Preschool and Child-Care Expulsion: Is it Elevated for Autistic Children?
-
Jan Blacher [1] ; Abbey S. Eisenhower [2]
-
[1] University of California System
University of California System
Estados Unidos
-
[2] University of Massachusetts System
University of Massachusetts System
City of Boston, Estados Unidos
-
- Localización: Exceptional children, ISSN-e 2163-5560, ISSN 0014-4029, Vol. 89, Nº. 2, 2023, págs. 178-196
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
-
Resumen
Viewed through a social justice lens, preschool expulsion is an educational equity issue. This study focused on prior expulsion from preschool and child-care in a longitudinal study of 203 autistic children, ages 4 to 7. By parent report, 16%—one out of six autistic children—had been expelled from a preschool or child-care setting prior to elementary school; average age when expelled was 3.3 years. Expulsion history and reasons for expulsion were determined from parent report. Previously-expelled children went on to experience more conflict and dependency in their current student-teacher relationships. They also experienced greater teacher-reported externalizing symptoms than non-expelled children; these constituted the only child characteristics that distinguished expelled and non-expelled children. Children were more likely to be expelled from private versus public programs, suggesting a particular need for policies and practices supporting inclusion in private settings. Future work that examines contextual factors exacerbating expulsion risk is warranted.
