Wasik, Tamara (2015) The Experiences of Early Childhood Educators in the Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder:. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of early childhood educators in the early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children. Evidence suggests that early diagnosis and treatment can improve the developmental pathway and overall prognosis of children diagnosed with ASD, however, children are still being referred for evaluation much later than is considered ideal (Malhi & Singhi, 2011). This study sought to investigate how childcare workers were able to assist to ensure children were identified with ASD as early as possible (Cage, 2014). Research was conducted using qualitative research methods, specifically Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and included semi-structured interviews with 3 participants currently employed within the early childcare sector. Participants were required to have a minimum of three years’ experience working as an early childhood educator and direct experience monitoring children through observation, which has subsequently then led to a professional diagnosis of ASD. Four key themes were identified, including: (a) “Glorified babysitters”: The stigma labelling early childhood educators as unskilled and uneducated, (b) 300 children and counting: The value of experiential knowledge, (c) “No, come back when he’s three”: The impact of expert avoidance upon the diagnosis of ASD, and (d) “I always have my network”: Colleagues, professionals and parents working collaboratively. Despite societal perceptions, participants in this study viewed themselves as educators, and demonstrated several strength areas. This indicates they may have a valuable role to play in the early identification of ASD. However, future research directions could include a greater cross section of early childhood educators to broaden understandings of the phenomena and to bolster the strength of these findings. Based on the literature, the experiences of early childhood educators from other demographics, such as regional, rural, or lower socioeconomic populations also warrants further investigation to determine if their experiences echo the findings in this study. Other possibilities for future research are also discussed.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Charlotte Brownlow |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Sep 2025 02:12 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Sep 2025 02:12 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Autism Spectrum Disorder, early diagnosis, early childhood educators, childcare sector, interpretative phenomenological analysis |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52857 |
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