Articles

Your Voice Counts: Listening to the Voice of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Beth Saggers^a1 c1, Yoon-Suk Hwang^a2 and K. Louise Mercer^a3

^a1 School of Learning and Professional Studies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. b.saggers@qut.edu.au

^a2 Centre for Learning Innovation (CLI), Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

^a3 School of Learning and Professional Studies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Abstract

Supporting students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in inclusive settings presents both opportunities and significant challenges to school communities. This study, which explored the lived experience of nine students with ASD in an inclusive high school in Australia, is based on the belief that by listening to the voices of students, school communities will be in a better position to collaboratively create supportive learning and social environments. The findings of this small-scale study deepen our knowledge from the student perspective of the inclusive educational practices that facilitate and constrain the learning and participation of students with ASD. The students' perspectives were examined in relation to the characteristics of successful inclusive schools identified by Kluth (2003). Implications for inclusive educational practice that meets the needs of students with ASD are presented.

Keywords

• autism spectrum disorders;
• inclusive education;
• lived experience;
• student voice;
• high school

Correspondence:

^c1 Address for correspondence: Dr Beth Saggers, School of Learning & Professional Studies, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia.