Examining the views of teachers and parents about autism awareness in a rural inclusive elementary school

Abstract

Objectives: Autism awareness is the foundation of understanding, accepting, and appreciating individuals with ASD and it plays a critical role in the provision of education for children with ASD. In Turkey, many children with ASD are enrolled in traditional general education public schools. Therefore, all teachers and typically developing children in these schools, along with all children’s parents, should have a good understanding of ASD. It is difficult to address autism awareness in countries like Turkey, where there is a gap in services and knowledge between rural and urban areas. Methods: The study focused on autism awareness in a rural Turkish elementary school. This case study included semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers and a questionnaire administered to 114 parents. Results: The findings suggest that both teachers and parents have a lack of autism awareness, which has the potential to adversely impact the education of students with ASD attending rural Turkish schools. Furthermore, these findings suggest that cultural factors may also have an impact on awareness in rural areas. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed. Conclusions: Cultural factors can affect autism awareness. Turkish rural culture is more interdependent than Turkish urban culture, so Turkish rural areas might have more cultural risk for children with ASD.