Date of Conferral

3-12-2024

Date of Award

March 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Kelly Chermack

Abstract

With the incidence of autism on the rise, it is imperative to identify factors that contribute to education. Despite the accessibility and low cost of public institutions, many parents choose to educate their autistic children in private and charter school settings. This study examined the difference in beliefs among public, private, and charter school educators toward the abilities of autistic students. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory guided this study. Through a mixed-methods approach, surveys were employed to special educators within the Walden Participant and Survey Monkey Pools. There was a total of 209 survey respondents. Surveys were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H tests. Phone interviews were conducted with five survey participants to better understand experiences related to school policies, in-service training, and perceptions of administrator guidance. There was no difference in the beliefs related to educator school setting. There was a difference in beliefs connected to participant age, years on the job, and gender. Younger educators agreed/strongly agreed that severely autistic students had the ability to care for their parents in old age and have/raise children. Men agreed/strongly agreed more than women that these students could live independently and have/raise children. Special educators described having an inadequate understanding about the Pygmalion Effect. All participants had high expectations; all also advised that a student’s previous performance guided student education plan goals. Qualitative results suggested several areas where teachers indicated they need more support from schools and administrators. Study findings may enlighten professionals and parents about the Pygmalion Effect practices and the importance of appropriate goal-driven education plans.

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