The Inclusion of Children with ASD: Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a Theoretical Framework to Explore Peer Attitudes

Abstract

This study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour to explore the attitudes, behavioural intentions and behaviour of 318 mainstream primary school children in an urban East London borough towards peers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Pupils were presented with a vignette about a hypothetical peer with ASD then completed self-report questionnaires and peer socio-metric measures. The results showed that children’s attitudes, the social pressure they felt from others and the amount of control they felt they had over their own behaviour, significantly predicted their behavioural intentions to befriend a peer with ASD. The strongest association was between perceived behavioural control and behavioural intentions. A significant association was also found between children’s behavioural intentions and actual behaviour towards an included peer. Support was therefore found for the use of the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a valuable tool by which to explore the social inclusion of children with ASD.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• behavioural intentions
• inclusion
• inclusive education
• peer relationships
• special educational needs
• Theory of Planned Behaviour

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the assistance of the school head teachers, teachers and students who participated in the study. There was no research funding for this study, and no restrictions have been imposed on free access to, or publication of, the research data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.