Drawing on Key Partner Perspectives of an Autism-Focused Professional Development Program: A Conceptual Framework for Coaching

ABSTRACT

Most teachers report wanting more training and support to teach autistic students. Individual, autism-focused coaching is a promising approach for improving teacher self-efficacy and autistic student outcomes. Given the high workload demands of coaching, it must be feasible and acceptable. This study considers coaches’, teachers’, and autistic peoples’ perspectives to identify key components integral to autism-focused coaching as well as strategies that enhance the feasibility and acceptability of each component. Interviews with seven K-2^nd grade teachers, ten autistic adolescents and adults, and a focus group with six coaches were qualitatively examined using an inductive approach and incorporated grounded theory practices to develop an autism-focused coaching framework. This framework consists of four contextual elements that were identified as crucial to coaching within an autism-specific context, including the use of a neurodiversity-affirming lens and coaches’ strong autism knowledge. This framework also comprises eight sequential coaching components informed by principles of adult learning theory (e.g. observation, feedback, self-reflection) that are generalizable to supporting teachers’ work with autistic and neurodivergent students. These findings offer guidance to coaches and program developers regarding key components to implement when working with teachers supporting autistic students. We highlight specific recommendations within each component to maximize the feasibility and social validity of autism-specific coaching.

Acknowledgement

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education [Grant R324A180105; J Blacher, P.I., A. Eisenhower, Co-P.I.] and by a Public Service Grant from the University of Massachusetts Boston (A. Eisenhower, P.I.). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent views of the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, or the University of Massachusetts Boston. Shana Cohen, Ph.D., and Kohrissa Joseph, Ph.D. contributed to initial coding of the interviews with autistic adolescents and adults. We thank our research participants for their generosity of time and insights.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Notes

¹ We use identity-first language to reflect the preferences of many members of the autistic community (e.g., Kenny et al., 2016; see Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021 for an overview).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences [R324A180105]; University of Massachusetts Boston.

Notes on contributors

Narmene Hamsho

Narmene Hamsho is an Assistant Professor within the School Psychology program at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Psychology and Counseling. She pursues a program of research related to educational equity with a focus on reducing opportunity gaps and promoting academic skills among marginalized youth, including autistic students.

Abbey Eisenhower

Abbey Eisenhower is Associate Professor in the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Department of Psychology. Her research is aimed at improving school experiences for autistic youth, improving equity in early autism detection, enhancing student-teacher relationships, and promoting a neurodiversity-affirming understanding of autism across home, school, and clinical settings.

Megan Galligan

Megan Galligan is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at San Diego State University, affiliated with the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center. Her research focuses on improving training for practitioners (e.g., educators, mental health providers) serving youth on the autism spectrum as well as using implementation science frameworks to sustain training outcomes.

Melissa A. Collier-Meek

Melissa A. Collier-Meek is an Associate Professor of School Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She conducts applied research on the assessment and promotion of sustained practices.

Yasamin Bolourian

Yasamin Bolourian is currently an Analyst at The New Teacher Project (TNTP), a national nonprofit organization. Her research spans areas of professional development programs for educators, postsecondary outcomes for neurodivergent students, and service pathways for autistic youth and their families in community and school settings.

Sarah Levinson

Sarah Levinson is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research at the University of California San Diego. Her research and clinical areas of expertise include dialectical behavior therapy, exposure and response prevention, and family-based treatment for eating disorders.

Jan Blacher

Jan Blacher is Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California, Riverside and in the Department of Psychology at UCLA; she is also Director of the SEARCH Family Autism Research Center. Her research interests include the study of autism in both family and school contexts, student-teacher relationships, and the cultural context of autism.