Teacher perceptions of social skills instruction for students with Aspergers Syndrome
| dc.contributor.author | Lent, Diane Powell, author | |
| dc.contributor.author | Makela, Carole, advisor | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-03-13T20:12:22Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-03-13T20:12:22Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study explores special education teachers' perceptions and practices in the implementation of social skills instruction in their classrooms with students who have Aspergers Syndrome. Aspergers Syndrome is a neurological disorder that presents itself with deficits in social communication, imagination, and interaction. Although students with Aspergers are generally successful in academic subjects, they lack the social skills necessary to communication and interact with others. Poor outcomes in school and later in life are often noted. Social skills training is defined as learned behaviors that are necessary to interact with adults and peers successfully in a majority of social situations including schools and community. Unlike most "typical" students, students with Aspergers Syndrome need instruction in social skills to be successful. Researchers have documented programs as well as strategies and interventions that have increased social skills behaviors of students on the autism spectrum. This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with ten special education teachers. The findings indicated teachers believe social skills instruction to be as important as academic instruction for students with Aspergers Syndrome. The majority of teachers indicated that a combination of direct and indirect instruction would be best for students with AS with six teachers providing the combination. Teachers reported it was difficult to incorporate social skills instruction into the classroom schedule since high stakes testing has increased their instructional focus on drill and practice strategies for testing. The majority of teachers used non academic periods in the school day, such as recess or lunch to implement social skills instruction. Teachers who provided special education services to their students in self-contained and resource settings were more likely to directly teach social skills to their students with AS than teachers in a co-teaching setting. Support from administrators and regular and special education teachers were reported as factors that enhance the implementation of social skills instruction. Parental advocacy was considered to play an important role in teachers' implementation of social skills for students with AS. | |
| dc.format.medium | born digital | |
| dc.format.medium | doctoral dissertations | |
| dc.identifier | ETDF_Lent_2008_3332736.pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10217/237841 | |
| dc.language | English | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.publisher | Colorado State University. Libraries | |
| dc.relation.ispartof | 2000-2019 | |
| dc.rights | Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright. | |
| dc.rights.license | Per the terms of a contractual agreement, all use of this item is limited to the non-commercial use of Colorado State University and its authorized users. | |
| dc.subject | Aspergers syndrome | |
| dc.subject | autism | |
| dc.subject | educators' perceptions | |
| dc.subject | instruction | |
| dc.subject | social skills instruction | |
| dc.subject | special education | |
| dc.subject | teacher attitudes | |
| dc.subject | perceptions | |
| dc.subject | college students | |
| dc.subject | mental disorders | |
| dc.title | Teacher perceptions of social skills instruction for students with Aspergers Syndrome | |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dcterms.rights.dpla | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Education | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Colorado State University | |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) |
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