Experience and Challenges in Setting up a Model - Mahasarakham ...
Experience and Challenges in Setting up a Model - Mahasarakham ...
Experience and Challenges in Setting up a Model - Mahasarakham ...
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International Journal of Educational Adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>and</strong> Development 2(2): 37-47, 2011<br />
ISSN: 1906-7992<br />
© 2011 <strong>Mahasarakham</strong> University<br />
<strong>Experience</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>in</strong> Sett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>up</strong><br />
a <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration Classroom for Children with Autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia<br />
Abstract<br />
Hasnah Toran<br />
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia<br />
Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts an <strong>in</strong>dividual’s social <strong>and</strong><br />
communication skills <strong>and</strong> also imag<strong>in</strong>ation. Research has found that the prevalence<br />
of autism has <strong>in</strong>creased dramatically. In Malaysia, doctors, psychologists <strong>and</strong> teachers<br />
have been report<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the number of children with autism <strong>in</strong> their cl<strong>in</strong>ics<br />
<strong>and</strong> classrooms. Among the barriers towards the provision of educational services for<br />
children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia are policies that do not s<strong>up</strong>port <strong>in</strong>clusive education for<br />
them, the lack of culturally appropriate screen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> assessment <strong>in</strong>strument, tra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
teachers on autism, <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>and</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g modules <strong>in</strong> the national language. A<br />
model demonstration classroom for children with autism has been set <strong>up</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Faculty<br />
of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to study “evidence-based practices” <strong>in</strong><br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia, provide a “h<strong>and</strong>s-on” model practicum site<br />
for preservice <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>service teachers <strong>and</strong> services for a gro<strong>up</strong> of children with autism.<br />
This paper discusses the background of this project, the structure of the class, research<br />
carried out <strong>in</strong> this project, challenges faced by the research team <strong>and</strong> the future plans<br />
for the classroom <strong>and</strong> its impact on the education of children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia.<br />
Keywords: <strong>Challenges</strong>, <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration Classroom<br />
Introduction<br />
Autism or as it is known<br />
cl<strong>in</strong>ically, Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a<br />
developmental disorder. Individuals with<br />
autism face three ma<strong>in</strong> challenges, which<br />
W<strong>in</strong>g dan Gould (1979) labeled as the<br />
triad of impairment. These impairments<br />
are impairments <strong>in</strong> social, communication<br />
<strong>and</strong> imag<strong>in</strong>ation (W<strong>in</strong>g & Gould, 1979).<br />
Even though this disorder is caused by<br />
biological factors, its diagnosis is done<br />
by observ<strong>in</strong>g behavioural criterions<br />
(American Psychiatric Association,<br />
2000).<br />
In terms of social impairments,<br />
children with autism do not use their<br />
po<strong>in</strong>ter f<strong>in</strong>ger to attract the attention of<br />
people around them towards an object of<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest. They also rarely or never br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
objects to show to their parents, show no
<strong>in</strong>terest to mix around with other children,<br />
do not imitate the actions of those around<br />
them <strong>and</strong> do not response when their<br />
names are called (Rob<strong>in</strong>s, Fe<strong>in</strong>, Barton, &<br />
Green, 2001; Osterl<strong>in</strong>g & Dawson, 1994).<br />
Meanwhile, <strong>in</strong> terms of<br />
communication impairments, a majority of<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals with autism have impairments<br />
<strong>in</strong> expressive communication (Mitchel et<br />
al., 2006) <strong>and</strong> there are those who are not<br />
able to be verbal at all (Fombonne, 1999).<br />
Therefore, <strong>in</strong> order to communicate, they<br />
use unconventional or weird behavior<br />
such as be<strong>in</strong>g aggressive, tantrumm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>and</strong> self-<strong>in</strong>jurious behavior (Wetherby,<br />
Woods, Allen, Cleary, Dickson & Lord,<br />
2004).<br />
In terms of impairments <strong>in</strong><br />
imag<strong>in</strong>ation, children with autism have<br />
a disability <strong>in</strong> underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g symbolic<br />
behavior or pretend play such as us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a play<strong>in</strong>g block as a car. They also face<br />
difficulties to use objects with its correct<br />
function (Dawson & Adams, 1984;<br />
Sigman & Ungerer, 1984; Wetherby et<br />
al., 1998; Wetherby & Prutt<strong>in</strong>g, 1984;<br />
W<strong>in</strong>g, Gould, Yates & Brierly, 1977).<br />
For example, while play<strong>in</strong>g with a car,<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead of push<strong>in</strong>g the car, they would<br />
only turn the tyre non stop. Due to this<br />
limited imag<strong>in</strong>ation, children with autism<br />
often repeat the same activities over <strong>and</strong><br />
over aga<strong>in</strong>, such as rock<strong>in</strong>g their bodies,<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g dan flapp<strong>in</strong>g their f<strong>in</strong>gers (Lord,<br />
1995).<br />
Recent research has shown that<br />
autism prevalence is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g at an<br />
alarm<strong>in</strong>g rate. In the 1990’s, the autism<br />
prevalence rate <strong>in</strong> the United States of<br />
America was 4 or 5 <strong>in</strong>cidents per 10,000<br />
births. In 2007, the prevalence rate <strong>in</strong><br />
this country <strong>in</strong>creased to 1 <strong>in</strong>cident per<br />
150 births (Center for Disease Control,<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
38<br />
2007). The prevalence rate for 2009<br />
was 1 <strong>in</strong>cident per 91 births (Kogan,<br />
Blumberg, Schieve, Boyle, Perr<strong>in</strong>,<br />
Gh<strong>and</strong>our, S<strong>in</strong>gh, Strickl<strong>and</strong>, Trevathan,<br />
van Dyck, 2009). In the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom,<br />
research shows that the autism prevalence<br />
rate is 1 <strong>in</strong>cident per 66 births (Baron-<br />
Cohen, Scott, Allison, Williams, Bolton,<br />
Matthews, & Brayne, 2009).<br />
The National Center on Birth<br />
Defects <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disabilities<br />
of U.S. (NCBDDD) estimates that the<br />
cost of educational programs for children<br />
with autism is between USD8,000 to<br />
USD30,000 per year. On the other h<strong>and</strong>,<br />
the cost of for residential programs is<br />
between USD80,000 to USD100,000 per<br />
year. The cost of educat<strong>in</strong>g a child with<br />
autism depends on the severity of his or<br />
her autism (NCBDDD, 2000).<br />
Even though the cause or causes<br />
of autism have not been determ<strong>in</strong>ed, there<br />
are evidences that show that autism is<br />
caused by various factors such as genetic,<br />
disturbance to the bra<strong>in</strong> development due<br />
to mother’s illness dur<strong>in</strong>g pregnancy or<br />
complications dur<strong>in</strong>g birth, parents’ or<br />
children’s exposure to toxic (Newschafter,<br />
et al. 2006). To summarize, the exact<br />
cause of autism is not yet known <strong>and</strong> there<br />
is no cure for autism.<br />
In the United States, the average<br />
age of diagnosis for children with autism<br />
is 3 or 4 years old (Filipek et al., 1999).<br />
Research has shown the effectiveness<br />
of <strong>in</strong>tensive early <strong>in</strong>tervention on a<br />
majority of children with autism (Dawson<br />
& Osterl<strong>in</strong>g, 1997; National Research<br />
Council, 2001). Intervention done before<br />
the age of 3.5 years old has a more positive<br />
impact as compared to <strong>in</strong>tervention done<br />
after the age of 5 (Fenske, Zalenski,<br />
Krantz, & McClannahan, 1985; Harris
& H<strong>and</strong>leman, 2000). For <strong>in</strong>tensive<br />
<strong>in</strong>tervention to produce positive impact<br />
to children with autism, the <strong>in</strong>tervention<br />
needs to be delivered at least 25 hours<br />
a week, 12 years a month, with a low<br />
student-teacher ratio, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g one-toone<br />
session (The American Academy of<br />
Pediatrics, 2009).<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the sudden <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong><br />
the prevalence of autism, the field has<br />
been bombarded with various strategies<br />
that are guaranteed to help children<br />
with autism to overcome their learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
difficulties. Thankfully a number of<br />
scientific research has been carried out<br />
to study the effectiveness of teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
strategies because it is very important<br />
that only scientifically proven effective<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g strategies are used <strong>in</strong> classrooms<br />
<strong>in</strong> order to ensure a bright future for them<br />
<strong>and</strong> to avoid wast<strong>in</strong>g educational funds<br />
(Simpson, 2004).<br />
Autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia<br />
A research on the prevalence<br />
of autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia was carried out<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2004 by the M<strong>in</strong>istry of Health. The<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g from this research suggest that<br />
the prevalence of autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia is 1<br />
<strong>in</strong>cident for every 600 births. This f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />
can be challenged due to the limitations<br />
<strong>in</strong> its methodology <strong>and</strong> there is a strong<br />
possibility that the prevalence is higher as<br />
reflected by the prevalence rate reported<br />
from other parts of the world. However,<br />
with 15 million children below the age<br />
of 15 <strong>in</strong> this country, it can be safely<br />
estimated that there are at least 20,000<br />
children below the age of 15 who have<br />
autism. This is a very big number <strong>and</strong><br />
if the prevalence is actually higher than<br />
this reported f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g, the actual number<br />
of children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia will<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
39<br />
be even higher. Apart from this research,<br />
doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, <strong>and</strong><br />
teachers have been report<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>crease<br />
<strong>in</strong> the number of children with autism <strong>in</strong><br />
their cl<strong>in</strong>ics <strong>and</strong> classrooms.<br />
There are many barriers towards<br />
the provision of educational services for<br />
children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia. Firstly,<br />
there is a lack of professionals <strong>in</strong> the<br />
mental health area. Currently, there are<br />
only approximately 263 psychiatrists <strong>in</strong><br />
Malaysia to serve a population of nearly<br />
27 million. As for psychiatrists, currently<br />
there are only 50 who are registered with<br />
the professional organization.<br />
Secondly, there is a lack of<br />
culturally appropriate assessment<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments for use with children who have<br />
mental issues. Currently, professionals<br />
are still us<strong>in</strong>g st<strong>and</strong>ardized assessment<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments that were constructed based<br />
on foreign culture <strong>and</strong> population. The<br />
lack of professionals <strong>in</strong> the mental<br />
health area <strong>and</strong> culturally appropriate<br />
assessment <strong>in</strong>struments has made it very<br />
difficult to identify, diagnose <strong>and</strong> serve<br />
children with autism <strong>in</strong> this country.<br />
For families who have managed to<br />
get their children diagnosed with autism,<br />
access<strong>in</strong>g early <strong>in</strong>tervention services is an<br />
<strong>up</strong>hill task. This difficulty is due to the<br />
fact that there are very limited number<br />
of centers provid<strong>in</strong>g early <strong>in</strong>tervention<br />
services for children with autism <strong>in</strong> this<br />
country. There is a grow<strong>in</strong>g dem<strong>and</strong><br />
for services <strong>and</strong> most centers have<br />
long wait<strong>in</strong>g lists. Centers for early<br />
<strong>in</strong>tervention services are mostly located <strong>in</strong><br />
big towns, mean<strong>in</strong>g limited accessibility<br />
to families especially those liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
rural areas.<br />
Another factor that is a barrier<br />
towards the provision of educational
services for children with autism <strong>in</strong><br />
Malaysia is the policy. In 2008, the<br />
Malaysian Parliament has passed <strong>in</strong>to law<br />
the People with Disabilities (PWD) Act.<br />
Article 28 of this Act states that people<br />
<strong>and</strong> children with disabilities have the<br />
right towards education. This statement<br />
means that the PWD 2008 Act s<strong>up</strong>ports<br />
the “Zero Reject” policy, that is schools<br />
do not have the right to reject the school<br />
application of any child, no matter what<br />
his or her level of ability.<br />
However, a number of schools<br />
authorities are still cl<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g to old<br />
discrim<strong>in</strong>atory practices set by the Special<br />
Education Regulation of 1997. This<br />
regulation states:<br />
“Only children who are<br />
“educable” will be accepted <strong>in</strong>to special<br />
education programs <strong>in</strong> government<br />
schools” (Regulation 3(1)).<br />
The M<strong>in</strong>istry of Education<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>s the clause ”educable” to mean<br />
children who are able to go to the<br />
bathroom on their own <strong>and</strong> manage<br />
themselves. With this clause, a majority<br />
of children with autism are sidel<strong>in</strong>ed from<br />
the public education system. Among the<br />
reasons why school authorities are still<br />
reluctant to practice the ”zero reject”<br />
policy is because most teachers are not<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ed on how to teach children with<br />
autism, especially the severe ones. There<br />
is also a dearth of teach<strong>in</strong>g modules that<br />
teachers can use to teach these children.<br />
Therefore, <strong>in</strong> order to help the<br />
Malaysian education system to progress<br />
towards the provision of free appropriate<br />
education for all children with autism,<br />
a model demonstration classroom has<br />
been set <strong>up</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Faculty of Education,<br />
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The<br />
ma<strong>in</strong> objectives of this classroom are to<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
40<br />
carry out research on “evidence-based<br />
practices” <strong>in</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g children with<br />
autism, provide a “h<strong>and</strong>s-on” model<br />
practicum site for preservice <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>service<br />
teachers <strong>and</strong> educational services for a<br />
gro<strong>up</strong> of children with autism. This model<br />
demonstration classroom is the first of<br />
its k<strong>in</strong>d set <strong>up</strong> <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>stitution of higher<br />
education <strong>in</strong> Malaysia.<br />
The Autism <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration<br />
Classroom<br />
The Autism <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration<br />
Classroom has started its operation s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
January 2009. This model classroom was<br />
set <strong>up</strong> with the Research University Grant<br />
with the amount of RM310,000.00 for the<br />
the period of 3 years. The class currently<br />
has 16 students aged between 3 to 16<br />
years old. There is only 1 girl <strong>and</strong> the rest<br />
are boys. The class has 7 teachers who are<br />
first degree holders <strong>in</strong> various fields such<br />
as Fishery, Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Management <strong>and</strong><br />
Political Science. Three of these teachers<br />
have a few years experience work<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
teachers <strong>in</strong> Special Education classes <strong>in</strong><br />
government schools on a contract basis.<br />
The class also has 2 teachers’ aides who<br />
have a college diploma <strong>in</strong> Educational<br />
Technology.<br />
The research team was unable<br />
to recruit teachers with first degrees<br />
<strong>in</strong> Special Education because students<br />
study<strong>in</strong>g this field are sponsored by<br />
the government <strong>and</strong> they are all posted<br />
to government schools once they<br />
graduated. This project is also unable to<br />
offer a better pay than the government<br />
schools. However, 5 of the teachers are<br />
currently pursu<strong>in</strong>g a Master’s degree <strong>in</strong><br />
Special Education <strong>and</strong> all of them are<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g research on autism as part of the<br />
requirement of their Master’s degree.
Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Lean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Demonstration Classroom<br />
Each student <strong>in</strong> the class has<br />
different strengths <strong>and</strong> needs. Therefore<br />
each child has different learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
objectives. To achieve these various<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g objectives, <strong>in</strong>dividual education<br />
plans (IEPs) are drawn for each student <strong>in</strong><br />
the class. The goals <strong>and</strong> objectives of these<br />
IEPs are set based on the decisions made<br />
by parents <strong>and</strong> teachers dur<strong>in</strong>g the IEP<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>gs which are held every 6 months.<br />
The Autism <strong>Model</strong> Classroom philosophy<br />
is based on the family centered approach,<br />
where families ultimately have the right to<br />
make decisions for the children’s future.<br />
The demonstration classroom<br />
strives to assist its students to develop<br />
physically, cognitively, socially <strong>and</strong><br />
emotionally. The daily activities <strong>in</strong> the<br />
classroom are structured to achieve these<br />
goals. The day beg<strong>in</strong>s at 9 with physical<br />
exercises. Limited research has been done<br />
on the effect of physical exercises on the<br />
development of children with autism.<br />
However, teachers <strong>in</strong> the classroom report<br />
that students focus on the learn<strong>in</strong>g tasks<br />
better after the exercise rout<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
Breakfast follows after the<br />
exercise session <strong>and</strong> after breakfast, the<br />
students have a “morn<strong>in</strong>g circle.” This<br />
activity <strong>in</strong>volves all teachers <strong>and</strong> students.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g this activity, children learn about<br />
the calendar, the weather, <strong>and</strong> other<br />
academic skills such as colors <strong>and</strong> shapes.<br />
Students particularly enjoy s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g action<br />
songs dur<strong>in</strong>g the circle time. They are also<br />
taught to make choices by choos<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
songs that they want to s<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The ma<strong>in</strong> objective of this activity<br />
is especially to promote the social skills<br />
of these children as they learn to take<br />
<strong>in</strong>structions <strong>in</strong> a gro<strong>up</strong>, wait for their turns,<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
41<br />
respond to their names, provide answers<br />
<strong>and</strong> perform gro<strong>up</strong> activities together.<br />
Teach<strong>in</strong>g these social skills is important<br />
<strong>in</strong> order to prepare these students to be<br />
ready for <strong>in</strong>clusive education <strong>in</strong> the near<br />
future.<br />
After the “morn<strong>in</strong>g circle”,<br />
students move to their <strong>in</strong>dividual desks<br />
for the <strong>in</strong>dividual learn<strong>in</strong>g session,<br />
where the teach<strong>in</strong>g strategy used is<br />
Structured Teach<strong>in</strong>g (Mesibov, Shea, &<br />
Schopler, 2007). This strategy applies<br />
visual schedules to enhance students’<br />
underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g of their learn<strong>in</strong>g task <strong>and</strong><br />
what they need to do to complete the task.<br />
The tasks assigned to them are suitable<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to their level of abilities.<br />
Examples of the tasks are f<strong>in</strong>e motor<br />
skill tasks such as button<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
cognitive skill tasks such as match<strong>in</strong>g<br />
objects, colors <strong>and</strong> shapes, <strong>and</strong> adaptive<br />
skill tasks such as arrang<strong>in</strong>g cutleries <strong>and</strong><br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g the table.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>dividual learn<strong>in</strong>g session<br />
ends at 12.30 noon. Students have their<br />
lunch <strong>and</strong> rest or nap afterwards. At 2<br />
p.m., an “afternoon circle” is held for an<br />
hour. After this activity, students get ready<br />
to go to the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool for their daily<br />
swim til 5.30 p.m. <strong>and</strong> they go home.<br />
Ma<strong>in</strong> Research at the <strong>Model</strong><br />
Demonstration Classroom<br />
There are several studies tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
place at the model demonstration<br />
classroom. The ma<strong>in</strong> research is on<br />
the effectiveness of autism teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
strategies <strong>and</strong> the best way to implement<br />
these strategies <strong>in</strong> Malaysian school<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>gs. Three major approaches <strong>in</strong><br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g children with autism are<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestigated. They are Structured
Teach<strong>in</strong>g (Mesibov, Shea, & Schopler,<br />
2007), Discrete Trial Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Pivotal<br />
Response Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g (Koegel & Koegel,<br />
2007). This research is still underway.<br />
Action Research<br />
An action research has also been<br />
carried out to study the impact of hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“h<strong>and</strong>s-on” experience work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
model demonstration classroom on the<br />
knowledge <strong>and</strong> attitude of preservice<br />
teachers on autism <strong>and</strong> children with<br />
autism. This research also hopes to<br />
<strong>in</strong>vestigate the benefits <strong>and</strong> challenges<br />
<strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g practicum experience for<br />
preservice teachers, namely undergraduate<br />
students major<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Special Education at<br />
the faculty.<br />
Two gro<strong>up</strong>s of third year Special<br />
Education tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to become Learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Disabilities teachers were <strong>in</strong>vited to<br />
volunteer <strong>in</strong> the classroom for 2 hours<br />
each week for a whole semester. At<br />
the end of the semester, these students<br />
were <strong>in</strong>terviewed to get their <strong>in</strong>put<br />
regard<strong>in</strong>g their experience.<br />
This research has reached the<br />
stage of analyz<strong>in</strong>g the f<strong>in</strong>al data. Initial<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs show positive response from the<br />
preservice teachers <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the study.<br />
Majority of them th<strong>in</strong>k that the model<br />
demonstration classroom is an excellent<br />
platform for them to apply the theoretical<br />
knowledge that they have learnt <strong>in</strong> their<br />
lectures. Apart from this, they also th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
that their experience <strong>in</strong> the classroom<br />
prepares for the realities of h<strong>and</strong>l<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
special education classroom <strong>in</strong> the future.<br />
Based on this positive f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
efforts are now be<strong>in</strong>g taken to have<br />
undergraduate Special Education students<br />
undergo experience work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> this<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
42<br />
classroom as part of their formal learn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
<strong>Experience</strong> at the classroom will be very<br />
valuable for these students as this is the<br />
only place <strong>in</strong> the country where they can<br />
experience a classroom where evidencebased<br />
strategies <strong>in</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g children with<br />
autism are be<strong>in</strong>g applied.<br />
Research on teachers’ knowledge <strong>and</strong><br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g on autism<br />
In order to underst<strong>and</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
needs of special education teachers with<br />
regards to autism, a research has also been<br />
carried out to <strong>in</strong>vestigate their knowledge<br />
<strong>and</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g that they have received<br />
on autism. Respondents <strong>in</strong> this study were<br />
more than 100 special education teachers.<br />
Among the ma<strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs of this research<br />
was that respondents reported that their<br />
knowledge of autism is low <strong>and</strong> they<br />
acknowledged that they need more<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. In terms of<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, respondents stated that they<br />
receive more <strong>in</strong>formation on autism<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g rather than<br />
preservice tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs from this<br />
research could be used to design better<br />
preservice ad <strong>in</strong>service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programs<br />
for special education teachers.<br />
These f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs also s<strong>up</strong>port the<br />
need for the establishment of the autism<br />
model demonstration classroom for use<br />
as a tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g site for both preservice <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>service teachers. This research has been<br />
completed <strong>and</strong> it has been published <strong>in</strong><br />
the Malaysian Journal of Education.<br />
Research on the experience <strong>and</strong> needs<br />
of parents who have children with<br />
autism<br />
One of the major paradigm<br />
shifts <strong>in</strong> Special Education is the family
centered approach. The ma<strong>in</strong> tenet of this<br />
approach is the important role that family<br />
play <strong>in</strong> the live of children with disability.<br />
As such, services should not just focus<br />
on the needs of the child with disability<br />
but also <strong>in</strong>clude the needs of the family<br />
<strong>in</strong> order to empower them to be more<br />
effective <strong>in</strong> help<strong>in</strong>g the child to progress.<br />
Therefore it is very important to<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> families <strong>and</strong> their needs <strong>in</strong><br />
order to provide services accord<strong>in</strong>gly. In<br />
order to improve services for families of<br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
43<br />
children with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia, research<br />
is needed to better underst<strong>and</strong> experience<br />
<strong>and</strong> needs of families who have children<br />
with autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysia. This qualitative<br />
research is still underway; data has<br />
been collected by <strong>in</strong>terview<strong>in</strong>g families.<br />
Currently the data is be<strong>in</strong>g analyzed by<br />
cod<strong>in</strong>g the emerg<strong>in</strong>g themes found <strong>in</strong> the<br />
data.<br />
Other research carried out by<br />
graduate students at the classroom are<br />
listed <strong>in</strong> the table below:<br />
Graduate Students’ Research by <strong>in</strong> the Autism <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration Classroom<br />
No Research Title Study<br />
level<br />
1 The Impact of Sight Word Instruction <strong>and</strong> Discrete<br />
Trial Teach<strong>in</strong>g on the Read<strong>in</strong>g Achievement of Students<br />
with Autism<br />
2 The Application of Structured Teach<strong>in</strong>g to Teach<br />
Children with Autism <strong>in</strong> Malaysian Schools<br />
3 The Effect of Visual Schedules on the Behaviour of<br />
Children with Autism<br />
4 A Case Study of Inclusive Education for a Child with<br />
Autism <strong>in</strong> a Primary School<br />
5 Us<strong>in</strong>g Discrete Trial Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to Teach Children with<br />
Autism to Read<br />
6 Prepar<strong>in</strong>g Individual Education Plans for Students with<br />
Autism <strong>in</strong> the UKM Autism <strong>Model</strong> Demonstration<br />
Classroom<br />
7 The Effect of the Picture Exchange System (PECs) on<br />
the Communication of Children with Autism<br />
8 A Case Study on a Behaviour Modification Program<br />
on the Aggressive Behaviour of a Child with Autism<br />
9 Inclusive Education for a Child with Autism <strong>in</strong><br />
Preschool<br />
10 An Action Research on The Application of Structured<br />
Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a Classroom for Students with Autism<br />
Name<br />
PhD Saroya Yahya<br />
PhD Siti Barokah Kasran<br />
PhD Mohd. Suffian<br />
Noord<strong>in</strong><br />
Master Zulkarna<strong>in</strong> Umar<br />
Master Hasnilyatulyusnita<br />
Mohd. Yunus<br />
Master Fadliana Chiri<br />
Master Salmiah Bujang<br />
Master Mohd. Amir Azlan<br />
Che Omar<br />
Master Nor Nadia Mohd<br />
Razali<br />
Master Norabisah Sud<strong>in</strong>
<strong>Challenges</strong><br />
IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
The ma<strong>in</strong> challenge faced by the<br />
demonstration classroom is fund<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The current fund<strong>in</strong>g has ended <strong>and</strong> the<br />
classroom has to depend on contributions<br />
from the public to pay the teachers’<br />
salary <strong>and</strong> purchase teach<strong>in</strong>g materials.<br />
Disabilities <strong>in</strong> Malaysia are viewed<br />
from the welfare model of disability,<br />
therefore the need to carry out research<br />
on disabilities is not understood by the<br />
society. As there is little fund<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
disabilities to beg<strong>in</strong> with <strong>in</strong> Malaysia,<br />
there is more emphasis on fund<strong>in</strong>g service<br />
provision rather than research.<br />
At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of the research<br />
project, difficulties <strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g tra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
teachers <strong>in</strong> special education <strong>and</strong> autism<br />
was a major challenge. Students who<br />
graduate with a degree <strong>in</strong> Special<br />
Education are all employed by the<br />
government to teach <strong>in</strong> schools. Therefore<br />
all teachers <strong>and</strong> teacher’s aides <strong>in</strong> the<br />
model demonstration classroom do not<br />
have qualifications <strong>in</strong> Special Education.<br />
However, after 2 years of work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
classroom with cont<strong>in</strong>uous tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g by<br />
the research team, the teachers have<br />
shown highly satisfactory progress <strong>in</strong><br />
their teach<strong>in</strong>g abilities. Their progress<br />
is further spurred by a 6-weeks tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
implemented by a master Special<br />
Education teacher with thirty years<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g experience from the United<br />
States of America.<br />
As teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g has to be<br />
implemented at the same time as the<br />
operation of the classroom, the research<br />
team has decided that the teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
strategies that were to be <strong>in</strong>vestigated will<br />
be implemented one at a time <strong>and</strong> not all<br />
at one go.<br />
This <strong>in</strong>itial restra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> resources<br />
44<br />
turns out to be a lear<strong>in</strong>g curve to the<br />
research team. The first teach<strong>in</strong>g strategy<br />
that was chosen to be implemented was<br />
Structured Teach<strong>in</strong>g. This strategy has<br />
proven to be very successful, the teachers<br />
found it easy to be implemented <strong>and</strong> it<br />
has helped the classroom to be structured<br />
result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the smooth runn<strong>in</strong>g of the<br />
classroom. The lesson thus learnt from<br />
this implementation was that this strategy<br />
may be the most suitable for use <strong>in</strong><br />
Malaysian special education classrooms,<br />
where teachers have little <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
<strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g on autism. A research<br />
is currently underway to <strong>in</strong>vestigate<br />
the effect of implement<strong>in</strong>g Structured<br />
Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Special Education classrooms<br />
<strong>in</strong> government schools.<br />
Another major challenge to this<br />
project is the lack of space. As the fund<strong>in</strong>g<br />
received was small <strong>and</strong> space limited, the<br />
research team had no choice but to set <strong>up</strong><br />
the classroom <strong>in</strong> a build<strong>in</strong>g that used to be<br />
a cafeteria. The lack of space has h<strong>in</strong>dered<br />
the implementation of teach<strong>in</strong>g strategy<br />
that was to be implemented. The research<br />
team is currently try<strong>in</strong>g to raise funds<br />
to build a center that will be spacious<br />
enough where teach<strong>in</strong>g strategies can be<br />
implemented successfully.<br />
The f<strong>in</strong>al challenge of this<br />
research project is the complexity of<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g research <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g not only with<br />
children who autism, but also their<br />
families. The research team itself has to<br />
equipt itself with effective coomunication<br />
<strong>and</strong> collaborative skills <strong>in</strong> order to work<br />
with parents. Teachers not only have<br />
to be tra<strong>in</strong>ed to work with the students<br />
with autism, but they also have to be<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ed to work with parents <strong>and</strong> under<br />
graduate students who come to volunteer<br />
at the classroom. However, the efforts
to overcome this challenge have led to<br />
improved <strong>and</strong> effective coomunication<br />
<strong>and</strong> collaborative skills among the<br />
research team <strong>and</strong> teachers. The <strong>in</strong>sights<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>ed from work<strong>in</strong>g with students with<br />
autism, parents <strong>and</strong> under graduate<br />
students have been valuable<br />
Conclusion<br />
There is a high dem<strong>and</strong> for<br />
quality autism educational service. For<br />
example, the autism model demonstration<br />
classroom has been bombarded with<br />
request from parents to have their children<br />
with autism to be enrolled there. However,<br />
due to constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> terms of fund<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
space <strong>and</strong> manpower, these requests<br />
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IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />
45<br />
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