Educators experiences of in-class, learning facilitators for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : As a culture of diversity moving towards equality for all, South Africans expect nothing lessthan progress and change for the betterment of all. Nowhere is this more important than in theeducation system where equality, in the form of inclusion, is paramount. Recently, there hasbeen renewed interest in learning facilitation as it forms one of the many ways children withbarriers to learning can access learning. Making use of learning facilitators can benefit theindividual child as well as the educator. As inclusive education is rolled out in the form ofpolicies, learning facilitators could be one of the supporting tools in assisting the child'saccommodations and adaptations of the curriculum, ultimately making inclusive educationpossible for many learners.Learning facilitation is becoming a more established profession, yet often policies regardingoccupational expectations, roles and job-descriptions often take time to catch up with theutilization and deployment of personnel. The purpose of this study was to assimilate theexperiences and interactions of educators with facilitators of learners with barriers tolearning, in particular, those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).The study relied on a fundamental constructivist-interpretivist approach. A basic qualitativestudy was conducted involving six participants from two private schools in the Helderbergarea in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Once ethical clearance was sort andgranted, purposive sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected by means ofan extensive literature review and semi-structured interviews, and analysed using a synthesisof content and interpretive analysis. Thematic data analysis was applied to analyse andinterpret the data. In-depth insights of educators' experiences of collaborating with in-classlearning facilitators were gained.Findings suggest educators had a positive experiences of working with learning facilitators,however participants report that the need for formal training for the learning facilitators ispivotal. Suggestions are made regarding how schools can maximise the benefits of workingwith learning facilitators.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University