The Roles Elementary School Counselors Perform in the Education of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

This nation-wide study investigated elementary school counselors (ESC) self-reported: (a) professional background and training; (b) general knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASD); (c) attitudes towards ASD; and (d) roles performed with students identified with ASD. Also investigated were the predictive relationships between professional background, training, knowledge, and attitudes on roles (counseling, consultation, curriculum, and coordination) performed with students identified with ASD. Results of the study suggest (a) ESCs have limited training experiences of ASD, leading to self-education about this population of students, (b) ESCs possess general knowledge about ASD, (c) overall, ESCs have positive attitudes towards ASD, and (d) ESCs perform all conceptualized roles in the education of students with ASD.