String Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusion of Students with Autism in Classroom Settings

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or autism, refers to a group of neurological disorders. At the most recent estimate, the Center for Disease Control estimated that 1 child in 68 has an autism diagnosis. Though research has shown music to be an effective intervention in therapy settings for students with ASD, little research has been done with respect to inclusion in instrumental classroom settings. The present study sought to examine string teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of students with ASD in classroom settings. Fifty-one classroom string and orchestra teachers served as participants for this study. This study was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of a survey where teachers were asked to respond to statements using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Phase II consisted of e-mail based interviews of small portion (n = 11) self-selected participants. Results of this study revealed that many string teachers responded with overall positive perceptions of inclusion of students with ASD. Results also revealed that there appeared to be no significant relationship between years of experience and perceptions of successful inclusion, and no significant relationship between level of education and perceptions of successful inclusion.