Inclusive Education for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Experience of Support From the Perspective of Parents/Caregivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59519/mper8107Keywords:
inclusion, autism spectrum disorder, teaching assistantsAbstract
Teaching assistants are essential for inclusion because they provide individualized support that enables children with developmental disabilities to participate, learn and thrive alongside their peers in mainstream educational settings. The aim of study is to examine differences in the attitudes of parents of children with developmental disabilities and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regarding their children’s inclusive education. The study sample consisted of parents of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. A random sample include 62 parents of children with different types of disabilities (ASD=30; other developmental disabilities=32). To examine parents’ attitudes, the questionnaire “Attitudes of Parents of Children with disabilities toward Teaching Assistants in the Tuzla Canton” was developed specifically for the purposes of this study. The findings indicate there are no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward teaching assistants between parents of children with ASD and those of children with other developmental disabilities and no significant relationship was found between the child’s age and parental attitudes. By providing insight into parental attitudes, the study contributes to a better understanding of the perceived value and challenges of assistant support in inclusive education and offers a foundation for future research and policy development in this field.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Melisa Čajtinović, Amila Mujezinović, Alma Dizdarević, Edina Kuduzović (Author)
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