Personalets praksiser for å støtte barn med autisme til sosial deltakelse i barnehagens uformelle miljø: En kritisk fortolkende case-studie med et kryssnasjonalt perspektiv

Author
Olsen, K.
Source
Universitetet i Oslo.
Year
2019

Purpose

The thesis focuses on the field of special needs education. The goal of the study is to develop new perspectives and knowledge about the conditions that influence the staff practices of support for the social participation of children with autism, in the informal environment of kindergarten. 

Thesis statement: How do practice architectures create opportunities or set limits on staff practices of support for the social participation of children with autism in the informal contexts of kindergarten?

Result

Findings from three sub-studies help to shed light on the research question. Three different forms of practice are constructed in the thesis based on these findings: the relational, the ambivalent, and the instructional practice. The results suggest that when the staff has a common pedagogical platform, a holistic practice and shared knowledge development where the child is interpreted positively, conditions arise that create awareness among staff about the practice. When the pedagogical platform is inconsistent, inflexible and focuses on the adult’s role in the child’s learning, it can lead to low levels of awareness among staff when providing support for the social participation of children with autism. The study concludes that in order to promote social participation for children with autism, staff practices must be deliberate and informed, where staff spend time developing positive relationships with the child in the informal environment of the kindergarten.

Design

The study has a cross-national perspective, and the participants are three children with autism and their staff, in two Norwegian and one English kindergarten.

The methods used to investigate the phenomenon are participatory observation, video observation, interviews with parents and kindergarten teachers, and focus group interviews with kindergarten staff.

References

Olsen, K. (2019). “Personalets praksiser for å støtte barn med autisme til sosial deltakelse i barnehagens uformelle miljø: En kritisk fortolkende case-studie med et kryssnasjonalt perspektiv”. Akademisk avhandling. Universitetet i Oslo.