Abstract
Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the difficulties that school transitions pose for students with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and teachers, and the strategies used to support students and parents during school transition. The review included 27 studies (10 examining the transition to primary school, 17 the transition to secondary school), with data from 443 students with autism spectrum disorder, 453 parents, and 546 teachers, across four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia). Studies reported that children with autism spectrum disorder struggled with anxiety and increased social pressure, their parents felt overwhelmed with complex placement decisions and worried about the well-being of their children, and teachers strove to provide appropriate supports to their students with autism spectrum disorder, often with inadequate resources. Findings indicated that the most useful strategies involved helping the student adjust to the new school setting, individualizing transition supports, clarifying the transition process for parents, and fostering communication both between the sending and receiving schools, and school and home.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Autism |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Feb 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- anxiety
- autism spectrum disorders
- home-school communication
- inter-school coordination
- interventions—psychosocial/behavioral
- language barriers
- parental advocacy
- school resources
- school transition
- transition planning
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
Cite this
Broken bridges—new school transitions for students with autism spectrum disorder : A systematic review on difficulties and strategies for success. / Nuske, Heather Joy; McGhee Hassrick, Elizabeth; Bronstein, Briana; Hauptman, Lindsay; Aponte, Courtney; Levato, Lynne; Stahmer, Aubyn; Mandell, David S.; Mundy, Peter Clive; Kasari, Connie; Smith, Tristram.
In: Autism, 01.02.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Broken bridges—new school transitions for students with autism spectrum disorder
T2 - A systematic review on difficulties and strategies for success
AU - Nuske, Heather Joy
AU - McGhee Hassrick, Elizabeth
AU - Bronstein, Briana
AU - Hauptman, Lindsay
AU - Aponte, Courtney
AU - Levato, Lynne
AU - Stahmer, Aubyn
AU - Mandell, David S.
AU - Mundy, Peter Clive
AU - Kasari, Connie
AU - Smith, Tristram
PY - 2018/2/1
Y1 - 2018/2/1
N2 - Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the difficulties that school transitions pose for students with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and teachers, and the strategies used to support students and parents during school transition. The review included 27 studies (10 examining the transition to primary school, 17 the transition to secondary school), with data from 443 students with autism spectrum disorder, 453 parents, and 546 teachers, across four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia). Studies reported that children with autism spectrum disorder struggled with anxiety and increased social pressure, their parents felt overwhelmed with complex placement decisions and worried about the well-being of their children, and teachers strove to provide appropriate supports to their students with autism spectrum disorder, often with inadequate resources. Findings indicated that the most useful strategies involved helping the student adjust to the new school setting, individualizing transition supports, clarifying the transition process for parents, and fostering communication both between the sending and receiving schools, and school and home.
AB - Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the difficulties that school transitions pose for students with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and teachers, and the strategies used to support students and parents during school transition. The review included 27 studies (10 examining the transition to primary school, 17 the transition to secondary school), with data from 443 students with autism spectrum disorder, 453 parents, and 546 teachers, across four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia). Studies reported that children with autism spectrum disorder struggled with anxiety and increased social pressure, their parents felt overwhelmed with complex placement decisions and worried about the well-being of their children, and teachers strove to provide appropriate supports to their students with autism spectrum disorder, often with inadequate resources. Findings indicated that the most useful strategies involved helping the student adjust to the new school setting, individualizing transition supports, clarifying the transition process for parents, and fostering communication both between the sending and receiving schools, and school and home.
KW - anxiety
KW - autism spectrum disorders
KW - home-school communication
KW - inter-school coordination
KW - interventions—psychosocial/behavioral
KW - language barriers
KW - parental advocacy
KW - school resources
KW - school transition
KW - transition planning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042209485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85042209485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1362361318754529
DO - 10.1177/1362361318754529
M3 - Article
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
SN - 1362-3613
ER -