Transition to preschool for children with Autism spectrum disorder: expectations of Turkish parents and teachers

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is common among disability. Difficulties experienced by the child with autism in developmental areas may cause negative situations during transition to preschool. This study aims to determine the opinions of parents and teachers about expectations and whether these expectations have been fulfilled during transition to preschool. As a result of the content analysis, the perspectives of parents who participated in the study from the teachers for children with autism were collected in six categories: social acceptance, developmental expectations, social skills, communicative skills, stereotypical behaviors, and teachers expectations. Teacher perspectives from the parents of children with autism were gathered in four categories: special needs of the child, attitude and approach, acceptance, and developmental expectations. Findings are discussed in light of the related literature.

Introduction

Inclusion in Turkey

Inclusive education, which began in the early 20th century and gained importance in the 1960s, is generally defined as ‘placed in general education classes of all special needs children/students regardless of the level and type of disability’ (Mastropieri and Scruggs 2015, p. 7). The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) defined early childhood integration as follows in their 2009 declaration: ‘Early childhood integration, regardless of abilities, each infant and young child himself and his family; it consists of values, policies and practices that support their rights as a full member of their families, communities and communities to participate in a wide range of different activities and contexts. The desired outcomes of inclusion experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning to reach their full potential. The defining features of integration that can be used to identify high-quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and support’ (NAEYC 2009). In Turkey, children with special needs to be educated with their peers were realized with a decree issued in 1997. Finally, Decree-Law No. 573 on Special Education, which was updated in 2013, made it compulsory for all children with special needs to receive preschool education. Again, according to the Preschool and Primary Education Regulations, in 2019, special education provided that those with severe disabilities and children with multiple disabilities are unable to continue their education through full-time inclusion, provided that the physical space is appropriate in these institutions and a special education teacher is employed. Classes are also recorded.

However, when the 2006 Higher Education Council (YÖK) Preschool Education Teacher Education Undergraduate Program and 2018 YÖK Preschool Education Teacher Education Undergraduate Program are examined, it is seen that a specific course for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is only Common Developmental Disorders in the 2006 program elective course category. However, not every university offers this course. Apart from this course, the special education course in the undergraduate program in 2006 seems compulsory and the inclusive education course as an elective course. In the 2018 program, these two courses were combined and taught as special education and inclusive courses, but they are entirely theoretical without application. This situation caused pre-service teachers to enter the field inexperienced without observing the forms and applying one-to-one. They have no practical experiences about children with special needs when they started to teaching. As a matter of fact, in a study conducted by Yazici and Akman (2018), it was stated that the primary reason for teachers who do not want children with ASD included in their class is lack of experience. Overall research on integration into preschool in Turkey revealed that preschool teachers found that integration is useful (Akman et al. 2018, Artan and Uyanık Balat 2003, Batu et al. 2004, Gök and Erbaş 2011); however, these teachers don’t want to work with children with special needs because of lack of knowledge (Akman et al. 2018, Batu et al. 2004, Gök and Erbaş 2011).

Transition to preschool and transition process in Turkey

The process of transition to preschool is typically complex for children and their parents and teachers; but at the same time this is an important opportunity for development (Janus 2011, Correia and Marques-Pinto 2016). The process of keeping expectations in balance, knowing the unknown, and adapting to the preschool starts with good structuring of the preschool for the child. The transition to preschool in human life is not the first or last transition; however, it is one of the most critical (Janus 2011). Transition and transition practices are new topics in Turkey. There is no legal regulation on this issue (Yildirim Hacıibrahimoğlu 2017). School adaptation week began in the 2006–2007 academic year, aimed to reduce school anxiety, increase school adjustment via, play, drama etc. However, different practices are created during this adaptation week. While some institutions do not allow parents to enter the classrooms from the first day of school, some schools do and gradually reduce these entries (Akman and Yazici 2019).

Research on transitions in Turkey revealed two main headings of research: the transition to primary school from preschool (Altın 2014, Erden and Altun 2014, Kutluca Canbulat and Yildizbaş 2014, Mercan Uzun and Alat 2017, Öztürk and Bektaş 2018, Pekdoğan 2017, Yazici et al. 2016) and the transition period of children with special needs to preschool (Bakkaloğlu 2004, 2013, Cifci-Tekinarslan and Bircan 2009, Odluyurt 2007). Research on the process is divided into two groups: parental views and program effectiveness. Studies on parental views reveal that parents need information about the transition process (Cifci-Tekinarslan and Bircan 2009) to relieve the anxiety of finding a suitable educational institution during the transition (Bakkaloğlu 2013). Obeying the instructions, working independently, and providing skills such as self-care to children with special needs are critical in inclusion classes (Bakkaloğlu 2004, Odluyurt 2007). Children with ASD struggle as do children who might develop in are still developing during the transition process (Fontil et al. 2020). Difficulties experienced by children with ASD in developmental areas may cause negative situations during the transition to school (Migyanka 2011). Difficulties experienced in this process can become harsh for children with ASD and their parents (Fontil et al. 2020). As in all areas, the cooperation between teacher and the family during the transition to school ensures that this process remains comfortable (Migyanka 2011).

Need for teacher knowledge of transition process

Seven key issues are related to the teacher and the classroom in the transition process: teacher training and certification, teacher experience, teacher training related to the transition process, the teacher’s ethnic origin, class size, adults in the classroom, child poverty, and children’s ethnic origin (Early et al. 1999). Teachers’ knowledge of the transition process and their beliefs about the process are important in successfully overcoming the process (Einarsdottir et al. 2008, Hindman et al. 2011). Studies have shown that teachers’ practices during the transition to preschool have positive effects on the transition to primary school (Schulting et al. 2005). Studies show that children display less problematic behaviors in the process and increase their adaptation to preschool with transition practices. In addition, positive teacher–child interaction and teacher–parent cooperation are provided with the transition practices offered by the teacher (Urbina-Garcia 2019).

The transition to preschool in Turkey is seen as a new field. When the relevant literature is examined, it is seen that transition to primary school is predominant for children with typical development. Studies on parents’ opinions and program effectiveness come to the front in studies on children with special needs. However, there is no study that specifically examines the expectations of parents and teachers regarding the school transition of children with ASD.

Purpose of the research and research questions

When the relevant literature is examined, it is seen that the studies on transition to preschool fall under two headings: the transition to preschool (Alatalo et al. 2016, Curby et al. 2018, Early et al. 1999, Eisenhower et al. 2016, Helm et al. 2020, Urbina-Garcia 2019) and the transition to preschool for children with special needs (Janus et al. 2007, Jewett et al. 1998, Rous et al. 2007, Welchons and McIntyre 2017). When studies on the transition of children with ASD to school are examined, the research is usually focused on transition studies to primary school (Chen et al. 2020, Connolly and Gersch 2016, Sulek et al. 2019). However, a more limited number of studies is observed, specifically on the transition of children with ASD (Forest et al. 2004, Starr et al. 2016, Stoner et al. 2007). Some of this research was done only with parents, and some only with families; moreover, in these studies, experiences in this process were generally examined. This research, then, differs from other studies by examining the expectations of both parents and teachers during the transition period. For the purpose of the research, answers to the following questions were sought:

1. In the process of transition, what are parents’ expectations for their children with ASD from teachers?

2. In the process of transition, what are teachers’ expectations for children with ASD from parents?

3. Six months later, how were expectations realized by parents and teachers?

Method

Research design

This research, which aims to determine the expectations of parents with children with ASD and teachers with children with ASD in their class during the transition to preschool, was designed using a case study from qualitative research methods. A case study is defined as examining a current situation in real-life space when the boundaries between an event and context are not clear (Creswell 2015). Ethical approval was obtained from the Social Sciences And Humanities Ethics Committee of Ondokuz Mayıs University for this research.

Study group

The criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used while determining the study group. In criterion sampling, researchers develop criteria beforehand; these criteria are then taken into consideration when selecting the study group. In this study, while determining the working group of the parents, the condition that the child with ASD continues in preschool in the 2018–2019 academic year has been sought. In the 2018–2019 academic year, at least one child with ASD is required in the classroom. Information about the working group is given in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1.

Information about parents and children with ASD.

	Sex	Age	Education	Job	Income (monthly)	Number of children	Number of children with ASD	Sex of children with ASD	Age of children with ASD	Duration of ECE settings (year)
1	Female	32	High School	Housewife	3,500	1	1	Male	5	2
2	Female	41	High School	Housewife	5,000	2	1	Male	5	3
3	Female	42	University	Preacher	6,500	2	2	Male	6	2
4	Female	35	Primary School	Housewife	1,500	2	2	Female	6	2
5	Female	29	High School	Housewife	4,000	3	1	Male	6	1
6	Female	42	University	Teacher	12,000	2	2	Male	6	2
7	Female	34	Primary School	Housewife	2,500	3	3	Male	6	1
8	Female	46	High School	Housewife	2,000	3	3	Male	5	2
9	Male	30	University	Police	10,000	2	1	Male	6	2
10	Female	33	University	Officer	8,500	2	2	Male	6	2
11	Female	38	Primary School	Housewife	6,000	3	3	Male	4	1
12	Male	37	University	Engineer	9,500	2	1	Male	6	3
13	Female	33	Primary School	Housewife	3,000	3	2	Male	4	1
14	Female	28	Primary School	Housewife	2,700	1	1	Male	6	2
15	Female	35	High School	Satış danışmanı	6,000	2	1	Male	5	2
16	Female	35	High School	Housewife	2,780	2	2	Male	5	2
17	Female	37	High School	Housewife	3,500	3	2	Male	5	1
18	Female	35	University	Teacher	12,500	2	2	Female	5	1

ASD: autism spectrum disorder.

Table 2.

Information about teacher and children with ASD.

Number of teachers	Sex	Age	Education	Experience (year)	special needs groups that the teacher has previously worked with	Sex of children with ASD	Age of children with ASD
1	Female	32	Bachelor	10	Dyslexia, speech and language disorders	Boy	5
2	Female	42	High School	26	ASD, speech and language disorders, hearing impaired	Boy	6
3	Female	27	Bachelor	3	Intellectual disability, ASD	Boy	6
4	Female	34	Bachelor	8	ASD, CP, dyslexia	Boy	4
5	Female	36	Bachelor	12	Down Syndrome, ADHD, ASD, dyslexia	Boy	6
6	Female	34	Bachelor	5	Intellectual disability, ASD	Boy	6
7	Female	39	Master	12	ASD	Girl	6
8	Female	30	Bachelor	5	Intellectual disability, PDD	Boy	5
9	Female	34	Bachelor	12	ASD	Boy	4
10	Female	24	Bachelor	2	Intellectual disability	Boy	4
11	Female	25	Bachelor	3	ASD, dyslexia, intellectual disability, Down syndrome	Boy	6
12	Female	30	Bachelor	5	–	Boy	5
13	Male	29	Bachelor	5	ADHD	Boy	5
14	Female	33	Bachelor	7	ASD, epilepsy	Boy	5
15	Female	30	Bachelor	5	ASD, Down syndrome	Boy	5
16	Female	37	Bachelor	6	ASD	Boy	5
17	Male	28	Bachelor	4	Down syndrome, ASD, ADHD	Boy	5

ASD: autism spectrum disorder; CP: cerebral palsy; ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; PDD: pervasive developmental disorder.

When Table 1 is examined, it is seen that two of the parents are men and 16 are women. The age range is between 28 and 46. Seven parents are high school graduates, five parents are university graduates, and seven parents are primary school graduates. Their monthly income is between 1500 and 12,500 TL. Two parents have one, ten parents have two, and six parents have three children. Two of the autistic children are girls and the others are boys. Seven children are five years, two are four fours, and nine are six years.

When Table 2 is examined, it is seen that two of the teachers are male and 15 are female. Age ranges are between 24 and 42. Fifteen of the teachers have an undergraduate degree, one with a graduate degree, and one was a high school graduate. Three teachers have not worked with children with autism before. One of the children with autism in the teachers’ classrooms is a girl and sixteen are boys.

Data collection tools

Data collection tools for parents

The demographic information and interview forms were used for parents. The demographic information form includes questions about gender, age, profession, monthly income, educational level of the parents and gender, age, diagnosis, where the child received the diagnosis, how many siblings he/she had, and how long the preschool education continued. In the interview form, questions include determining the expectations of parents from the teachers for themselves and the child with ASD.

Data collection tools for teachers

Demographic information and interview forms were used for teachers. The demographic information form included questions about the gender of the teachers, the age of the last graduate education, professional experience, and which special needs groups she worked with, along with questions about gender, age, diagnosis, and preschool education of the child with ASD. Further, the interview form included questions about determining the expectations of teachers from themselves and the parents for the child with ASD.

The interview questions prepared for parents and teachers were sent to three field experts (one field expert suggested asking a question about whether expectations were met). In addition to the two expectations, two questions were added as to whether the expectations were met. Thus, two interview forms consisted of four questions.

Collection of data

The data were collected through face-to-face interview method, which is defined as ‘one of the most effective ways to understand people’ (Fontana and Frey 2000) and is one of the most frequently used data collection methods in social sciences, during the 2018–2019 academic year. The interview offers strengths such as flexibility, response rate, nonverbal behavior, control over the environment, question order, instant response, confirmation of the data source, completeness, and in-depth information (Bailey 1982). Interviews with parents were made by the first author, and interviews with teachers were made by the second author. The first interviews with parents and teachers were held in the first two weeks at the beginning of the academic year. During these interviews, parents and teachers were asked about their expectations from teachers/parents for themselves and children. Turkey also has special days and national holidays in April and May. Therefore, second interviews (whether expectations come true) were conducted in March. There is a six-month time gap between the first interviews and second interviews. In this study, the interviews were recorded with a voice recorder in the environment where the interviews were made with the consent of the participants (the interviews were carried out in the classrooms after all the children in the classroom were gone) on the day of the interview, and before the data collection, the participants were explained the purpose of the study, their identity information would be kept confidential, and they could stop the interview if they wanted.

Data analysis

Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. Content analysis is defined as ‘any qualitative data reduction and meaningful effort to determine basic consistencies and meanings by taking voluminous qualitative material’ (Patton 2014). Basically, the process of content analysis is to gather similar data within the framework of certain concepts and themes and to interpret them in a way that the reader can understand (Yildirim and Şimşek 2006). For this reason, content analysis was preferred in this research. In this research, the following path was followed in analyzing the data.

1. After the data collection process is completed, the audio recordings of each interview are opened via a folder for each subtitle such as P.1.1, P.2.1, … for parents and T.1.1, T.2.1 for teachers. Voice recordings were then transferred to the interview forms without any changes.

2. After the transcript was completed, the researchers encoded the data independently and separated them into themes. Then, the researchers came together to examine their codes and themes, and they reached a consensus by speaking on issues with disagreement. After the consensus was reached, the codes and themes were arranged, and the findings were defined and interpreted.

Validity and reliability of the study

External validity of the study

Although quantitative studies were conducted with large groups, it is thought that the results obtained can be generalized to the universe even if there is a certain margin of error. It is considered that the results of the studies carried out in a small and certain environment with the participation of fewer people with certain characteristics cannot be applied to other situations or communities. Therefore, the purpose of qualitative research is not to generalize the results obtained to other environments and situations; instead, it is intended to transfer the results obtained to similar environments (Shenton 2004, Yildirim and Şimşek 2006). In this research, detailed descriptions and purposeful sampling were preferred to ensure external validity.

Internal validity of the research

In qualitative research, unlike quantitative research, the researcher has to prove how convincing it is in the observations made during the research and the data it obtained by using more than one data collection technique. The better the researcher does this, the higher the internal validity of the research (Yildirim and Şimşek 2006). In this research, expert review and participant confirmation were used to ensure internal validity.

The reliability of the research

In qualitative research, reliability and approval require the researcher to confirm the results obtained by the data collected (Yildirim and Şimşek 2006). The external reliability method used in this research is brief confirmation and investigative triangulation.

Results

Expectations of parents and teachers for ASD children in the transition to preschool period

As a result of the content analysis, the expectations of parents who participated in the research from their teachers for ASD children were collected in six categories: social acceptance, developmental expectations, social skills, communicative skills, stereotypical behaviors, and teacher expectations. Expectations of teachers from parents for a child with ASD are gathered in four categories: the special needs of the child, attitude and approach, acceptance, and developmental expectations. Figure 1 shows both parents' and teachers' expectations form each other.

Figure 1.

Expectations of parents and teachers from each other for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Developmental expectations

When parent responses about developmental expectations are examined, it is seen that many parents expect their child’s holistic development areas to be supported. However, some parents focused specifically on one or more areas of development, such as physical development, social development, and motor development. One parent said the following:

I expect my child to close the gap with his peers as much as possible, to enable him to progress mentally, socially, and physically and in subjects such as toilet training, eating, and socializing. Of course, while doing these, I think that he should act with us and analyze my child well. (P.2)

When answers about developmental expectations of teachers were examined, most teachers focused on the repetition of preschool activities to support the child’s development. The teachers also stated that they expect parents to help the child to socialize. One teacher stated:

Certainly, it is my only expectation that they will include the activities at school we do at school, as they are incredibly useful for them to learn. First of all, I told the families of children with special needs about the activities we do at school. Then I explained how to apply the skills at home. If they do the activities at home with their children, we will shorten the child’s learning time, even a little. (T.4)

Social acceptance

When parental expectations for children with ASD were examined, it was seen that the parents expected teachers to accept a child with ASD and influence other children in the class to accept them as well. One parent stated:

My child grew up at home without being a closed person. However, he was often excluded by others because he made strange noises. He ended up alone in social settings. I don’t want him to experience this in a school setting. I want the teacher to first accept my child and show interest in my child, just like any other child. Then I want him or her to teach other kids in the class to accept my child. School is the right place for my child to socialize. Our teacher was not interested last year and did not want my child in his class. I don’t want to experience it again. (P.1)

Acceptance

Many of the teachers participating in the study were found to want parents to accept their children as they are. One teacher stated:

‘They accept their children with disabilities. Parents, do not exclude a child because he or she is disabled. Don’t be ashamed of your child. Let your children not forget that they are also individuals and be with them in all circumstances’. (T.6)

Social skills, communicative skills, and stereotype behaviors

When the responses of the parents who participated in the research were examined, it was noted that teachers expected a decrease in interaction, communication, and stereotype behaviors, which are the three main features of ASD. In particular, parents have high expectation from teachers regarding their children’s interaction and social skills. One parent stated:

My primary expectation is to fuse my child with his peers. I want my son to have friends, play with them like other children, jump and jump. Even if he does not speak to me, his father, even his sister correctly, even if he does not speak to his friends, he can laugh with them and have fun. Our teacher supports my child in this matter. (P.15)

Some parents are expecting teachers to aid in the development of their children’s communication skills. One parent stated:

I expect my child to contribute and develop his speaking and communication skills. But while doing this, I expect him to show his love and compassion and approach him professionally, without being harsh with my child. (P.3)

Some parents have expectations from teachers about the general features of ASD. One parent stated:

It is primarily for my child to help with his obsessive behavior. For example, when he does not get anything he wants, he goes into a vigil and starts to punch me with a high-pitched voice. Of course, nobody wants to play with him. I also want my child to have friends and socialize. Let us communicate with friends. Let our teacher help my child with these issues and tell us how to support what we do. The teacher from last year was never interested in my son. It made us feel that he was not wanted. I don’t want to face such a thing anymore. (P.9)

Expectations regarding the teacher

When the responses of parents who participated in the research are examined, it is seen that parents have expectations of the teacher in terms of personal and academic characteristics as well as the development and autistic features of their children. One parent stated:

First of all, I want the teacher to know and research autism well. In addition, I expect my child, who is a inclusive student, to adapt to the classroom in the best way, to use qualified material, to support early literacy, to support verbal and nonverbal communication skills, to use qualified and multifunctional activities and materials to support my child’s motor skills. (P.18)

Attitude and approach

When answers from teachers participating in the research are examined, it is seen that the teachers have information about how to approach their children from the parents; further, they have a patient but uncompromising attitude toward a child rather than focusing on a child’s disability. One teacher stated:

Due to a diagnosis, the child may exhibit obsessive, persistent, angry, and rejectionist attitudes. In this case, I expect a teacher to approach the child using the methods and techniques we recommend. I want the child to be patient, especially in anger attacks, but the teacher shouldn’t leave him alone. I want them to resist the anger attacks of the child and see that there is an distinction. (T.8)

Children’s special needs

When answers from teachers participating in the research were examined, it was seen that some parents stated that teachers did not accept the child’s special needs and were expected to accept the child as he/she was. One teacher stated:

Frankly, I think families don’t care enough about their children. Or I think it is just the mother who strives for the child. However, both mother and father should take care of their children sufficiently. Instead of treating their children as sick, I want them to accept the child as he or she is and act accordingly. Because the child has special needs, families see their children as sick and start doing everything themselves instead. But these behaviors bring harm, not benefit, to children, even if the family is not aware of this …. (T.17)

Meeting the expectations of parents and teachers for ASD children in the transition to preschool period

Six months after the first interviews, parents and teachers were asked if their expectations were met. As noted, parents’ expectations are as follows: social acceptance, developmental expectations, social skills, communicative skills, stereotypical behaviors, and teacher expectations. Teacher expectations from parents for children with ASD are gathered into four categories: the special needs of the child, attitude and approach, acceptance, and developmental expectations. Positive and negative opinions on this topic were examined in the same category. Figure 2 shows both parents' and teachers' expectations has been done or not.

Figure 2.

Whether parents ‘and teachers’ expectations come true or not.

Developmental expectations

As noted, most parents expect teachers to develop their child’s development as a whole. However, it was also observed that some parents focused specifically on a development area. In the second interviews, most parents stated that teachers support the development of the child with ASD. One parent stated:

My expectations were not met at the first preschool institution. The teacher could not communicate with my child. He was constantly saying that my child had a problem and did not know how to treat him. But our teacher this year definitely met my expectations. Trying to join my child in every event. He takes very good care of him and tries to communicate. Thanks to him, my child began to learn colors and numbers. Other children are now talking to him. Once I was in family involvement, I saw a child helping my child at the event, and I was so emotional that I can’t explain it. In the other class, my child was like a black sheep, it was undesirable. (P.6)

Although P.6 seems to have found the right teacher this time, it was, unfortunately, not possible to say this for every parent in our study. During the talks in March, a parent said the following:

I wish my child had another teacher! He never supported my child’s development. He always made me feel that he did not want my child in his class. I also couldn’t change the boy’s class. Maybe I didn’t want to stop sending him because I thought he would learn something. I wish my child’s first year hadn’t been this bad. (P.11)

As with parents, teachers have said both positive and negative things about a child’s developmental process. However, many of the teachers stated that parents support a child’s development. One teacher stated:

The parents of my child with ASD are concerned. Actually, there should be teacher–family cooperation – not only for the child with special needs but also for all children, but the family can sometimes see it as a burden. My biggest expectation from the family of children with ASD was the implementation of the activities I had at school to support the child’s development, and they did what I said. Sometimes I was showing the activities by making changes to them, sometimes I was telling them exactly how they were done. They did them all and then the child’s development progressed. I wish all parents were like A’s family ….. (T.4)

However, certain teachers also gave negative opinions about families. One teacher stated:

They acted as if the boy had all the responsibility on me. They did nothing to say to them. They did not want to take care of the child. Just how far can the child go with my effort? (T.11)

Social acceptance

One of the greatest expectations of parents from teachers at the beginning of the process was the acceptance of the child from him/herself and his/her classroom peers. Most parents who participated in the research stated that their expectations were met in this regard. One parent stated:

My child has no trouble going to school. His teacher welcomes him with a smiling face, takes care of him, and tries to take part in the activities. Other children used to not want to group with my child, but the children have now accepted my son. Of course, I’m not in the classroom all the time; these are the expectations of the teacher. But even when I greet my child with a smiling face in the morning, this is a huge thing for me. (P.13)

However, in a developmental expectation, the parent, who thinks that his/her expectations are not met, also gave a negative opinion:

There was no difference in my child’s social relationships. How can I expect this from other children and families when he does not accept my child? (P.11)

Acceptance

The teachers stated that, at the beginning of the semester, they expect parents to accept their child as he/she is. As a result of the interviews conducted in March, it was seen that teacher expectations, except from one, were met. The teacher who gave negative opinions stated the following:

S. had been diagnosed a few months before he came to my class. His parents but especially his father denied that the child had ASD. At the beginning of the semester, I told them to talk to both of them, to share the responsibility of the child, to support his development if he repeats the activities in the school as I wish, if he does at least similar things. I also stated that the child should be resistant to anger attacks. But when I spoke to the mother, I learned that the father came home late in the evening. When the child had a crisis to get something, the parents immediately gave him what he wanted. So I also had difficulties at school. The mother said the father does not accept his child. It happens when he doesn’t even look at his face. I don’t know what I can do for this parent. (T.9)

Social skills, communicative skills, and stereotype behaviors

It was determined that parents were expecting teachers from these three subjects. During interviews in March, one parent stated:

My child is making eye contact longer! This is such a big thing for me … My child started communicating with me, too, and also with his teacher. I wish I could start communicating with his friends, too, I’m still bored about it, often he doesn’t join the playgroups I take. (E.4)

Teacher expectations

During interviews held at the beginning of the semester, it was seen that parents also expected teachers personally and academically. As a result of the second interviews, it was observed that teachers, except for one parent (P.11), met the expectations. One parent stated the following:

He always approached my child patiently. He worked hard to adapt to the school and his friends. He held individual events when necessary and asked us to continue at home. He gave us resources. (P.7)

Attitude and approach

In the interviews with teachers at the beginning of the period, it was determined that most had expectations about the attitude and approach from the parents. As a result of the interviews conducted in March, it was determined that all teachers who expressed their opinions on this subject, except for two (T.9 and T.2), were met. T.2 stated the following:

From the beginning of the period, I told the family that they should approach their children more affectionately. I asked them to do the tasks I gave. Most of the time, however, he did not want to do the tasks, except for a couple of times. I think they are indifferent and neglect the child. (T.2)

Special needs of the child

As a result of the interviews conducted with the teachers who gave an opinion on this subject in March, it was determined that there was no problem other than from one teacher (T.9).

Discussion

As a result of interviews with parents, their expectations for children with ASD from teachers during the transition period revealed (a) developmental expectations, (b) social acceptance, (c) social skills, (d) communicative skills, (e) stereotype behaviors ,and (f) teacher-related expectations; teacher expectations from parents of children with ASD are divided into four categories: (a) developmental expectations, (b) acceptance, (c) attitude and approach, and (d) special needs of the child. The research thus revealed that parents and teachers had similar expectations for children with ASD as well as different expectations during the transition period. While parents expect teachers to support the development of the child with ASD, teachers also emphasized that parents should repeat certain behaviors at home to help support the child’s development. This situation reveals that teacher–parent cooperation is important. Denkyirah and Agbeke (2010) and Beamish et al. (2014) determined that teachers believe it is important for children with ASD to be in cooperation with parents during the transition process. Starr et al. (2016) stated that the relationship and interaction between teachers and parents is important in the transition process. When the parents’ responses about social acceptance were examined, it was determined that the teacher expected them to accept the child with ASD and help the child in the class to accept it.

Yazici and Akman (2018) determined that some teachers forming the study group did not want children with ASD in their classrooms. Similarly, Bakkaloğlu (2013), Connolly and Gersch (2016) and Janus et al. (2007) revealed that families of children with special needs stated that they had difficulties due to the negative views of the school and the teacher against inclusion. Parents also see this as worrying and expect their child to be accepted. Teachers, on the other hand, were found to think that parents should accept their children as they are.

Yazici and Akman (2020) also determined that parents need information about what their expectations from children should be. Parents may not accept the special needs of their child or they may not know what to expect from him/her. In this case, teachers’ interviews and determining the attitude of the parents seem to be important in terms of a healthy process. When other parental expectations of the teacher for the child are examined, it is seen that they have expectations about stereotypical behaviors, communication, and social interaction, which are the main features of ASD, and that the parents typically have a lack of knowledge and training needs in these subjects. Larcombe et al. (2019) stated that parents and teachers believe the communicative and social interaction behaviors of children are important. The development of these skills in the child has an important place for the child, teacher, and parents.

As a result of interviews with teachers and parents six months later, it was determined that parent and teacher expectations were generally met. Parents and teachers stated that they received support from the opposite side and that their expectations were met, although not completely. In this case, which is a pleasing finding, communication has an important place.

In regard to expectations of others for themselves, the second main question of the research, were examined, it was seen that the primary expectations of both parents and teachers are in regard to communication and cooperation. In addition, parents should be informed about their children, and the teacher should have knowledge about ASD; teachers, on the other hand, expect parents to have realistic expectations and to support development by engaging in activities with their children at home. When the literature is examined, it is seen that there are findings parallel to these findings. In support of these findings, Bakkaloğlu (2013) and Denkyirah and Agbeke (2010) concluded that parents are asked to give information about the child. Starr et al. (2016) determined that all groups needed information about ASD. Most importantly, the results of all research consider the collaboration of both parents and teachers as an important component in the transition process (Beamish et al. 2014, Conklin 2016, Denkyirah and Agbeke 2010, Starr et al. 2016, Stoner et al. 2007). In interviews with teachers and parents at the end of six months, parents and teachers both stated that their expectations were generally met.

Conclusion and suggestions

The transition to school is an exciting process for all children, parents, and teachers. In this study, it was aimed to examine the expectations of parents with children with ASD and teachers with children with ASD from each other and the realization of these expectations. As a result, it was found that the expectations of the parents participating in the study from teachers for their children at the beginning of the fall semester were categorized as developmental expectations, social acceptance, social skills, communicative skills, stereotypical behaviors, and expectations about teachers; in the interviews held in the spring period, it was determined that most parents’ developmental expectations were met, and one parent had a negative opinion about the teacher. In the interviews with the teachers in the fall period, it was determined that their expectations from the parents for the child were categorized as developmental expectations, acceptance, attitude and approach, and the special needs of the child. In the interviews held in the spring term, it was determined that the expectations of all teachers except one teacher were met. Meeting the expectations in the meetings with both teachers and parents in the spring term can be considered as an indicator that children progress developmentally.

The following suggestions can be made as a result of the research:

• Teachers can make interviews with families for the child with autism during the transition period. As is known, transition to school and adaptation to school is a process and may differ from child to child. In this process, teachers can have different numbers of interviews (one for school preparation and one for school placement processes for example), taking into account the needs of children and families. This way, teachers and parents will know what they expect from each other.

• Policy makers can prepare teacher and parent booklets about the transition of children with special needs to school.

Limitations and future research

This research was done with a limited group of volunteers. In addition, teachers who participated in the research could not be interviewed with the parents of children with ASD in their classes, or because the children of the parents who participated in the research did not want their teachers. It is thought that conducting interviews with both parents and the teachers who share responsibility of the child with ASD will provide more effective results. For this reason, in the future, researchers can get their expectations about the transition more clearly by conducting focus group discussions with teachers and parents.