Keywords
inclusive education
school-based occupational therapy
teacher coaching
multi-tiered systems of support
professional development
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. Teaching students with autism spectrum disorders in mainstream classrooms exposes school staff to high risks of professional burnout during pedagogical stress. While traditional school-based occupational therapy focuses primarily on direct, individual student interventions, contemporary international research indicates an institutional paradigm shift toward collaborative consultation, multi-tiered systems of support, and professional coaching for teachers.
Aim. To investigate professional development programs designed by occupational therapists to train school staff in working with students with autism spectrum disorders.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using bibliosemantic and comparative methods, as well as systems analysis. A literature search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar covering the period from 2001 to 2023. The research was carried out as a private academic initiative of the authors, without external grant funding or state registration of the topic.
Research Ethics. For the literature review, studies whose authors adhered to bioethical standards were selected.
Results. Data analysis revealed a critical need for teacher training in working with students with autism spectrum disorders to develop staff-safe behavioral strategies. Evaluation of such models indicates a need for a transition from direct individual help to collaborative consultation models, which reduces teacher burnout and isolation and improves the educational process. Data from quasi-experimental pilot studies demonstrate that short-term, structured occupational performance coaching combined with specialized workshops provides a statistically significant improvement in teachers’ perception of their effectiveness (Wilcoxon Z=–3.30, p=0.001) and clinical-educational satisfaction (Z=–3.31, p=0.001). These data validate coaching as a powerful mechanism to enhance professional self-efficacy.
Conclusions. Implementing multi-tiered and collaborative coaching strategies in the school environment creates a sustainable, hierarchical support framework that prioritizes universal communicative and protective solutions. Since school-based occupational therapy is not yet institutionalized within the Ukrainian educational system, international experience can be used to create conceptually scalable models for local educational policy-makers to optimize interdisciplinary cooperation.
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, inclusive education, school-based occupational therapy, teacher coaching, multi-tiered systems of support, professional development.
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