11.12.2012 Views

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 ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

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 />

References<br />

IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />

45<br />

sadly, have to be turned down. Therefore,<br />

<strong>in</strong> order for this research project to<br />

have a positive impact on children with<br />

autism, <strong>in</strong> the state of Selangor, where the<br />

university is, if not the whole country, this<br />

research project is ready to launch <strong>in</strong>to its<br />

second phase. This phase will <strong>in</strong>clude the<br />

implement<strong>in</strong>g of Structured Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 3<br />

Special Education classrooms <strong>in</strong> schools<br />

<strong>in</strong> Selangor, the publication of books for<br />

the benefit of parents <strong>and</strong> teachers <strong>and</strong> a<br />

parent education project. However, the<br />

future of this classroom h<strong>in</strong>ges <strong>up</strong>on its<br />

f<strong>in</strong>ancial well be<strong>in</strong>g. It is hoped that this<br />

classroom will survive for the sake of a<br />

better future for children with autism <strong>in</strong><br />

this country.<br />

American Psychiatric Association, (2000). Miller, W. R. (Ed.). (2000). Integrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

spirituality <strong>in</strong>to treatment: Resources for practitioners.<br />

Baron-Cohen, S., Scott, F.J., Allison, C., Williams, J., Bolton, P., Matthews, F.E., &<br />

Brayne, C. (2009). Prevalence of autism-spectrum conditions: U.K. schoolbased<br />

population study.<br />

The British Journal of Psychiatry 194:500-509.<br />

Center for Disease Control. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders --- Autism <strong>and</strong><br />

Developmental Disabilities Monitor<strong>in</strong>g Network, 14 Sites, 2002. MMWR<br />

CDC Surveillance Summaries, February 9, 2007, Vol. 56, No. SS-1. (1 <strong>in</strong> 150)<br />

Dawson, G., & Adams, A., (1984). Imitation <strong>and</strong> social responsiveness <strong>in</strong> autistic<br />

children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12(2): 209-226.<br />

Dawson, G., & Osterl<strong>in</strong>g, J. (1997). Early <strong>in</strong>tervention <strong>in</strong> autism. In M. J. Guralnick<br />

(Ed.), The effectiveness of early <strong>in</strong>tervention, pp. 307-326. Baltimore:<br />

Brookes.<br />

Fenske, Zalenski, Krantz, & McClannahan, (1985). Age at <strong>in</strong>tervention <strong>and</strong> treatment<br />

outcome for autistic children <strong>in</strong> a comprehensive <strong>in</strong>tervention program.<br />

Analysis & Intervention <strong>in</strong> Developmental Disabilities, 5(1-2):49-58.<br />

Filipek, P. A., Accardo, P. J., Baranek, G. T., Cook, E. H., Dawson, G., Gordon, B., et<br />

al. (1999). The screen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Journal<br />

of Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disorders, 29, 439–483.


IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />

Fombonne, E. (1999). The epidemiology of autism: a review. Psychological Medic<strong>in</strong>e<br />

29, 769 786.<br />

Harris, S. L., & H<strong>and</strong>leman, J. S. (2000). Age <strong>and</strong> IQ at Intake as Predictors of<br />

Placement for Young Children with Autism: A Four- to Six-Year Follow-Up.<br />

Journal of Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disorders, 30(2): 137-142.<br />

Koegel, R.L., &, Koegel, L.K. (2007). Pivotal Response Treatments for Autism:<br />

Communication, Social, & Academic Development. U.S.A.: Brookes<br />

Publish<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Kogan, M.D., Blumberg, S.J., Schieve, L.A., Boyle, C.A., Perr<strong>in</strong>, J.M., Gh<strong>and</strong>our,<br />

R.M., S<strong>in</strong>gh, G.K., Strickl<strong>and</strong>, B.B., Trevathan, E., van Dyck, P.C. (2009).<br />

Prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among<br />

Children <strong>in</strong> the United States, 2007. Pediatrics. http://pediatrics.aapublications.<br />

org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-1522v1. Retrieved October 5, 2010.<br />

Mesibov, G.B., Shea, V., Schopler, E. (2007). The TEACCH Approach to Autism<br />

Spectrum Disorders: Issues <strong>in</strong> Cl<strong>in</strong>ical Child Psychology. U.K.: Spr<strong>in</strong>ger.<br />

Osterl<strong>in</strong>g, J., & Dawson, G. (1994). Early recognition of children with autism: A study<br />

of first birthday home video tapes. Journal of Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental<br />

Disorders, 24, 247–257.<br />

Rob<strong>in</strong>s, D.L., Fe<strong>in</strong>, D., Barton, M. L., &<br />

Green, J. A. (2001). The Modified Checklist for Autism <strong>in</strong> Toddlers: An Initial Study<br />

Investigat<strong>in</strong>g the Early Detection of Autism <strong>and</strong> Pervasive Developmental<br />

Disorders. Journal of Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disorder, 31(22): 131-144<br />

Sigman, M. & Ungerer, J. A. (1984). Attachment behaviors <strong>in</strong> autistic children. Journal<br />

of autism <strong>and</strong> developmental disorders, 14(3):231-244.<br />

Simpson, R.L. & Myles, B. (1998). Inclusion of Learners with Autism Spectrum<br />

Disorders <strong>in</strong> General Education Sett<strong>in</strong>gs. Topics <strong>in</strong> Language Disorders,<br />

23(2): 116-133.<br />

Simpson, R. (2004) F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g Effective Intervention <strong>and</strong> Personnel Preparation Practices<br />

for Students with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children; W<strong>in</strong>ter<br />

2004; 70, 2. The National Center on Birth Defects <strong>and</strong> Developmental<br />

Disabilities of U.S. (NCBDDD 2000).<br />

The American Academy of Pediatrics. (2009). Car<strong>in</strong>g for children with autism Spectrum<br />

Disorders: A resource toolkit for cl<strong>in</strong>icians. (CD-ROM). U.S.A: The American<br />

Academy of Pediatrics.<br />

Wetherby, A.M. & Prutt<strong>in</strong>g, A.P. (1984). Profiles of Communicative <strong>and</strong> Cognitive-<br />

Social Abilities <strong>in</strong> Autistic Children. Journal of Speech <strong>and</strong> Hear<strong>in</strong>g Research,<br />

27:364-377.<br />

46


IJEAD 2(2) : 37-47, 2011<br />

Wetherby, A.M., Prizant, B.M., & Hutch<strong>in</strong>son, T.(1998). Communicative, social-a.<br />

ective, <strong>and</strong> symbolic profiles of young children with autism <strong>and</strong> pervasive<br />

developmental disorder. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology,<br />

7:79–91.<br />

Wetherby, A. M., Woods, J., Allen, L., Cleary, J., Dickson, H., & Lord, C. (2004). Early<br />

Indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorders <strong>in</strong> the Second Year of Life. Journal<br />

of Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disorders, 34(5): 473-493.<br />

W<strong>in</strong>g, L. & Gould, J. (1979). Severe Impairments of Social Interaction <strong>and</strong> Associated<br />

Abnormalities <strong>in</strong> Children: Epidemiology <strong>and</strong> Classification. Journal of<br />

Autism <strong>and</strong> Developmental Disorders 9 (1): 11–29.<br />

W<strong>in</strong>g, L., Gould, J., Yates, S. R., & Brierley, L. M. (1977). Symbolic lay <strong>in</strong> severely<br />

mentally retarded <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> autistic children. Journal of Child Psychology <strong>and</strong><br />

Psychiatry, 18, 167–178.<br />

47

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!