Growing through understanding and support: special boarding school teachers’ perspectives and experiences on sexual education for children with autism

Abstract

This study aims to thoroughly analyze the perspectives of teachers in special boarding schools in Harbin, China, regarding sexual education for children with autism, with the goal of better understanding and improving practices in this crucial educational area. Using a semi-structured interview approach, the study conducted detailed interviews with 20 teachers from special boarding schools across urban and suburban areas, representing a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds, to gather their direct insights and experiences regarding sexual education for children with autism. Employing a reflective thematic analysis, the study systematically coded and analyzed the interview content to delve into teachers’ viewpoints and strategies. The research revealed four core themes: trust building, addressing diversity, expanding interactions, and promoting sustained development. These findings not only provide profound insights into the practical aspects of sexual education in special school environments but also offer valuable guidance for future educational practices and policy formulation.

Keywords:

• Special boarding schools
• autism spectrum disorder
• children with autism
• sexual education
• teachers’ perspectives and experiences
• qualitative research methodology
• semi-structured interview
• reflective thematic analysis

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the teachers from the special boarding schools who participated in this study, for providing valuable perspectives for our research topic. Additionally, we are grateful to the experts in the field who took part in this study, offering highly valuable opinions and suggestions for our research. The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of the research, due to ethical supporting data is not available.