Eastern Kentucky University Encompass Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship January 2012 Perceived Levels of Confidence and Knowledge of Autism Between Paraprofessionals in Kentucky Schools and Parents of Children with Autism Laura Nichole Baker Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd Part of the Special Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Baker, Laura Nichole, "Perceived Levels of Confidence and Knowledge of Autism Between Paraprofessionals in Kentucky Schools and Parents of Children with Autism" (2012). Online Theses and Dissertations. 106. https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/106 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Encompass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Online Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Encompass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PERCEIVED LEVELS OF CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF AUTISM BETWEEN PARAPROFESSIONALS IN KENTUCKY SCHOOLS AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM By Laura Nichole Baker Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 2012 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Eastern Kentucky University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION August, 2012 Copyright © Laura Nichole Baker, 2012 All rights reserved ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Donald and Zelphia Baker, who have always told me that I was capable of achieving anything that I set my mind to. Their encouragement, unwavering love and support and constant sacrifices have allowed me to accomplish my dreams. I would also like to dedicate this thesis to my nephew, Caleb, who inspires me daily. I am eternally grateful to have such amazing people in my life. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Charlotte Hubbard, my thesis chair, who provided me with the guidance, motivation and encouragement that I needed in order to complete this research project. I would also like to thank Dr. Sue Mahanna-Boden and Dr. Myra Beth Bundy who patiently shared their knowledge and support throughout this process. I cannot forget the love and support from my boyfriend, Kevin, who made me promise to never say the word “thesis” again once I completed this project. His encouraging words and undeniable faith in my abilities provided me with the courage that I needed to succeed. I would like to thank my sister, Kimberly, who always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. Her wisdom, encouragement and continuous love and support have been invaluable. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my parents who have always pushed me to reach for the stars and have been there with me through every triumph and defeat. I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to complete this project and to have such wonderful people by my side throughout this process. iv ABSTRACT A total of 173 special education paraprofessionals and 49 parents of children with autism responded to a survey investigating perceived levels of confidence and knowledge of autism. The purpose of this study was to determine if paraprofessionals assigned to children with autism in Kentucky public schools were adequately trained, skilled and knowledgeable in their provision of services to children with autism. Parents scored significantly higher in their amount of autism knowledge when compared to paraprofessionals. Paraprofessionals were found to be significantly more confident in their ability to provide instructional support to children diagnosed with autism than were the parents. Results of this study indicated a lack of knowledge in autism among paraprofessionals hired to work with children with autism. Further, parents were not confident in the paraprofessionals‟ knowledge of autism, amount of training received in autism or ability to provide instructional support to children diagnosed with autism. These findings have serious implications for children diagnosed with autism in the public school system. They suggest that additional trainings and/or workshops in autism are needed for paraprofessionals. Further, results suggest that the qualifications and previous experience of paraprofessionals need to be carefully considered during the hiring process to ensure the most qualified candidates were selected to work with such a complex, growing population. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 II. Review of Literature .................................................................................. 3 History of Autism ...................................................................................... 3 Etiology ...................................................................................................... 5 Definitions of Autism ................................................................................ 6 Prevalence of Autism ................................................................................. 7 Prevalence of Autism in Kentucky Schools .............................................. 7 Diagnostic Characteristics of Autism ........................................................ 8 Social Differences ...................................................................................... 8 Communication Skills ................................................................................ 9 Restrictive Patterns of Behavior, Interests and Activities ....................... 10 Additional Features of ASD..................................................................... 11 Cognition......................................................................................... 11 Motor Functioning .......................................................................... 12 Sensory Processing ......................................................................... 13 Emotional Difficulties ..................................................................... 13 Prognosis .................................................................................................. 14 Challenges in Education .......................................................................... 15 Educator Preparation in Autism Service Delivery ................................... 16 Personnel Working with ASD ................................................................. 19 Paraprofessionals ..................................................................................... 21 Paraprofessional Roles in Autism ............................................................ 22 Paraprofessional Qualifications ............................................................... 23 Prevalence of Paraprofessionals in Kentucky .......................................... 24 Paraprofessional Training and Supervision ............................................. 25 Benefits of Training in Autism ................................................................ 28 Knowledge of Autism Among Paraprofessionals .................................... 30 Paraprofessional Confidence in Provision of Services ............................ 32 vi Parents‟ Knowledge of Autism ................................................................ 35 Parents‟ Confidence in Paraprofessionals Abilities ................................. 38 III. Methods and Materials ............................................................................. 41 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................ 41 Participants ............................................................................................... 42 Survey Instrument .................................................................................... 42 Paraprofessional Survey.................................................................. 42 Background Information ............................................................ 43 Knowledge ................................................................................. 43 Confidence ................................................................................. 43 Parent Survey ................................................................................. 43 Background Information ............................................................ 44 Knowledge ................................................................................. 44 Confidence ................................................................................. 44 Procedure ................................................................................................. 45 Identifying Paraprofessionals ......................................................... 45 Identifying Parents ......................................................................... 46 Email Requests......................................................................................... 46 Data Analysis ........................................................................................... 47 IV. Results...................................................................................................... 49 Background Results ................................................................................. 50 Paraprofessionals .......................................................................... 50 Parents ........................................................................................... 57