Teacher ratings of academic skills and academic enablers of children on the autism spectrum

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Embargoed until: 2022-08-03
Author(s)
Keen, Deb
Adams, Dawn
Simpson, Kate
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Academic underachievement, as measured on standardised assessments, is commonly reported among students on the autism spectrum. However, little is known about the factors that predict academic (under)achievement, limiting the development of effective and targeted interventions. This study explored teacher ratings of academic skills and enabling behaviours of a community sample of students on the autism spectrum in Grades K-2 (5–8 years, n = 54) and 6–8 (9–12 years, n = 59) attending inclusive or special education settings. Teachers completed the Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (ACES). Results showed that children on the ...
View more >Academic underachievement, as measured on standardised assessments, is commonly reported among students on the autism spectrum. However, little is known about the factors that predict academic (under)achievement, limiting the development of effective and targeted interventions. This study explored teacher ratings of academic skills and enabling behaviours of a community sample of students on the autism spectrum in Grades K-2 (5–8 years, n = 54) and 6–8 (9–12 years, n = 59) attending inclusive or special education settings. Teachers completed the Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (ACES). Results showed that children on the spectrum were rated by teachers to perform below expected levels in both academic skill areas and academic enabling behaviours. Teacher ratings of academic skills and enablers for students were higher for those in inclusive than those in special education settings. Receptive language emerged as an important predictor of teacher-reported performance alongside child motivation and interpersonal skills. Targeting academic enabling behaviours may help to improve academic achievement and lead to better educational outcomes for these students.
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View more >Academic underachievement, as measured on standardised assessments, is commonly reported among students on the autism spectrum. However, little is known about the factors that predict academic (under)achievement, limiting the development of effective and targeted interventions. This study explored teacher ratings of academic skills and enabling behaviours of a community sample of students on the autism spectrum in Grades K-2 (5–8 years, n = 54) and 6–8 (9–12 years, n = 59) attending inclusive or special education settings. Teachers completed the Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (ACES). Results showed that children on the spectrum were rated by teachers to perform below expected levels in both academic skill areas and academic enabling behaviours. Teacher ratings of academic skills and enablers for students were higher for those in inclusive than those in special education settings. Receptive language emerged as an important predictor of teacher-reported performance alongside child motivation and interpersonal skills. Targeting academic enabling behaviours may help to improve academic achievement and lead to better educational outcomes for these students.
View less >
Journal Title
International Journal of Inclusive Education
Copyright Statement
This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in the International Journal of Inclusive Education, 03 Feb 2021, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1881626
Note
This publication has been entered as an advanced online version in Griffith Research Online.
Subject
Specialist Studies in Education
Sociology