Autism education in Greece at the beginning of the 21st century: reviewing the literature

Abstract

This paper considers recent evidence on autism education in Greece in order to shed light on current developments and attitudes. Given the increase in relevant research in the country, a scoping review to identify topics that have been explored so far and propose areas for future research and implications for practice is timely and necessary. Peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2019 were identified via electronic databases and their main themes were analysed. Themes related to autistic individual (i.e. the voice of autistic individuals and intervention studies), the family around them (i.e. the role of family and stigma), the role of teachers (i.e. teacher training and teacher stress levels) and the wider society (i.e. parent-teacher collaboration, the medical/deficit model of disability and inclusion) emerged from the review. The above themes are discussed in the light of the cultural characteristics of Greece and the recent economic crisis the country underwent as well as similar findings from other European countries.

Inclusivity of Persons With Disabilities in the Work Sector During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

“…Today's autistic individuals have limited involvement in their education and life decisions, let alone participation in research ( 38 ). From the author's personal experience of interviews with parents of children with autism in Greece, parents seemed very reluctant to let their children participate in the study.…”

“…From the author's personal experience of interviews with parents of children with autism in Greece, parents seemed very reluctant to let their children participate in the study. This reluctance may be the fear that with their children's participation, they will become aware of their autism diagnosis, which is often kept secret from them ( 38 ).…”

“…The family, in its broad form, seems to play an essential role in the education of autistic children in Greece ( 38 ). The ability of parents to discipline their children is related to the progress of the child's development.…”

Societal Attitudes Towards Autism (SATA): Validation of the Greek Version in the General Population

“…In addition, the medical model has been widely adopted in Greece for a coherent understanding of the ASD and implementation of intervention programs for individuals with ASD (Kossyvaki, 2021 ). According to the medical model, the deficits lie within the individuals with ASD who have to be ‘treated’ while the school environment and the social setting are set and, therefore, difficult to change in order to cover their needs (Rieser & Mason, 1990 ).…”

“…Undoubtedly, in Greece, there is a need for higher understanding and acceptance of Autism Spectrum Disorders. The fact that parents often withhold an ASD diagnosis due to fear of stigma highlights the need for targeted interventions, based on evidence, in the general population to improve knowledge about ASD and change thoughts and feelings towards people with ASD (Kossyvaki, 2021 ).…”