Autism Spectrum Disorder Professional Development and Self-Efficacy of Special Education Teachers
Special education teachers may receive limited autism-specific preparation despite being responsible for supporting students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across a range of learning, behavioral, social, and communication needs. This qualitative descriptive study explored elementary special education teachers’ perceptions of ASD professional development and teacher self-efficacy. Data included semi-structured interviews, responses to the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Inclusive Classrooms (TSE-ASDI) scale, and synthesized member-checking focus groups. Findings indicated that participants perceived existing ASD professional development as providing basic knowledge but insufficient preparation in several areas, including understanding individual student needs, adapting curriculum and instruction, supporting challenging behavior, and addressing social communication needs. Participants emphasized the need for more targeted and practice-focused professional development to strengthen their competence and confidence in supporting students with ASD. Findings highlight the importance of professional learning that responds to the diverse strengths and support needs of students with ASD and the preparation needs identified by special education teachers.
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