Summary:
Teachers have always been one of the most important parts in children's lives, since they are “reference figures” for them, because they spend a large part of their day with them. Furthermore, teachers are an important element for the school itself. Without them, education cannot be understood. Last, but not least, teachers are also an important part of the family of students and especially for the family of a child with a disability. From a very early age, before the child starts attending school, his caregivers teach him/her that he/she must listen to and respect his/her teacher. This continues to exist throughout time, in various parts of the planet, because the role of the teacher is of decisive importance, both for the child and for the family, as well as his/her opinion, which continues to have value and importance.
Based on this, it is easy to understand that the opinions and perceptions held by teachers about disability and inclusive education are fundamental for improving or not the quality of life of disabled children, therefore also of children with autism. The way they perceive and approach autism, the means they use to communicate with these children, the pedagogical practices they apply in the classroom, the effort to ensure and promote cooperative and friendly relationships between classmates, but also the expectations and the demands that they themselves have from the students with autism, affect their educational course but also the later stages of their lives. For example, if a teacher treats kids with autism as inferior and unable to develop, they will treat them accordingly and at the same time make no effort to adopt and implement differentiated educational practices that will better meet their needs. The school in general is a microcosm of society. This means that it can promote diversity and embrace acceptance or reject previous concepts and move away from them. Depending on what he chooses to do he will also create children who will later enter society as adults applying what they have been taught.
In this paper, the views, and experiences of ten (10) teachers regarding autism were collected, analysed, and presented. Of the total sample, five (5) are of general education and the other five (5) of parallel support. To implement and complete the work, the qualitative research method was used, utilizing individual semi-structured interviews. Through this way, an attempt was made to collect and analyse the data. The interview guide consisted of four (4) main axes/key research questions and in total posed eighteen (18) questions to the interviewees.
Based on the analysis and findings from the survey, it is noted that most of the sample includes mainly medical terms, which indicates that the perceptions formed by the sample lean more towards the medical/individual model. Nevertheless, there have been examples of social interpretive approaches, confirming in this way the "division" and perhaps even the "internal conflict" in which teachers find themselves, being attached to the traditional way of thinking and learning and at the same time trying to escape from it. It is important to emphasize that the sample appeared to have formed a stereotype for people with autism, they are characterized as less communicative, with low social skills and the appearance of "problems" and "deficits" in the emotional and intellectual part. Regarding inclusion, they all seemed to be positive and emphasize its value and importance. Nevertheless, they seem to face several problems in practice, which are mainly related to lack of cooperation and insufficient information.
Finally, it was noted that the majority believes that society and the way it is structured deprives people with autism, but also people with disabilities in general, of the opportunity to participate in society. They emphasize that there is no meaningful day from the state, nor do they support both the children and their families, as well as the teachers themselves. They propose as suggestions for improvement the more substantial and active involvement of society and the authorities, in a way that is beneficial for children with autism and the formation of a program that will respond to the needs of all.
Keywords:
disability, autism, inclusive education, co-teaching, teachers, children.
