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Prof. Dr. Mona Holmqvist

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Guest Editor

Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Kristianstad University, SE-Elmetorpsvägen 15, 291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
Interests: special education; autism spectrum disorders; teachers’ professional development; lesson and learning studies
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Dr. Kamilla Klefbeck

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Guest Editor

Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Kristianstad University, SE-Elmetorpsvägen 15, 291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
Interests: teaching and learning; pedagogy and education; interpersonal relationships; professional development; learning disabilities

Dr. Linda Petersson-Bloom

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Guest Editor

Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Kristianstad University, SE-Elmetorpsvägen 15, 291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
Interests: professional development; learning; pedagogy and education; teaching and learning; pedagogy; curriculum development; teaching experience; collaborative learning; educational evaluation; teaching materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to contribute with knowledge of how to enhance our understanding of teaching and learning for students with autism and/or developmental disorders. This Special Issue has a focus on classroom research, enhancing learning and education for students with autism and/or other developmental disorders, by the study of instruction both in inclusive and special schools. The invitation addresses both empirical and theoretical (review) papers, including a variety of theoretical frameworks and methodological designs. Focus is on education in pre-, primary and secondary school, as well as higher education. Papers on the implementation of, and testing different instructional designs, as well as tools to facilitate learning, are especially welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mona Holmqvist
Dr. Kamilla Klefbeck
Dr. Linda Petersson-Bloom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

autism
developmental disabilities
learning disabilities
special education

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

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13 pages, 493 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Use of Professional Development to Enhance Education of Students with Autism: A Systematic Review

by Linda Petersson-Bloom, Emma Leifler and Mona Holmqvist

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090966 - 21 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2033

Abstract

The study objective in this article was to present the state-of-the-art on teachers’ professional development to enhance educational quality for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in primary and secondary education. A systematic review was conducted, following the PRISMA guidelines. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies were eligible for inclusion. Fifteen studies were identified and summarized. To identify the eligibility criteria, we applied the SPIDER framework. Quality appraisal was applied using the MMAT. A thematic summary and narrative synthesis of the included studies was conducted to establish a comprehensive understanding of what makes a difference in preparation for teachers of autistic students. Two key factors were found regarding the design of professional development for teachers to enhance their skills to teach autistic students. Firstly, teachers’ developed autism-specific knowledge, and secondly, the need for practice-based training with a focus on the challenges teachers meet at their own schools. Multiple ways of addressing teachers’ need for professional development regarding autistic students may further contribute to inclusive values and actions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Perspectives on Education for Students with Autism Disorders)

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11 pages, 487 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Scoping Review of School-Based Strategies for Addressing Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Prediction in Autistic Pupils

by Anne Emerson and Debra Costley

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060575 - 02 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1911

Abstract

In a typical school day, young people need to do many tasks which rely on the ability to predict. Since prediction underpins cognitive and social skills, difficulties with prediction lead to multiple challenges to learning. In this review, we consider the evidence that autistic people often have difficulty making predictions about other people’s behaviour, or understanding what they are required to do, contributing to high rates of anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty. The focus of the review is to consider what we already know about effective strategies used by schools to support learning and social inclusion and to consider how we might build on these approaches. We propose a number of so far unexplored ideas with the potential to build predictive skills and which require evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Perspectives on Education for Students with Autism Disorders)

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Other

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13 pages, 1033 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Academic Skills in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Francesco Domenico Di Blasi, Angela Antonia Costanzo, Maria Finocchiaro, Maria Agatina Stimoli, Rosa Zuccarello, Serafino Buono, Raffaele Ferri and Pierluigi Zoccolotti

Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(10), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101026 - 12 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1991

Abstract

Background: A substantial proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also have an intellectual disability (ID). However, the academic achievement levels of students with ASD and ID (ASD-ID) are poorly documented and known. Method: We systematically reviewed studies on school skills (reading, spelling, and math) in children and adolescents with ASD-ID. The search was conducted in seven bibliographic databases: Embase, Pubmed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Ebscohost, Proquest, and Scopus until 28 May 2022. Results: We identified 33,750 reports, four of which met the inclusion criteria for the review. The studies, characterized by Level III evidence (non-randomized controlled trials), included 535 students, 266 in the ASD-ID group and 269 in the ASD-no ID group. A random-effects model meta-analysis revealed that students with ASD-ID had significantly lower reading, spelling, and math scores than students with ASD-no ID. The effect sizes associated with reading score differences were large, although with significant heterogeneity; similarly, the effect sizes associated with spelling and math score differences were also large, although to a lesser extent than for reading. Conclusions: The co-presence of ASD and ID is associated with significant deficits in reading, spelling, and math. However, the present meta-analytic results rest on a limited number of studies. This contrasts with the substantial proportion of children with ASD who have ID and highlights the need for further research to fill a significant gap regarding the profile of academic abilities of students with ASD-ID. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Perspectives on Education for Students with Autism Disorders)

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