Research into supporting students with Autism

Steiner Education Australia (SEA) would like to support research initiatives which provide practical outcomes for teachers and schools in supporting students with disability. To that effect they have been in conversation with researchers at QUT who are investigating effective ways of supporting middle years learners (aged 9-16 years) on the autism spectrum (ASD) in rural, remote, Indigenous and alternate settings (including distance education and home education). A focus of Cycle 1 of the project is to capture data from educators, parents and students attending a Steiner school to address the following:

  1.  Why do parents whose children have autism, or suspected diagnosis of autism, in the middle years of schooling decide to choose alternative education settings such as Steiner Schools rather than traditional mainstream placements for their child?
  2. What is it about alternative education settings such as Steiner Schools that educators, parents and students on the spectrum perceive is effective at enabling students on the autism spectrum to learn and participate?
  3. What do educators, parents and students on the spectrum perceive are some barriers in alternative education settings such as Steiner Schools for students on the autism spectrum learning and participation?
  4. What additional support do educators, parents and students on the spectrum perceive is needed for middle years learners on the spectrum in alternative educational settings such as Steiner Schools to maximise their learning and participation?

The data collected in this cycle of the project will help inform more inclusive and supportive approaches to students on the autism spectrum more broadly. 

It will also inform professional support provided to educational settings. To this effect, SEA has one Steiner school involved in a trial support program as a second phase of the research. 

We highly encourage responses from relevant parents, students and teachers. 

Below are the links to the surveys to be undertaken by people participating in Cycle 1 of this project.

Please also find below letters of introduction, information flyers and consent forms for all participant groups in the Middle Years Behaviour Support Project: