Professional Development for Enhancing Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness in Preschool Professionals.
Linda Petersson Bloom
PMID 32533382WHAT IT FOUND
Nine preschool professionals reported feeling more able to understand autism, adjust the classroom and prevent difficult situations after a 6-week programme.
Their reported preparation time and need for further training did not show a clear change.
Key findings
01The nine analysed participants reported higher post-programme competence in understanding autism, adjusting the learning environment and preventing challenging situations.
02No clear change was found in reported preparation time or need for further professional development.
03Implementation was limited because fewer than half of the preschool professionals attended and principals were not included.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only nine participants were analysed, although 18 completed the pre-test, so the findings cannot be generalised to other preschools. There was no control group, so changes could have happened for reasons other than the programme. All reported changes were self-reported, not measured directly in children or classroom practice. The questionnaire had been tested on only five professionals, and its validity and reliability were not established. The dropout rate from the first to second seminar was relatively high, partly because staff left the preschool or could not attend for personal reasons. Principals attended initial seminars but did not complete the tests, and their absence was seen as a barrier to implementation.
Declared interests
The paper names Vetenskapsrådet as funder. It does not provide a further conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this programme improves autism awareness in preschool teams. It had no control group, relied on self-report from nine analysed participants, and did not measure children's outcomes.