Making Assumptions vs. Building Relationships: Lessons from a Participatory Action Research Project to Identify Effective Practices for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This article describes a participatory action research (PAR) project conducted in a large urban, co-educational secondary school. The project focused on two senior pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who, seemingly as a result of feeling stressed or anxious, displayed behaviours that inhibited communication. Using questionnaires, observations and teaching activities, factors that both caused and reduced stress for these students were identified. Interventions were introduced that successfully helped the students to recognise and manage their stress appropriately. These were principally the use of a variety of visual strategies and Social Stories[TM]. As a result of the PAR project, school staff learnt to question assumptions made about students and to give priority to getting to know them and developing positive relationships on which teaching programmes could be built. (Contains 5 footnotes.)