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The Inclusion of Children with Autism in Day Care Centers: Staff Perceptions, Attitudes, and Knowledge

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Abstract

The continued increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has important implications for early childhood educational settings. The deficits and difficulties associated with ASD can pose challenges for the inclusion of children with this diagnosis within mainstream child care settings. Research primarily conducted within school settings has identified several factors, such as teachers’ education and experience, that affect the quality of inclusion of this population. The present study adopted a mixed-method (i.e., quantitative and qualitative) design to investigate early childhood educational personnel’s attitudes toward inclusive education, their knowledge of autism, and their perceptions of obstacles and facilitators to the inclusion of children with autism. Overall, participants presented generally favorable attitudes toward inclusive education and the inclusion of children with autism. Child care educators and administrators alike had somewhat limited knowledge of autism. Participants identified major obstacles to inclusion related to the lack of human resources, but also indicated that available resources were a major facilitator. Findings indicate the importance of including coursework on autism and evidence-based practices in managing challenging behavior within the curriculum for early childhood educators, as well as a need for clear inclusion policies that adequately correspond to the needs of children and educational personnel.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants and Mrs. Catherine Mello, PhD. for the help she provided with the translation of this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by scholarships to Catalina Mejia-Cardenas from the Institut Universitaire en Déficience intellectuelle et en Trouble du spectre de l’autisme and from the Fonds de recherche Inclusion sociale. Additional financial support to Mélina Rivard was provided by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé (research scholar – junior 2). However, the funding sources have no involvement in any of the steps for the conduct of the research or the article publication.

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  1. Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, QC, H2X 1C3, Canada

    Catalina Mejia-Cardenas, Mélina Rivard & Zakaria Mestari

  2. Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Catalina Mejia-Cardenas

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  1. Catalina Mejia-Cardenas
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Correspondence to Catalina Mejia-Cardenas.

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Mejia-Cardenas, C., Rivard, M. & Mestari, Z. The Inclusion of Children with Autism in Day Care Centers: Staff Perceptions, Attitudes, and Knowledge. Early Childhood Educ J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01628-6

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