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GRADUATED STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND THEIR PARENTS: LIVED EXPERIENCES IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL

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Date Issued:
2011
Abstract/Description:
ABSTRACT With a dramatic increase in the prevalence of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome, educators are challenged to meet the educational needs of a complex and widely diverse group of exceptional learners. The focus of this research was to gain insight into the experiences of the graduated student with autism and his/her parent(s) during the student's time in public school. This study had three research questions: 1) What were the lived experiences of students with ASD who graduated from an urban public high school in the southeast United States?; 2) What were the lived experiences of the parents of the graduated students with ASD?; and, 3) Were there common themes between the graduated students' lived experiences and the parent's lived experiences? Five graduated students and their parents were interviewed in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Explicitation of the interview data identified three themes for the graduated student group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; and, c) involvement in their educational process. Four themes were present in the parent group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; c) establishment of a relationship with the school; and, d) preparation for post-secondary experiences. The graduated student group agreed with the parent group on 16 of the 20 interview questions. Responses for each graduated student were compared to the responses of his/her own parent(s). Recommendations were made for future research.
Title: GRADUATED STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND THEIR PARENTS: LIVED EXPERIENCES IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.
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Name(s): Uhle, Karen, Author
Martin, Suzanne, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2011
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: ABSTRACT With a dramatic increase in the prevalence of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome, educators are challenged to meet the educational needs of a complex and widely diverse group of exceptional learners. The focus of this research was to gain insight into the experiences of the graduated student with autism and his/her parent(s) during the student's time in public school. This study had three research questions: 1) What were the lived experiences of students with ASD who graduated from an urban public high school in the southeast United States?; 2) What were the lived experiences of the parents of the graduated students with ASD?; and, 3) Were there common themes between the graduated students' lived experiences and the parent's lived experiences? Five graduated students and their parents were interviewed in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Explicitation of the interview data identified three themes for the graduated student group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; and, c) involvement in their educational process. Four themes were present in the parent group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; c) establishment of a relationship with the school; and, d) preparation for post-secondary experiences. The graduated student group agreed with the parent group on 16 of the 20 interview questions. Responses for each graduated student were compared to the responses of his/her own parent(s). Recommendations were made for future research.
Identifier: CFE0003719 (IID), ucf:48801 (fedora)
Note(s): 2011-05-01
Ed.D.
Education, Department of Child Family and Community Sciences
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): autism
high functioning autism
Asperger syndrome
phenomenology
parents of children with ASD
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003719
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

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