This thesis investigates the factors associated with provision of education for children with autism spectrum disorders. The child is at the centre of this investigation, as the issues and constraints clearly impact on the quality of the provision delivered. Educational provision for children with autism also affects families and social agencies. The family is usually first to recognise that their child is not developing as he or she should. Typically, a diagnosis of autism or autistic spectrum disorder leads the family to the LEA in an effort to get the child's educational needs met within a school setting. Improvement in educational provision for children can only be obtained when it is based on research in this area. This is especially true for the case of children diagnosed with autism, as research is limited. What research does exist focuses on specific methodologies or proposed causes, and does not explore the effects that appropriate provision has on a child. To aid this thesis, systems theory has been employed to explore the tensions and dilemmas that exist. This ecosystemic approach is useful when teasing apart the influences both proximal and distal that benefit the child's educational experience. These influences can come from the school, home, LEA or the interactions between and among these partners. This study will examine these influences. Through the use of a case study, the researcher observed a school during its day-to-day implementation of educational provision. In addition, the views of an LEA and parents were sought through the use of interviews and a survey. The main research findings showed several factors as having influence on the child in regards to educational provision. Investigation into a school showed the difficulties associated with putting provision into practice. When faced with severe staffing shortages, absence of active leadership,, and extreme behavioural problems of the children, teaching activity was thwarted. Survey results revealed the difficulties faced by parents in securing provision. Parents reported high levels of stress that this research correlated to longer waiting times, late diagnosis, type of provision, and guidance from specialists. Significant also, was the finding that survey parents reported a statistically significant decrease in the age of diagnosis of the children. Significant findings revealed through LEA interviews found that although striving to work with families, efforts were frustrated by increasing numbers of children, limitations on the number of children accepted into favoured placements, and parental self imposed restrictions on placement choice. Lastly, this research proposed several key suggestions based on the literature review and the research undertaken to improve and promote best practice in the agreement, allocation and enactment of educational provision.

In Canada, the depression of the 1930's forced existing private and public charities to adjust to the overwhelming financial pressures of the decade. Canada's largest urban centre, Montreal, was markedly different from every other major Canadian city because of the municipality's failure to accept any degree of responsibility for the poor and unemployed prior to 1930. Montreal was dominated by a complex private charity network that was divided by religion and language. This thesis examines how one large private charity organization, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies reacted and adjusted to the depression of the 1930's. Because the Montreal Council of Social Agencies was English and Protestant, it borrowed its methods and ideas from England, the United States and other provinces rather than from the largely French Catholic province of Quebec. During the depression, conceptions of charity were radically altered. The Montreal Council of Social Agencies tried to compel municipal, provincial and federal governments to play larger roles in welfare work and supported the professionalization of social work. Most significant, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies was guided through the 1930's by its own charity philosophy which was retained and reinforced rather than weakened by this crisis.

Magister Artium (Human Ecology) - MA(HE) / The research focused on 60 coloured, Afrikaans-speaking men and women residing in Bellville South who completed a structured questionnaire and open-ended interview questions. Their perceptions held on the influence of male unemployment on family relations with specific reference to gender role perception, relational satisfaction, communication, decision making, finances and labour within the family were investigated. Unemployment of the male partner was found to have no statistically significant differences for the manner in which males and females perceive their gender roles, finances and labour distribution within the family. Statistically significant differences were found for the manner in which males and females perceive decision-making and communication within the family when the male partner is unemployed. The results revealed that unemployment does not have an influence on role perception and that the respondents uphold a traditional role perception. Decision making was not male dominated, as more egalitarian decision were taken. The respondents expressed combination gender roles with regard to management of finances and appeared to be satisfied with family and partner relations. The minority of respondents who experienced problems with communication attributed this to the consequences of being unemployed. The survival of families during these challenging periods. A Social agencies need to offer services to empower families to deal with the affects of unemployment on family life to ensure multi-disciplinary approach, provided by a team of professionals is the basis for recommendations for proposed support I programme development, access and further research.

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