Pamela LePage and Susan Courey

San Francisco State University

The parents of, and teenagers with, high-level autism talk about

what teachers need to know

Discussion Question

• How can parents of, and teenagers with, high-level autism provide suggestions to help improve teacher preparation for children with ASD?

Methods

Data collection

• Parent interviews

• Teen interviews

• Demographic questionnaires to parents

• Follow up feedback survey to parents (with Likert Scale and short answer written responses)

Methods

• 31 Interviews

• 19 parents

• 12 teenagers

• 2 fathers

• 18 mothers

Methods

• Ethnic minority breakdown

• 4 Asian

• 1 Hispanic (could not speak English)

• 15 White

• Socio-economic breakdown

• 3 low income

• 4 middle class

• 6 upper middle class

• 6 did not answer

Methods

• 3 girls

• 17 boys

• Ages: 1 - 13, 3 - 14, 2 - 16, 7 - 15, 2- 17, 2 - 18, 1 - 19, 1- 22 (one didn’t say)

• Age of diagnosis all the way from 1 1/2 to 18

Follow up written responses

• Sent surveys back to all parents and teenagers and asked them to give me feedback on whether the conclusions represented their voices:

• X number of parents who returned surveys

• X number of teenagers who returned surveys

Results of interviews

• Some major themes for Parents• Early intervention• Emotional issues for children• Instructional issues• Emotional issues for parents

Major themes from children

• Some major themes for children• Bullying• How did they feel about themselves?• How did they feel about others?• Problems making friends

A few results explained

• What was emotional for parents?• Fighting the school system• Feeling guilty for not providing enough support• Meeting with other parents was the best support• Teachers don’t understand their children because they don’t

understand (or they don’t believe) children can be smart and also have serious social deficits.

• How are teens different than what is portrayed in literature?• They do have empathy (emotional and intellectual)• They are reflective and insightful (they do know what others think).• Most did well in school, like the teachers, and work hard (84%) and

even those kids feel they would like more credit for their efforts.

Interview Quotes

• I: Do you feel like you have a good memory?

• Daniel: When I want to use it. If I don’t wanna use it, I

• don’t remember things. (18)

• I also cried when I saw Le Miserables.

• I: Oh yeah?

• Rayne: Yeah, I’m proud to say I cried.

• I: And why was that?

• Rayne: Because so many innocent people died and to see how

• old they were, is just like, oh my God, sick and twisted people.

Interview Quotes

• Mason: Kids don’t pick on you in high school, most so called bullies just don’t really care anymore. They just wanna do their own thing. And like be in their inner circle.

• Ash: Even though I still kind of do some autistic things at home, I kinda feel safe there.

• I: And it’s conscious, or it’s really easy?

• Ash: It’s easy just to be like, “Wow, I have to think of this,” just act how people expect you to act outside and inside, do whatever.

Interview quotes

• I: Do you think that the homework is part of the reason that you and your dad have a hard time getting along?

• Rayne: That’s only a small part. It’s because I have an opinion now and I’m not a small little kid who will do whatever you say. I actually have the guts to talk back at him and he doesn’t like it when I say my opinion and if it takes power away from him. So then he grounds me, and it’s like, “Oh, know your place, blah, blah, blah.” I’m like, “Shut up, OK, you are not top good dog, And mom’s a lot nicer than dad because she actually understands unlike dad does….

• I: Is it because she understands your Asperger’s and your autism?

• Rayne: Well she understands that I want a life.

• I: Oh, so she understands you being a teenage girl too?

• Rayne: Yeah.

• I: Is your dad just stricter and stuff?

• Rayne: Yes, he expects me to be perfect and like, “I’m not your little trophy to brag about….”