Teaching assistants' role in supporting pupils with ASD attending mainstream schools in social skills development and social inclusion
Abstract
The aim of the presented empirical study was to investigate the practice of teaching assistants in supporting pupils with ASD attending mainstream schools in social inclusion. Moreover, the study focused on the question of teaching assistants' job readiness and the adequacy of methodical guidance provided to them by professionals.
In-depth interviews were conducted with ten teaching assistants from different schools located in the Czech Republic between March and July 2021. Thematic analysis was performed based on the data obtained from the interviews.
The findings of the study suggest that teaching assistants play crucial role in social inclusion of pupils with ASD attending mainstream schools. The study indicates that practical knowledge and training courses are considered to be the main source of knowledge according to the teaching assistants, whereas vocational training is seen as the secondary source of information.
Additionally, teaching assistants find the methodical guidance beneficial and functional. Expanding educational opportunities for teaching assistants, focused on specific techniques and practices for social inclusion of pupils with ASD attending mainstream schools, seems to be a useful future direction.