Instrumentality of communication between home and school in the educational development of children with autism

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to determine if communication between the home and school environment impacts on the academic development of a child with autism. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews. The experiences and perceptions of four parents of children with autism who attend secondary school provided a rich dataset. A deductive approach to data analysis identified four themes, each with two subthemes: (1) Parent Objective; (2) School Objective; (3) Additional Challenges; and (4) Experiences. The first three themes supported current literature but additional findings indicate that existing laws and policies are not being implemented. There was no literature on the fourth theme of Experiences and this may be of particular interest for future research. This study found that communication is essential for the child with autism to progress at school, however parents focus more on the progression of social skills rather than progression of academics.