BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR AUTISM IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Creators: name: Jonathan Goh Shyh Yong
name: Mary Yap Ley Foon
name: Noor Aniza Binti Che Nor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Malaysia
primary schools

description: The present research examines the barriers experienced in the IE policies for children with ASD in understanding thecontext of implementation in the Malaysian primary schools. Autism is a developmental disorder for children thatcategories the understanding of language, interaction with others, and learning, which is increasing in Malaysia. WhileIE has been an intended policy to improve the education of students with disabilities by placing them in generalclassrooms, this study reveals several barriers to the successful implementation of the policy for autistic students. Theemerging issues include a shortage of qualified education professionals, the lack of teachers’ knowledge of thedisorder, and a scarcity of suitable educational resources. The structure of school curriculum in Malaysia is veryinflexible and does not offer much flexibility to cater with the requirement of the children with ASD. This researchseeks to find out the challenges that hinder the use of IE as well as gain understanding on the concerns that in relationto curriculum and professional development for ASD students. Moreover, focusing on the results of the recent studiesand policies, the research stresses the need in searching for new approaches to minimise the existing educationalpractices for the children with ASD. The study provides policy makers, educators, and healthcare practitioners with aclear guideline for designing policies and interventions that enhance school experiences of children with autism inMalaysia. From this study, the sectors where the education system fails to support the children and where improvementcan be attempted in order to advance the agenda of inclusive education for all will be identified.This research is qualitative and quantitative in design, and mixed methods. The quantitative part involvesasking 310 teachers, using closed-ended questionnaires, what they are thinking and experiencing around IE policies.At the same time, qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 selected teachers andadministrators to get their insight and personal perspective. This dual pedagogy is designed to offer a more detaileddescription of what prevents autistic students from gaining access to IE. The key findings of the study point tosignificant barriers such as inadequate teacher training, ASD-specific training, and disparate administrative support.Educators frequently reported being overwhelmed at the challenge of meeting ASD students’ specific needs andexperiencing feelings of emotional distress due to behaviour issues. The studies show structural deficiencies in theeducational system, including a lack of consistent care, resources and communication between parents, teachers andprofessionals. Remarkably these results indicate a gap in administrative support from school to school, and thereforea difference in teacher assessment. Such heterogeneity points to a larger systemic issue in policy and funding that canVol-08 Issue 12, December-2024 ISSN: 2456-9348 Impact Factor: 4.520International Journal of Engineering Technology Research & ManagementPublished By:https://www.ijetrm.com/IJETRM (http://ijetrm.com/) [403]shape ASD students’ learning. The research points to the need for specific professional training, better communication,and stronger stakeholder collaboration to foster an inclusive learning environment