Parents as Teachers of Children with Autism in the Peoples' Republic of China

• Published in: The journal of international special needs education Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 68 - 81
• Main Authors: Puckett, Kathleen S, McCoy, Kathleen M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Division of International Special Education and Services, Council for Exceptional Children 01.10.2013
• Subjects: Autism; Children; China; Communication Skills; Foreign Countries; Human Capital; Parent Attitudes; Parent Education; Parent Teacher Cooperation; Parents as Teachers; Questionnaires; Referral; Skill Development; Social Capital; Special Needs Students; Teaching Methods; Toddlers; Young Children; China
• ISSN: 2159-4341
• DOI: 10.9782/2159-4341-16.2.68

In the People's Republic of China, many children with autism are excluded from government supported schools and parents are expected to deliver educational services. Parent training centers offer short term solutions by providing information regarding autism and instructional methods to parents of children with autism. In order to further refine teaching services, one training center encouraged parents to indicate which topics in a curriculum were important to them. Participants were 55 parents of children with autism ages 3-8, who completed a questionnaire in which they identified referral services received, needs and concerns for further training, and attitudes towards collaboration. Results indicated that parents' most important needs were centered on developing their children's communication skills and a desire to collaborate with teachers, and that they received very few initial referral services. Findings are discussed in the context of human and social capital for parents of children with autism in the People's Republic of China.