secondary mainstream schools in England 18,170 pupils with primary need reported as ASD receiving provision at School Action Plus or with a Statement of SEN in secondary mainstream schools in England Of these, approximately 60% have Statements of SEN (DCSF, 2010)

The challenge of inclusion for pupils with ASD

Pupils with an ASD are around 8 times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than pupils without SEN (0.27% compared to 0.04%) (DCSF, 2009; 2010) They are most likely to be excluded due to a physical assault against another pupil or adult (DCSF, 2010) Teachers relationships with pupils with ASD are associated with the amount of problem behaviour they display and their social inclusion within the classroom (Robertson, Chamberlain & Kasari, 2003) Teachers experience tensions relating to frustration over the enduring effects of emotional and behavioural manifestations of ASD (Emam & Farrell, 2009) Children with an ASD provide an excellent example of... where significant cracks exist in the system, to the detriment of those who fall between them (HOCESC, 2006, p.18)

The challenge of inclusion for pupils with ASD

There is often an assumption that because of pupil with ASD is academically able, he or she should be able to cope in mainstream education (Moore, 2007) Difficulties in social interaction and communication can increase risk of and exposure to bullying and social isolation (NAS, 2006) Preference for routine, predictability and low sensory stimulation is at odds with the noisy, bustling and often chaotic mainstream secondary school environment meaning it can be a very stressful place for pupils with an ASD (Carrington & Graham, 2001) Typical cognitive profile and preferred learning style of pupils with an ASD can challenge professional assumptions about teaching and learning (Jordan, 2005)

Project design

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Jan 2008 Dec 2010 Aim:

To examine the effectiveness of (and subsequently inform practice in) inclusive education for pupils with ASD in mainstream secondary schools To generate knowledge and understanding in relation to the presence, participation, acceptance and achievement (inclusion) of pupils with ASD, as compared to pupils with other (dyslexia) or no special educational needs (SEN) To identify the key systemic factors that facilitate or constrain successful inclusion of pupils with ASD To explore, document and share good practice in the inclusion of pupils with ASD

Objectives:
1.

2.

3. 4.

To inform education theory and debate relate to the special nature of teaching strategies and approaches for pupils with SEN (specifically, pupils with ASD)

Project design

(1) Lead in phase recruitment, instrumentation et cetera (2) Profiles of inclusion phase causal comparative investigation of inclusion profiles of 40 pupils with ASD (ASD group), 40 with dyslexia (DYS group), and 40 with no SEN (CON group) across 12 schools

Matched triad process age, gender, school (plus SEN provision for ASD and DYS) Data collected on key indicators of inclusion at different levels, including

Individual self-esteem, social support, bullying, attitudes towards school Peer group social inclusion, peer interaction Institutional staff attitudes, knowledge and experience, SENCO ASD audit, classroom observations

Project design

(3) Good practice case study phase qualitative case studies of 4 schools, chosen on the basis of data from the previous phase

Independent nominations from NH and WS cross-checking revealed 100% consistency in top four nominations Approximately half a term spent in each school; data collection included:

Interviews with and diaries of pupils with ASD Interviews with staff teachers, support staff, SENCO, senior management Observations in class and other settings Document analysis Interviews with parents and carers

(4) Dissemination phase sharing and discussing our findings

Conference presentations at international, national and local levels (presentations at conferences in Chicago (NASP), Birmingham (BILD), Preston (NAS), Salford (MRC) and Stockport (SC) so far Five regional seminars (including this one!) Papers for academic and practitioner journals (8 written so far with more to come) Articles for user group publications such as Communication (NAS) (1 written so far with more to come) Website to house study outputs and resources www.asdinclusion.info

Key findings peer group

Peer interaction patterns how do pupils with ASD in mainstream settings interact with their peers? Structured observations of pupils in ASD, DYS and CON groups at break and lunch over a two day period Peer Interaction Observation Schedule adapted from Pellegrini & Bartini (2000) 22 discrete behaviours exhibited by the focal pupil, and 7 pertaining to the behaviour of their peers

e.g. solitary (engaged), co-operative interaction, locomotor, parallel

Frequency and duration of behaviours coded

Duration: participants with ASD spent more time engaged in solitary behaviours, less time engaged in co-operative interaction with peers, and more time engaging in reactive aggression towards peers than either comparison group. Frequency: similar patterns emerged, but additionally participants with ASD engaged in fewer instances of rough/vigorous play, and were subject to more instances of social initiation and instrumental verbal aggression by peers than either comparison group No significant differences emerged between DYS and CON groups

Key findings peer group

Bullying, social support and popularity how do pupils with ASD compare to those with other (DYS) or no SEN (CON) on these key indicators of social inclusion?

Bullying My Life in School (Arora & Thompson, 1987) Social Support Social Support Scale for Children (Harter, 1985) Popularity/rejection Social Inclusion Survey (Frederickson & Graham, 1999)

Key findings peer group

Pupils with ASD experienced significantly greater bullying than either comparison group (no significant difference between DYS and CON groups) Bullying was approximately 2-3x more frequent in ASD group
Bullying frequency
3

2.5
2 1.5 1 0.5 0 ASD DYS CON

Key findings peer group

ASD group experienced significantly lower acceptance and higher rejection in both social and work domains than either comparison group (no significant difference between DYS and CON groups on any scores)
0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 Social: acceptance Social: rejection Work: acceptance Work: rejection ASD DYS CON

Key findings peer group

Pupils with ASD reported receiving significantly lower levels of social support than either comparison group. Key differences were found for classmates, friends and parents, but not teachers* (no difference between DYS and CON on any domain) *Parents and teachers are obviously not peers but they are included on the SSSC
3.6 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2 ASD 3.1 3 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.6 Parents Classmates Teachers Friends DYS CON

Key findings peer group

Putting it all together Reciprocal Effects Peer Interaction Model (Humphrey & Symes, in press)
Pupil with ASD Social cognition difficulties
Poor social and communicative skills

Peer group
Lack of awareness and understanding of ASD

Reduced acceptance of difference

Reduced quality and frequency of peer interaction Limited social networks, fewer friends, less social support Reduced opportunities to learn about ASD

Reduced motivation for social contact, more solitary behaviour

Increased bullying and social rejection

Increased isolation and loneliness

Key findings - staff

Teachers attitudes, knowledge and experience Questions adapted from McGregor & Campbell, (2001) and the Manchester Inclusion Standard (2004) 53 staff responded 21 were SENCOs or senior management (SM group) 32 were maths, english or science teachers (ST group) SM and ST both perceived their schools as highly inclusive

Key findings - staff

SM more likely than ST to feel they had the skills to teach a child with ASD SM and ST found displaying inappropriate emotions most difficult to cope with

Key findings - staff

Key

benefits for included pupils with ASD:

Social

inclusion e.g. developing social skills, making friends Avoiding stigma of attending special school
Key

challenges for included pupils with ASD:

exclusion e.g. bullying, isolation, difficulty making

Social

friends Lack of understanding from peers and staff

Key

benefits for mainstream peers:

Increased

understanding and tolerance Experience wider society and develop social skills
Key

challenges for mainstream peers:

Difficulty

accepting why some students are treated differently Uncomfortable if confronted with aggressive or inappropriate behaviours

Key findings - staff

Explored the use of Teaching Assistants (TAs) to support pupils with ASD 15 TAs from four schools interviewed 11 TAs employed by the school, 4 TAs employed by outside agency specialising in supporting pupils with ASD Asked questions about deployment, training, relationship with teachers and school environment

Key findings - staff

Deployment:

to know the child vs. getting to know the subject Supporting pupils with ASD Helping the pupil stay focused, understand instructions and develop organisational skills Teacher is ultimately responsible for pupils learning Very little work on developing social skills Experience & training Many TAs had no experience prior to the job Amount of training varied between schools and TAs TAs felt that generic ASD training was not helpful - wanted more specific strategies for supporting pupils with ASD Wanted training in how to make pupils independent learners

Getting

Key findings - staff

Relationship

with teachers Facilitated if TAs frequently worked in the same lessons/department Teachers over or under relying on knowledge of TAs - what is the TAs role? School attitudes towards pupils with SEN Must be a whole school approach to inclusion of all pupils with SEN Senior management must be supportive of inclusion Factors facilitating or hindering the ability of TAs to effectively include pupils with ASD Access to expertise (including SENCO) Good communication at all levels - TAs should be informed about anything to do with the pupil they are supporting Staff awareness of ASD - if teachers have a limited

Key findings pupils with ASD

Perspectives on life in school analysis in progress!

What is life in school like from the perspective of the pupils themselves?

Related paper - Humphrey & Lewis (2008) 20 pupils with ASD from 4 schools Interviews and diaries (written, audio, wordprocessed)

Key findings pupils with ASD

Characteristics associated with ASD Special interests Rote memory Mentalising difficulties Odd behaviour Preference for visual learning Social naivety Inflexible thinking

Relationships with peers Problems Bullying and teasing Social isolation Solutions Peer support Friendships

Constructing an understanding of ASD Being different/not normal Having a bad brain or mental syndrome Being odd or a freak Acceptance of ASD

Working with teachers and other staff Being treated differently vs. being treated the same Availability of support Methods of support

Negotiating difference Desire to stay in mainstream Wanting to fit in The need for independence Issues around disclosure

Key findings the classroom

How included in lessons are pupils with ASD? Structured observations of pupils in ASD, DYS and CON groups over 5 lessons each Observation schedule adapted from the Manchester Inclusion Standard (2004) 15 items such as

The focal pupil is engaged with the task/lesson The focal pupil is working independently The focal pupil works collaboratively with peers

Rated on a scale (1-4) summed to give a total score

Unstructured observations of 21 pupils with ASD in 3-5 lessons each

Key findings the classroom

Pupils with ASD were least included in lessons

Both pupils with ASD and DYS were significantly less included than the CON pupils; no significant difference between ASD and DYS groups

Key findings the classroom

Pupils with ASD were less likely to work independently, listen to their classmates, and get along with their classmates than the DSY or CON groups Unstructured observations revealed that pupils with a TA were less likely to work independently or work with/get along with their classmates

Key characteristics of effective inclusion for pupils with ASD

Data from good practice phase common themes and patterns across 4 schools More detailed examples of practice this afternoon from Gareth/Mary! Strong inclusive ethos valuing diversity and respect for all pupils and staff SENCO/inclusion manager with high levels of expertise and passion in relation to ASD Links to specialist schools

Sharing of knowledge and expertise Training and development Dual placement arrangements

Key characteristics of effective inclusion for pupils with ASD

Communication of information about pupil needs across the school

Frequency Consistency Reach

In-house External

Opportunities for training and staff development

Developing awareness and understanding of peer group

Sensitively handled disclosure, circles of friends

Use of support staff

Key characteristics of effective inclusion for pupils with ASD

Balancing universal, group and individual needs

What is useful for all learners? What is useful for learners with ASD? What is useful for Joe Bloggs?

Where are we now and where are going?

The wider picture developments in SEN policy and provision and what the future might bring

Implications for effective inclusion of pupils with ASD?

Several potentially useful tools and strategies were rolled out during the lifespan of this project

Inclusion Development Programme (DCSF, 2008) ASD strand

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What is the autism spectrum? Social and emotional understanding Communication and language Flexibility of thought and behaviour Sensory perception and responses

6.
7. 8.

Know the pupil

Curriculum priorities and inclusive practice Sources of support

Achievement for All (DCSF, 2009), especially:

1. 2. 3.

Assessment, tracking and intervention Parental engagement and confidence Wider outcomes
1. 2. 3.

Eliminating bullying Developing positive relationships Promoting positive behaviour

Where are we now and where are we going?

Lamb Inquiry (2009) parental engagement and confidence

A stronger voice for parents Greater focus on childrens needs A more accountable system delivering better services Development of Achievement for All (see previous slide) Parents feel that the current system does not help their children to achieve their goals Identification of pupil needs is inconsistent No single model of provision works better than any other, but having a flexible system and knowing about what kind of support is available locally is important Additional provision at SAP and for SSEN is often not of good quality Parental choice Changes in funding system transparency and cost-effectiveness

OFSTED SEN review findings - some headlines (OFSTED, 2010)

SEND Green Paper (DfE, 2010) (with White Paper to follow)

Prevention of closure of special schools

Support post-16 transitions Improve diagnosis and assessment to facilitate earlier identification

Where are we now and where are we going?

People with ASD are like salt-water fish who are forced to live in fresh water. Were fine if you just put us into the right environment. When the person with ASD and the environment match, the problems go away and we even thrive. When they dont match, we seem disabled [Young adult with ASD] (Baron- Cohen, 2003, p.180).