Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Melissa Gilliam
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how special and general education teachers in New Jersey struggle to implement social skills instruction to students with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The problem addressed in this study was that K-12 teachers in New Jersey are challenged to implement instructional strategies to support the social development of students with moderate to severe ASD. The conceptual framework guiding this work was the universal design for transition, based upon blending universal design for learning tenets and transitional outcomes for students with disabilities. The research question explored how K-12 special and general teachers within New Jersey implemented instructional strategies for students with ASD. This study was a basic qualitative design that utilized open-ended interviews analyzed with open, axial, and thematic coding analysis. Results from this study indicated four significant barriers to successfully implementing transitional social skills within the classroom setting: a lack of understanding of the nature of ASD, inadequate administrative support, insufficient training, and ineffective collaboration with the CST. Positive social change can be seen by identifying current gaps in educational practice within the transitional process for students with ASD and increased awareness of obstacles that preclude effective implementation of transitionary social skills within K-12 classrooms.
Recommended Citation
Marcheski, Victoria, "Teacher Perceptions of Their Readiness for Teaching Social Skills to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13549.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13549
