SeNSS Collaborative Studentship Competition Project 2: Understanding learning experiences of autistic children in special needs schools through better

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, that begins in early childhood and follows a persistent course over the lifetime. The most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) now lists sensory reactivity symptoms as part of the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (APA, 2013). Children with ASD are known to be at increased risk for academic difficulty and are often under-achieving academically, relative to their level of ability (Griswold, Barnhill, Myles, Hagiwara & Simpson, 2002).
Previous work has suggested that the difficulties children with ASD experience in education could be a result of the fact that they are struggling to maintain their attention and regulate their emotions and behaviours within the classroom (Ashburner, Ziviani & Rodger, 2010).
My MSc project investigated the relationship between sensory reactivity symptoms and the classroom behaviour of children with ASD. This was done using methods of direct observation, rather than relying on parent and/or teacher report of symptoms and behaviour. The Sensory Assessment for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SAND; Siper, Kolevzon, Wang, Buxbaum & Tavassoli, 2017) was used to measure sensory reactivity symptoms. The SAND is direct observation of an individual's response to a range of sensory stimuli. The researcher scores the individuals' reactions to the stimuli so the measure does not require a verbal response from the individual, therefore it is suitable for use with individuals with minimal language ability. The Student Observation System, SOS, from the Behaviour Assessment for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2, Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) was used to measure classroom behaviour. The measure assesses a wide range of behaviours, including positive as well as problem behaviours. Furthermore, it is a measure that was designed specifically for the use with children whose emotional or behavioural problems are significant enough to impede academic progress. The project found that auditory, tactile and visual sensory reactivity symptoms were all independently significantly correlated with maladaptive classroom behaviour.
Modern day classrooms can be complex sensory environments with high levels of visual clutter, excessive noise and unpredictable tactile input (Ashburner, Ziviani & Rodger, 2008; Anderson, 2001). Given that we know that the environment can deeply affect children with ASD, and that children with ASD struggle academically, there has been little empirical research into the role that the indoor environment plays in affecting the learning experiences of these children. This is a gap in our knowledge that has been repeatedly highlighted by researchers (Martin 2016; Vázquez & Torres, 2013).
By expanding on my previous project to include the measurement of indoor environmental aspects (such as lighting, noise, layout/space) and analysing the role they play on sensory reactivity symptoms and classroom behaviour we would be able to start providing evidence based recommendations for the design of special education classrooms. Allowing us to give children with ASD an even better chance of reaching their full learning potential.