HOW TEACHERS OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN COPE WITH STRESS
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Table of Contents
1.0 The Impact of stress on the teachers of children with autism: 3
2.0 The strategies for coping with the stress of teachers of children with autism: 5
2.1 Strategy can be used inside the school: 6
2.1.1 Collaboration with the colleagues 6
2.1.3 Improving the motivation of teaching 7
2.2 Strategies that can be used outside the school 7
2.2.2 Doing activities and hobbies 8
2.2.3 Contact with the parents of the children 8
2.2.4 Attending workshops and training 9
5.1 The impact of the stress on the teachers of autistic children 9
5.2.2 Relations with colleagues at work 10
5.2 Coping with the stress inside the school 11
5.2.1 Organize the classroom 11
5.2.2 Improving the style of teaching 12
5.3 Coping with the stress outside the school 12
5.3.2 Attending training and workshops of teaching 13
6.1 Suggestions for coping with the stress 14
6.1.1 Doing activities and hobbies 14
6.1.2 Contact and meeting with parents 14
6.1.3 Change the food habit 14
1.0 The Impact of stress on the teachers of children with autism:
1.1 The work environment
Autism has significant effects on the work environment where the teachers operate and this has dramatically affected the way teachers carry on with their daily routine activities (Baird et al. 2006). Despite the fact the children who have autism spectrum disorder are increasingly being put within the mainstream classes, nothing much is known about the problems that the educators, for example, the teachers face with incorporating them as full participants in the classroom. It is challenging for these teachers to establish an inclusive environment within their classrooms (Baker-Ericzén Brookman-Frazee and Stahmer 2005).
Some of the challenges that these teachers encounter include comprehending and managing behaviors, lack of understanding from parents and children and also the challenges associated with the establishment of an inclusive environment (Sherfinski 2018). The teachers teaching students who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may also face the problem of inadequate resources and the existing school policy. In some cases, teachers may also not be in a position to understand themselves. To effectively manage such problems, it is important to provide adequate resources, support and training to various learning facilities with children living with autism spectrum disorders (Baron Groden and Groden 2006).
1.2 The health
Due to an increased number of cases of children who have autism spectrum disorder, there has been an increased impact of this problem on the health of an individual. Some of the conventional medical conditions that are associated with autism include Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that range from chronic constipation to gastro esophageal reflux diseases and the inflammatory bowel conditions (Broach 2002). This makes the working environment for teachers very unfavorable thus creating some stress on these individuals. It makes their work very challenging since they are forced to work on such situations with the children (Sherfinski 2018). Similarly, increased number of children who have autism spectrum disorders have strained the little medical resources within the nation. The families of children who have autism have reported rising levels of dissatisfaction across the entire health care quality variables, and this has led them to experience significant effects on the family financial situation (Baron-Cohen et al.2001).
1.3 The Social Life
Many autistic children do not show any interest in the faces of individuals for example teachers and even among themselves while in school. This makes it difficult for the teachers to understand their students in class since it becomes hard to predict when they have problems (Broach 2002). It becomes hard for the teachers to engage such children in various school activities since they are less cooperative. Such children seem to have a lot of problems in learning to participate in the daily human interaction. They look very indifferent to various people and while in schools, it is not easy for them to maintain eye contact and active communication with their teachers and other students (Chauhan and Chauhan 2006).
Autistic children are less social as compared to non-autistic children. The teachers face a lot of stress in trying to involve them in various class activities since these children appear very calm. Teachers may not easily identify when such children have problems since they often cry since they do not seek any parental attention (Committee on Children with Disabilities 2001). Autistic children are not in a position to see things from a different perspective, and this, therefore, makes them lack something known as the theory of mind. Autistic children make less friendship with other children, and this makes it hard for teachers to place them in various class activities, for example, the class discussions. Handing such individuals has not been easy for the teachers in various learning institutions having children affected by such disorders (Dapretto et al. 2006).
2.0 The strategies for coping with the stress of teachers of children with autism:
Several strategies can be employed by an individual to effectively manage the stress of teachers dealing with children who have autism and other associated disorders (Gray 2003). These strategies can be broadly classified into those that can be employed internally within the school, for example, organizing the classroom and those that can be employed externally outside the school, for example, participating in various hobbies and other activities. All these strategies will play significant roles in assisting teachers to cope with the stress they face while teaching children who are suffering from autism (Hastings 2003).
2.1 Strategy can be used inside the school:
There are various types of strategies that can be used by the teachers inside the school to manage the stress effectively they are facing when teaching children living with autism. Some of the most appropriate strategies include working collaboratively with their colleagues, organizing the classrooms effectively and improving motivation among the teachers in various ways for example, provision of necessary resources within the schools. Employing these strategies will help the teachers manage the stress that they face within their working environments in a very effective way.
2.1.1 Collaboration with the colleagues
The inclusion in various learning institutions of students who are suffering from autism is a major source of stress for the teachers and needs a given amount of adaptation to deal with it effectively (Higgins, Bailey and Pearce 2005). One of the most suitable strategies that can be used to cope with autism is through collaboration with other colleagues, for example, the religious leaders, counsellors and other health workers within the school (Sherfinski 2018).
Every teacher should collaborate with other teachers and other individuals inside the school in helping the students affected by autism spectrum disorder to reduce any possible stress that may arise in the place of work. Working collaboratively with other colleagues on autism will help in overcoming any difficulty and establish an effective working relationship (Hoekstra et al. 2008).
2.1.2 Organize the class
Managing students who are suffering from autism can be very stressful for every individual especially the teachers since they spend most of their time with these students. To effectively cope with the stress that is brought about by autism in various schools, teachers are expected to organize their classes well effectively. Effectively organizing the classes will give an opportunity to every individual to reach out and check the progress of all the students within a classroom. This will help teachers, and this will help in giving a solution. Therefore, it is important for every teacher to effectively organize his or her class to relieve the stress that may be brought about by autism and its related disorders (Jennett Harris and Mesibov 2003).
2.1.3 Improving the motivation of teaching
Teachers encounter a lot of problems that may cause them some stress when dealing with students who have been affected by autism within their work environment. To effectively manage and cope with such kind of stress, the teachers should be well motivated through such things as the provision of adequate resources that will enable them to assist their students affected by autism (Johnson and Myers 2007). Many schools were teaching students who are suffering from autism lack adequate resources, for example, inadequate learning materials and this cause a lot of stress to the teachers. To relieve such kinds of stress, the teachers should be provided with relevant resources as this will help in motivating the teachers in their work (Johnson and Simpson 2013).
2.2 Strategies that can be used outside the school
There are several strategies outside the school that can be employed to cope with the stress that teachers face while teaching the children living with autism, for example, helping them take part in various activities outside the school. Among these strategies include seeking some social support from close friends and family members, helping autistic children do various activities and hobbies outside the school and also maintaining contact with their parents.
2.2.1 Social support
Since we know that several challenges can be encountered when dealing with people having autism especially in schools, parents, family and friends should come out and assist the teachers teaching children with autism to relieve them the stress they face (Lecavalier Leone and Wiltz 2006). Family members should provide some emotional support to the teachers during the time of such stress. The provision of social support will play a significant role in the reduction of stress that teachers face when dealing with autistic students in schools.
2.2.2 Doing activities and hobbies
Teachers should identify all the students with autism and help them in choosing their interests to develop their hobbies. Autistic children should be involved in various activities with other children to make them build good relationships. This will help in coping with the stress among the teachers (Mak, Ho and Law, 2007).
2.2.3 Contact with the parents of the children
Teachers need to maintain some close contact with the parents of children with autism to help them address various problems that the children may encounter. The parents will play an important role in relieving the stress that the teachers may face when dealing with the children in school. Maintaining contact between parents and teachers will help in addressing any problem that is identified in the child thus help in preventing any serious problem.
2.2.4 Attending workshops and training
To effectively cope with the stress resulting from autism among the children, it is paramount for the teachers to attend various training workshops where they are taught how to deal with children living with autism. The seminars and workshops will enable the teacher to learn on how best they can live with autistic children thus helping them relieve stress. All of these strategies are constructive since they assist the teachers to manage stress in a very effective way (Mancil, Boyd and Bedesem 2009).
5.1 The impact of the stress on the teachers of autistic children
According to some studies conducted on autism, the results of the research show significant effects of stress on the individual who is close to the students with autism especially the teachers and parents. Autism has serious effects on learning and health of an individual. In most cases, the performance of students living with autism is greatly affected, and this results in poor performance (Kucharczyk et al.2015).
5.1.1 Ineffective learning
Autism among the children in schools has negative impacts on teaching which results in poor performance. The survey conducted showed eleven (11) answers from various teachers teaching students with autism in the classroom. The answers confirmed that schools with autistic students have failed to provide effective education to students with autism (McStay et al.2014).This is due to the stress that the teachers of these students face while teaching. Some studies show that schools with students with autism have little and inadequate resources which affect the way teachers carry on with their daily activities in schools.
Lack of enough learning materials in the school forces teachers to use all means to teach their students despite the shortages of resources and this causes a lot of stress to the teachers. As a result of this stress, the teachers are not able to effectively teach the students. Inadequate learning materials result in ineffective teaching in schools and thus leads to poor academic performance among autistic children (Prior 2003).
5.1.2 The health
Autistic children lead to a lot of stress on both family and teachers teaching the students living with this disorder. Some studies conducted showed ten (10) common answers that suggest that autism leads to the rise in problems among the individuals living with autism. In some cases, the teachers who are teaching autistic children are forced to use part of their resources in taking care of the health conditions of their students (Scarpa and Reyes 2011).Similarly, parents spend a lot of money on the medical bills for their children, and this strains the scarce resources that are available within the family. In some instances, some of the parents are forced to look for other alternatives to raise money that is used in settling the medical bills of their children with autism spectrum disorders (Kucharczyk et al.2015).
5.2.2 Relations with colleagues at work
The study conducted showed eight (8) answers on the relations between the teachers and their colleagues at work. The answers suggest that several challenges are encountered as a result of the collaboration and relationship among various colleagues at work which leads to some form of stress in the workplace. Some of the teachers claimed that dealing with autistic students in a classroom can be challenging because of the demands of these children while at school. These demands lead to some stress among various participants within the school environment for example teachers and other staff within the school (Schwarzer and Hallum 2008).To effectively cope with such form of stress, participants within the school environment should collaborate well among themselves to meet the demands of such students and avoid any possible kind of stress from arising.
5.2 Coping with the stress inside the school
Coping with stress inside the school can be effected through proper organization of the classroom and improving the style of teaching within the classroom.
5.2.1 Organize the classroom
After surveying the stress teachers face while teaching children with autism spectrum disorder, eight (8) answers from teachers concurred that organizing the classroom well helps in coping with stress within the school environment. Teachers should effectively organize their classrooms to cope with any form of stress that may emanate from within the class (Scott et al.2002).Organizing the classroom will help in balancing the attention given to every child within a classroom setting.
5.2.2 Improving the style of teaching
The survey conducted and the opinions collected from various teachers confirmed that teachers face a lot of challenges while teaching students with autism spectrum disorders. Seven (7) answers from teachers confirmed that one way of effectively coping with such kind of stress is through improving the style used to teach the students within a classroom. Teachers should be motivated by giving them the right resources that are used to teach the students with autism in various schools with autistic students (Seymour et al.2013).
Provision of the right learning materials for supporting such students will help in relieving the stress that teachers may face while dealing with autistic students in a classroom. The management of various schools with autistic students should provide adequate learning facilities to motivate the teachers and help them cope with any stress that may arise while at work (Simonoff at al.2008).
5.3 Coping with the stress outside the school
As a result of the stress associated with autism students, several strategies outside the school can be used to effectively manage the stress. Some of the strategies that can be employed outside the school include the introduction of social support from such people as friends and family members and also attending training and other workshops of teaching (Singh et al.2011).Family members could provide emotional support to the individuals thus acts as a good strategy used to cope with stress.
5.3.1 Social support
To effectively manage the stress that teachers face, there is a need to seek social support from both friends and the family members of the students living with autism spectrum disorders. After carrying out some survey, there were nine (9) teachers who confirmed that there is need to seek some social support from friends and family members to avoid any stress that may arise as a result of autism (Sofronoff and Farbotko 2002).The family members of those children with autism spectrum disorders should provide emotional support to both the teachers and children during the time of such stress. Many teachers say that the provision of social support will play a significant role in the reduction of stress that these teachers face when teaching autistic children (Tomanik, Harris and Hawkins 2004).
5.3.2 Attending training and workshops of teaching
From the survey, seven (7) answers from teachers showed that attending various training and workshops play an important role in effectively managing the stress that teachers face while teaching children with autism (Twoy, Connolly and Novak 2007).The training seminars will equip teachers with necessary skills on how to effectively manage a classroom having children suffering from autism spectrum disorders. Such training programs and forums will help in effectively coping with stress that teachers face while at work.
6.1 Suggestions for coping with the stress
6.1.1 Doing activities and hobbies
From the results obtained from the study, seven (7) answers from different teachers suggested that doing activities and hobbies is an effective strategy that can be employed in coping with the stress that teacher’s face when teaching children with autism. Teachers should be able to group students into various groups and help them explore their interests and hobbies as this will help in managing the stress that they face while at work (Wang, Michaels and Day 2011).Some of these activities can be playing and taking part in other activities.
6.1.2 Contact and meeting with parents
From the results obtained, eight (8) answers from different teachers suggested that contacting and meeting with the parents of those children with autism would help in effectively managing the stress that teachers teaching autistic students face while in their work environments. Contacting and meeting the parents will help in identifying and reporting any challenge that may arise thus helping in coping with any stress that may arise (Whitaker 2002).
6.1.3 Change the food habit
Additionally, ten (10) answers were given that changing the food habit is also another strategy that can be used in effectively managing the stress that teachers may encounter while teaching children with autism (Williams, Higgins, and Brayne 2006).Changing food will help in improving health among the autistic individuals thus a good strategy that can be employed to cope with any possible stress teachers face.
6.1.4 Focusing on the positive aspect of working as a teacher for children with autism
From the results, seven (7) answers that were given by various teachers suggested that focusing on the positive aspect of working as a teacher or educator for autistic children would help in successfully coping with any stress that may arise when dealing with them. People should put more focus on the positive aspect of working as teachers for such students and children (Wing and Potter 2002).
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