The questions verbal children with autism spectrum disorder encounter in the inclusive preschool classroom.
This study investigated questions adults asked to children with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive pre-kindergarten classrooms, and whether child (e.g. autism severity) and setting (i.e. adult-to-child ratio) characteristics were related to questions asked during center-time. Videos of verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 42) were coded based on the following question categories adapted from the work of Massey et al.: management, low cognitive challenging, or cognitively challenging. Results indicated that management questions (mean = 19.97, standard deviation = 12.71) were asked more than less cognitively challenging questions (mean = 14.22, standard deviation = 8.98) and less cognitively challenging questions were asked more than cognitively challenging questions (mean = 10.00, standard deviation = 6.9). Children with higher language levels had a greater likelihood of receiving cognitively challenging questions (odds ratio = 1.025; p = 0.007). Cognitively challenging questions had a greater likelihood of being asked in classrooms with more adults relative to children (odds ratio = 1.176; p = 0.037). The findings present a first step in identifying the questions directed at preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive classrooms.
Pacific University, USA eric_sanders@pacificu.edu.
Eric J
EJ
Sanders
University of Kansas, USA.
Dwight W
DW
Irvin
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Katie
K
Belardi
University of Kansas, USA.
Luke
L
McCune
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Brian A
BA
Boyd
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Samuel L
SL
Odom
D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio
autism spectrum disorder; child characteristics; communication and language; preschool children; questions