Autism professional learning for South Australian preservice teachers

Four initiatives of the Government ofSouth Australian were implementedin parallel to increase inservice andpreservice teachers’ capability forinclusion of autistic students1. Thesewere Practices Guides for educators; theAutism Inclusion Teacher (AIT) initiative;the Autism Inclusion in SecondarySchools (AISS) initiative and the InitialTeacher Education (ITE) project. TheITE project aimed to understand ifmore autism education content in ITEprograms at Flinders University, theUniversity of Adelaide, University ofSouth Australia and Tabor College helpedITE preservice teachers feel betterprepared for teaching autistic students.It is the research findings of the ITEproject that are shared in this report.The project was launched in 2024supported by funding from the Officefor Autism (Department of the Premierand Cabinet) and the Department forEducation. Led by the Minister for Autismwith support from the Office for Autism,the State Government’s Autism Strategy—Focus Area 2: Positive EducationalExperiences—was the driver. Thisinvestment by the Government of SouthAustralia aligns with state and nationaldisability strategies guiding change toaddress longstanding concerns aboutautistic students’ educational outcomesand the preparedness of ITE graduatesfor the inclusion of autistic students atearly learning settings and schools.The two-year research project,overseen by the University of Adelaideand supported by a stakeholderreference group, evaluated the impactof three autism professional learningprograms developed by AutismCRC, Flinders University and PositivePartnerships, each of which containedfoundational knowledge about autismand neurodivergence, inclusivepedagogical strategies and practicaltools for teaching autistic students.The research was designed to collectpre- and post-survey data alongwith comments and interview datafrom a sample of preservice teachersenrolled in early childhood, primaryand secondary teaching programswho engaged with the extra learning.Details of the research participants’demographic profile are contained inthe full report (section 3.2). Broadly, thesample reflected the preservice teacherpopulation but with a higher number ofautistic people and slight bias towardsthose studying secondary teaching.Quantitative findings revealed astatistically significant increase inpreservice teachers’ self-efficacy (feelingsof preparedness) for teaching autisticstudents with a large effect size. Thissuggests that targeted autism professionallearning substantially enhances preserviceteacher confidence and capability forteaching autistic students. Qualitative datafrom survey comments, interviews andfocus groups reinforced these findings,highlighting the value of learning aboutautism, Universal Design for Learning(UDL) (an educational framework foraccess), using visual supports andlistening to the lived experiences ofautistic people for authenticity and tofoster empathy and understanding.Participants also identified gaps in theirpreparation, particularly in differentiating1. Autistic students is the term usedthroughout this report and includeschildren in their early years, as well asolder children and young people.assessments, translating data into learninggoals, and engaging with families.The research found that embeddingautism specific content within inclusiveeducation courses rather than offering thelearning as standalone modules yieldedstronger outcomes because of contextualunderstanding, but this did not preclude adesire for the content to be integrated intoother curriculum specific topics/courses,particularly for secondary teachingdisciplines. Preservice teachers furtherexpressed a desire to have intensivelearning sessions on autism and teachingautistic students before their professionallearning placements. Prior engagementwith autistic individuals through personalrelationships, work experience andprofessional placement also correlatedwith higher self-efficacy, underscoringthe value of experience for vicariouslearning and mastery of professional skills.Preservice teachers consistentlyadvocated for mandatory autism contentin ITE programs, citing time constraintsand competing demands as barriersto voluntary engagement. Suggestionsfor improvement to autism specificprogram content included scenario-based problem solving, role plays andAI-generated simulations. Participants alsoemphasised the need for practical, real-world application of autism content withmentorship from experienced inclusiveeducators who engage in reflectivepractices to develop their capabilities.The ITE project provides compellingevidence for the integration of autismspecific learning into ITE curricula,to ensure autistic students are taughtby graduates who understand autismand have the necessary knowledgeand skills so autistic students canthrive at their early learning settingsand schools. The findings align withthe broader initiatives of Government,as well as the Australian Institute forTeacher and School Leadership (AITSL)Australian Professional Standards forTeachers (AITSL, 2017), the AustralianChildren’s Education & Care QualityAuthority’s (ACECQA) standards forquality early learning settings (ACECQA,2018) and the recommendations of theTeacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP)(Department of Education, 2023),reinforcing the importance of preparingteachers to meet legal, pedagogical, andethical obligations for inclusive education.The Government of South Australiais encouraged to share these findingswith national accreditation bodies andadvocate for systemic change acrossAustralia’s ITE landscape, aiming forimprovements in autism inclusiveeducation within the near future.