How to facilitate the educational inclusion of students with autism: learning from the experience of teachers in Spain

• Date: 27 February 2023
• Pages: 787-804
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-02-2022-0034
• Published date: 27 February 2023
• Author: Yolanda Muñoz-Martínez,Cecilia Simon Rueda,MªLuz M. Fernández-Blázquez

How to facilitate the educational

inclusion of students with autism:

learning from the experience

of teachers in Spain

Yolanda Mu~

noz-Mart



ınez

Facultad de Educacion, Universidad de Alcala, Guadalajara, Spain, and

Cecilia Simon Rueda and MªLuz M. Fern

andez-Bl

azquez

Facultad de Psicolog



ıa, Universidad Aut

onoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Purpose –This study analyses the barriers and facilitators for the educational inclusion of students with

autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of their teachers.

Design/methodology/approach –A qualitative methodologywas applied, specifically a multiple case study

from which 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers who had worked previously with students with

ASD. The participants were Spanish teachers from different educational stages (from early childhood education to

baccalaureate) and withdifferent roles (ordinary classroomteachers and supportteachers).

Findings –The results show that collaboration amongst teachers, their attitudes, the way of understanding

the supports, the creation of collaboration between students and the organisation of both the school and the

classroom are important for the inclusion of students with ASD. The analyses and discussion of the facilitators

for the inclusion of these students are especially relevant, since they provide useful guidance for teachers who

want to respond to the right of these students to an inclusive education.

Research limitations/implications –The limitations and future research lines of this study are related to

the logic of amplitude and depth, respectively. Regarding amplitude, the authors highlighted the importance of

gathering the voices of professionals committed to the development of more inclusive practices; however, the

authors also identified the need to expand the listening to the voices of teachers who do not have such

experience. This raises a possible future research line: to explore how to reach teachers with no experience in

inclusive education in order to contribute to the transformation of their practice.

Practical implications –There is extensive knowledge within the classrooms, which the authors aimed to

demonstratein this study, with the hopethat others can learn from it.The obtained results areuseful to every

teacherwho wishes to createan inclusive school.In agreement with theconsideration of inclusive educationas a

process, this investigation identified strategies and resources that facilitate the learning and participation of

studentswith ASD, as well as barriersthat must be tackledto advance in this regard.

Originality/value –The authors aimed to contribute to understanding the advances in the development of the

right to inclusive education. To this end, the authors gatheredthe voices of teachers (those from the ordinary

classroomand those considered “support teachers”)from regular schools that welcome students withASD and

whichhad a history ofcommitment tothe developmentof more inclusiveeducation. Thereis extensiveknowledge

within the classrooms, which the authors aimed to demonstrate in this study, with the hope that others can learn

from it. Theobtained results areuseful to every teacherwho wishes to create aninclusive school.

Keywords Autism, Educational stages, Inclusion, Inclusive education, Students with autism spectrum syndrome

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

The advances in the right of all students to inclusive education without exclusion have

become an international challenge (UNESCO, 2015). However, the data about the progress

Educational

inclusion of

students with

autism

787

This work wasfunded by the Ministryof Economy and Competitivity (KnowledgeGeneration Projects–

State Plan 2021–2023), reference number PID2021-124951OB-100, in the project: “Towardsuniversaldesign

for social participation: a multiple case study on implementing and impr oving social participation from an

inclusive perspective”.

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-7149.htm

Received 10 February 2022

Revised 17 June 2022

26 July 2022

1 September 2022

Accepted 18 January 2023

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 42 No. 6, 2023

pp. 787-804

© Emerald Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-02-2022-0034

made and the long way to go in response to this challenge (UNESCO, 2020a) show the need

to double the effort from all education systems. The analysis of the realityregarding this

right highlights, once again, the groups of students in situations of special vulnerability,

including students with disabilities (UNESCO, 2020a). Amongst the latter, those with

autism spectrum disorder (ASD) constitute one of the groups of students whose inclusion

concerns teachers the most, especially when they have more support needs (Cassimos et al.,

2015;Humphrey and Symes, 2013). Due to this situation, the families of ASD students face

multiple dilemmas when making decisions about their schooling (Marshall and

Goodall, 2015).

According to the UNESCO (2017), inclusion is “a process that helps to overcome barriers

limiting the presence, participation and achievement of learners”(p. 7). There are three main

elements in this definition: the consideration of inclusion as a process, three key interrelated

dimensions(presence, participation andachievement) and the unavoidable dutyof revising the

existing barriers (in this case, in schools) and implementing processes to face them. In this line,

Tiernan (2021) highlights that “key to successful development of inclusive education is a

pragmaticunderstanding of full inclusion, which supportsthe inclusion of students with their

peers in the mainstream classroom setting, but critically, does not limit where specialised

interventions and supports can occur in the school setting”(p. 7). This aspect is emphasised by

authors with a long tradition in the implementation of a full inclusion model in Canada (Aucoin

et al., 2020). They point out that “the use of the term ‘common learning environment’in their

context, helped dispel the misperception that inclusion is having every learner in a regular

classroom all the time, no matter what the circumstances are”(p . 6). In short, it is clear that

presence is an essential but not sufficient element, and that it must be accompanied by Ainscow’s

(2020b) definition of what inclusive education is, as a principle that supports and welcomes

diversity amongst all learners [...] As such, it starts from the belief that education is a basic

human right and the foundation for a more just society. Hence, the emphasis is on equity, which

implies a concern with fairness (p. 9). This approach to inclusive education that we share,

involves putting in place strategies for teacher professional development, taking into account

that teacher education is a key predictor of positive attitudes towards inclusive education

(Laletas et al., 2022), the development of inclusive leaders and organisational models for schools

that make it possible (Sim

on et al., 2021). Furthermore, quality teacher training in inclusive

pedagogy is fundamental to the inclusion of students with ASD and teachers’perceived self-

efficacy (Vorl



ı

cek, 2022;Gonz

alez de Rivera et al., 2022).

The present study is especial ly focussed on the analysis of the barriers that hin der such

process, as well as on those fac tors that facilitate it. Bar riers and facilitators are si des or

poles of a dialectical and multifaceted con struct, in the same way as inclusion and exclusion

(Booth and Ainscow, 2016). Where can these barriers be found? As was stated by Booth and

Ainscow (2016), barriers c an be found in the different levels or di mensions of schools, acting

interdependently: in the ir cultures (values, agree d or disagreed principles w ithin the

educational community, et c.), in their policies (dec isions related to the organ isation of the

school, ways of organising the supports, etc.) and in the teaching practices, that is, actions

aimed at promoting the learni ng and participation of studen ts in the classroom, with the

latter being understood from the perspective of emotional and social well-being (Sim

on

et al., 2019).

As was pointed out by the IBE-UNESCO (2016), it is necessary to collect, collate and

evaluate evidence about the existing barriers in order to plan for improvements in policy and

practice. In this process, gathering the voices of those involved (teachers, families and

students) is fundamental (Ainscow, 2020a;Messiou, 2019).

The present study analyses the barriers and facilitators that, from the perspective of

teachers who work with ASD students in ordinary schools, can limit or facilitate the inclusion

of these students. Common barriers associated with students with ASD have to do with

EDI

42,6

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