A case study of a support unit for children with Asperger Syndrome in Wales

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study emanates from my work as the specialist teacher for learners withAsperger Syndrome at a mainstream secondary school in Wales. The study will aimto explore the role of a specialist centre at the secondary school in Wales and itsfunction in enhancing the quality of education and in the inclusion of learners withAsperger Syndrome into secondary mainstream education. When learners withAsperger Syndrome are placed in mainstream education, there should be somemeans whereby the mainstream education system can provide specialised provisionfor their needs by developing an effective learning environment for them. The aim ofthis study is to define what mainstream schools can do to facilitate the effectiveinclusion of learners with Asperger Syndrome and how these learners can benefitfrom specialist provision in a mainstream environment. The research question underinvestigation will therefore be: in what way can a specialist centre contribute towardsthe inclusion of learners with Asperger Syndrome into mainstream education?Various learners from the centre were observed and interviewed to determine theeffect of the inclusion on their education. Educators, parents and professionals wereinterviewed informally to determine the effect they have on the inclusion process andthe centre's function in the school. I reflect on a journey of coming closer tounderstanding the experiences that learners, parents, educators and professionalsmight have as they support learners with Asperger Syndrome in a mainstreamsecondary school. I believe that the findings of this qualitative study add credibility tothe limited research on the way that a specialist centre can contribute towardssuccessful inclusion of learners with Asperger Syndrome into a mainstreamsecondary school.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University