Description
The purpose of this study was to investigate how one elementary school principal created a school culture inclusive of students on the autism spectrum, exploring the specific norms, values, symbols, and artifacts that serve as the foundation for a learning culture supportive of effective inclusion and the practices the principal utilized to create and sustain these cultural conditions. The study also explored the barriers principals and teachers faced in developing a school culture inclusive of students on the autism spectrum. Predominant themes emerging from the data included: (a) Principal Leadership for Inclusion, and (b) Collective Vision for an Inclusive Learning Culture. Findings underscored the importance of principal beliefs and values in setting the tone for an inclusive learning culture, along with targeted leadership behaviors and actions that established the conditions for implementing such a culture. Ongoing collaboration with parents also proved necessary to sustaining a culture of inclusion. In regards to the collective vision for an inclusive learning culture, effective communication of the vision emerged as essential, along with the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (SWPBIS) as a foundation for various inclusive practices. In addition to these key themes, specific barriers to creating a culture of inclusion were also evident in the data, including: (a) inconsistent understandings of what constituted inclusion, (b) limited autism-related professional development opportunities for general educators, and (c) lack of open dialogue with parents of students on the autism spectrum regarding appropriate levels of inclusion for their children.
