Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Date of Submission

2024-09-09

Advisor

Dr. Saima Bint-E-Saif, Assistant Professor, Department of SSLA

Committee

Dr. Shameel Khan, Consultant Psychiatrist, Compassion Couch; Co-Founder & Director Synapse Karachi

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Inclusive schools, Therapeutic intervention, Social support.

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to identify and understand the subjective experiences parents have with children with autism spectrum disorder in a city like Karachi, where the availability of resources is limited. The research objective was to highlight the experiences of parents seeking inclusive education for their children, focusing specifically on the challenges they face during the admission process at inclusive schools, the support provided by these educational institutions, and whether their expectations are effectively met. The sample for this research comprised six parents, both mother and father, with at least one child (boy/girl, aged 8-15 years) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder-accompanying intellectual disability (ASD-ID) and studying in an inclusive school in Karachi for at least 2 years. Purposive sampling with snowballing was used to recruit the sample. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data on the experiences of parents with children with autism spectrum disorder in an inclusive school. This data was analyzed using the six-step model of thematic analysis, for which in-vivo coding was used to generate themes. Seven major themes were extracted, and their subsequent sub-themes were organized in a tabular format, explaining the experiences parents had to share regarding their child’s inclusive school. The major themes were as followed: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, Experience with Inclusive Schools, Therapeutic Interventions, Social Support, Parental Involvement, Impact on Child’s Development, and Recommendations for Inclusivity. The results of this research reveal how inclusive schools in Karachi negatively influence the experiences of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Pages

8, 107

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