Effects of Sped Training on Educator Efficacy in Classroom Management and Inclusive Strategy

ABSTRACT - The rise in the number of students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis combined with the educational trend toward inclusion for students with disabilities has led to an unprecedented number of these students placed in general education classrooms. General educators require appropriate training if these children are to be successful. The problem addressed in the article was that general education teachers have not had sufficient special education training to deal with students with autism. The purpose of the survey was to determine if there was a relationship between special education teacher training and teacher efficacy for both classroom management and inclusion instructional strategies for general educators in a north central Texas school district who work in inclusion classrooms containing students with autism. Study participants included primary and secondary general education teachers in a north central Texas school district who had at least one student with autism in the classroom.