Date of Award

12-31-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Abbey Eisenhower

Second Advisor

Jan Blacher

Third Advisor

Alice Carter

Abstract

Early childhood education is a vital early learning context for children ages 2-5 years old, encompassing some of their most formative years of life. Autistic children, however, are expelled from early childhood education programs at disproportionately high rates—a troubling trend that points to a broader picture of how early education environments lack the support and structure that young autistic children need to succeed. Early childhood educators (ECEs) are fundamental in shaping these early education environments and autistic children’s experiences within them. However, while most ECEs want to include autistic children in their classrooms, past research indicates they feel like they lack the training and strategies to do so. Little is known about the specific areas where ECEs want and require the most support and training. In the present study, I sought to address these gaps using qualitative methods by exploring the day-to-day challenges and strategies of 20 ECEs working with autistic preschoolers, as described by the ECEs in semi-structured interviews. I used reflexive thematic analysis to identify (1) the day-to-day situations that are the most challenging for ECEs in working with autistic children, (2) ECEs’ internal experiences of these situations, and (3) the strategies they were bringing to these situations. My goal was to use these findings to inform the development of evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming training materials that are tailored to address the identified challenges faced by ECEs and build upon the strategies they already have. Learning how to best support ECEs in this way will promote more inclusive early education environments for autistic and potentially autistic preschoolers, as well as improve the well-being of the ECEs who work with them.

Comments

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