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Perceptions of School Administrators on Evidence-Based Practices in Transition Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Poor post-school outcomes for young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have underscored the need to gain insight into the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in the planning and implementation of transition services. EBPs for effective transition planning and implementation have been documented in the literature but do not appear to be fully utilized in practice to achieve desired student outcomes, reflecting a research-to-practice gap. EBPs have the potential to produce positive outcomes at the high school level, if implemented with fidelity. Special education personnel, especially administrators, play a vital and unique role in transition planning. They can either facilitate or hinder the process. This phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of public school administrators regarding the extent of their awareness of EBPs to ensure the successful transition of students with ASD and associated barriers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 secondary-level public school administrators. Major themes identified through analyzing the qualitative data included (a) a positive vision for students with ASD, (b) characteristics of a good transition program, (c) administrators' roles in the transition process, (d) barriers to EBP implementation, (e) strategies to reduce barriers, and (f) ownership of what administrators can do to remedy the problem. Lastly, the study generated recommendations to assist school districts with improving transition services for students with ASD.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1505238
Date05 1900
CreatorsThomas, Jamie Allison
ContributorsMehta, Smita, Mohr, Darrell, Holloway, Linda, Mitchell, Yoanda
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatv, 61 pages, Text
RightsUse restricted to UNT Community, Thomas, Jamie Allison, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved.

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