The inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools is a global trend. The inclusion of children with special educational needs in these schools has been the subject of ongoing research and discussion in recent decades. Inclusion as a concept is concerned with the provision of education throughout the student world. Its most important condition is the transformation of schools into ready-made structures so that they can integrate all kinds of students. So, the purpose of the research is to explore the integration of children with autism in the general school class. More specifically, the views of general and special education teachers regarding the integration of students with ASD will be studied. The sample consisted of eighty-five (85) primary school teachers, including as a factor their knowledge in the inclusion of children with autism in general school. The quantitative approach was used to investigate these views and the questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The results of the research process show that teachers have a positive attitude towards the inclusion of children with autism in general school. According to them, they believe that the integration in the general school will benefit them more in their socialization but also in the learning process.
Cite this paper
Paraskevi, G. (2021). The Inclusion of Children with Autism in the Mainstream School Classroom. Knowledge and Perceptions of Teachers and Special Education Teachers. Open Access Library Journal, 8, e7855. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107855.
Mastrogiannis, A. and Xanthopoulou, E. (2015) Management and Treatment of Autism through Parallel Support Procedures. Proceedings of the 5th Panhellenic Conference of Educational Sciences, Athens, 19-21 June 2015, 1-19.
https://eproceedings.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/edusc/article/view/160/126
Antoniou, A.S., Geralexis, I. and Charitaki, G. (2017) Special Educators’ Teaching Self-Efficacy Determination: A Quantitative Approach. Psychology, 8, 1642-1656.
https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.811108
Charitaki, G., Soulis, S.G. and Tyropoli, R. (2019) Academic Self-Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Principal Components Analysis. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 1-18.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2019.1640353
Kourkoutas, H. (2010) Inclusion Policies and Modern Special Education: Theoretical Issues and Empirical Studies. Laboratory of Intercultural and Immigration Studies, Rethymnon.
Avramidis, I. and Dialektaki, K. (2010) Changing Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusion: From the Ideology of Authority to the Authentic Application of Inclusive Education. Pedio, Athens.
Law 3699/2008 (Government Gazette 199-A-2-10-2008) Special Education and Training of Persons with Disabilities or Special Educational Needs.
http://www.pi-schools.gr
Deropoulou-Derou, E. (2012) Assessing the Course of Legislative Changes Thirty Years after the Enactment of the First Law on Special Education in Greece. In: Zoniou-Sideris, A., Ed., Parallel Support for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 161 A. Deropoulou-Derou and A. Vlachou-Balafouti (Eds.) Disability and Educational Policy, Pedio, Athens, 123-151.
Karagianni, P. (2004) Educational Practices for the Integration of Children with Special Educational Needs in the General School. Ellinika Grammata, Athens.
Avramidis, I., Antoniou, A., S., Garanis, A., Goudiras, D., Efstathiou, M., Darais, K., Zymbrakakis, I., Kampoli, G., Koukouta, A., Kousoureta, N., Liontou, G., Messaritakis, V., Bakopoulou, G., Nanou, A., Panera, A., X., Patsidou-Iliadou, M., Soulis, S., Symeonidou, S., Tsipouras, S., Ftiaka, E., Chariopolitou, A. and Saridou, Ch. (2013) From Special Education to Inclusive Education: From School to a Society for All. Graphima, Thessaloniki.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth Edition Revised, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, Washington DC.
American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition Revised, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, Washington DC. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Nova, Ch. (2015) Comparative Approach to the Aggressive Behavior of Children with Autism in School Age. Proceedings of the 5th Panhellenic Conference of Educational Sciences, Athens, 19-21 June 2015, 1-17.
https://eproceedings.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/edusc/article/viewFile/244/209
Seretopoulos, K., Lamnisos, D. and Giannakou, K. (2020) The Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Archives of Greek Medicine, 37, 169-180.
http://mail.mednet.gr/archives/2020-2/pdf/169.pdf
Ioannidis, V. and Kalokairinou-Anagnostopoulou, A. (2010) Special Education and Training: An Approach for Education Executives and Health Professionals. Beta Medical Publications, Athens.
Vogiatzi, X.A., Charitaki, G. and Kourkoutas, E. (2021) Assessing Psychometric Properties of the Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale in a Greek-Speaking Sample of In-Service Teachers. Tech Know Learn.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-021-09554-x
Kaiseroglou, N. (2010) People with Special Educational Needs (PWD) in General Education Schools in Primary Education: Issues and Possibilities of Internal Educational Policy. Private Edition, Thessaloniki.
Bania, F., Antoniou, A.S., Theodoritsi, M., Theodoritsi, I., Charitaki, G. and Billis, E. (2019) Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale (IDPS): Translation and Cross- Cultural Validation in Greek. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43, 1-8.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1643420
Bania, F., Gianniki, M., Giannakoudi, S. and Charitaki, G., Matzaroglou, C. and Billis, E. (2020) The Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale (IDPS): Evidencing Construct Validity with Factor Analysis and Measurement Invariance in Greek-Speaking Healthcare Students. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1-11.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1850890
Magaliou, E. and Tsakpini, K. (2007) Educational Interventions for the Integration of People with Autism in School and in the Workplace-Structured Teaching. Graphima, Thessaloniki.
Laze, S. (2019) Knowledge and Perceptions of Teachers of General and Special Education for the Integration of Children with Autism in the Regular Class of the General School. Postgraduate Work. University of Patras, Patras.
Nerantzidou, A. (2011) Children with Autism in Integration Classes: Views and Experiences of Kindergarten Teachers. Postgraduate Work. University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki. http://ikee.lib.auth.gr/record/127182/files/GRI-2011-7220.pdf
Exarchou, E. (2020) The Education of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): The Views-Perceptions of General and Special Education Teachers about the Inclusion-Co-Education of Students with ASD in the Formal Education Class in General Education Schools. Postgraduate Work. University of Ioannina, Ioannina.
https://olympias.lib.uoi.gr/jspui/bitstream/123456789/29741/1/%CE%20%9C.%CE%20%95.%20%CE%95%CE%9E%CE%91%CE%A1%CE%A7%CE%9F%CE%A5%20%CE%95%CE%A5%CE%91%CE%93%CE%93%CE%95%CE%9B%CE%99%CE%91%202020.pdf
Majoko, T. (2018) Inclusion of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Mainstream Primary School Classrooms: Zimbabwean Teacher’s Experiences, University of South Africa. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1196716.pdf
Bosch, M.E. (2016) Examining the Attitudes of Secondary General Education and Special Education Teachers toward Inclusion of Children with Autism in General Education Classrooms. Barton College, Barton.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1129703.pdf
Tsiolis, G. (2011) The Relationship between Qualitative and Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences: From the War of “Examples” to Complex Approaches. Pedio, Athens.
Vassileiou, E. and Charitaki, G. (2016) Investigating the Views of the Teachers of General Class for the Integration of Students with Special Learning Needs. Pan- Hellenic Conference on Education Sciences, Vol. 1, 236-248.
Antoniou, A.S. (2006) Ethical Requirements and Codes of Ethics against Conducting Research in a Psychological Field. Journal of Philosophy, 1, 68-81.
https://file:///C:/Users/700B~1/AppData/Local/Temp/22650-59651-1-PB.pdf
Tzivinikou, S., Charitaki, G. and Kagkara, D. (2020) Distance Education Attitudes (DEAS) during Covid-19 Crisis: Factor Structure, Reliability and Construct Validity of the Brief DEA Scale in Greek-Speaking SEND Teachers. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26, 461-479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-020-09483-1
