Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 2896 - Developmental follow-up of ASD children attending new pre-school inclusive classrooms in France |
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| Contribution code | PS03-08 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objectives: Special units have been created in 2014 in French preschool for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), towards adjusting their special needs and improving their chances to benefit from inclusive education in mainstream primary school. Early diagnosed ASD children are first enrolled at age 3 in a small size specialized classroom, using an adapted pedagogy (combining behavioral and educational multidisciplinary treatment) and progressively attend the ordinary classes of the same school. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the children’s developmental trajectories during the first two years of schooling. Method: A 2 years follow-up was conducted on 7 children with ASD across 4 time points from age 3 to 5 (baseline and every 6 months). Outcome measures included a) standardized assessments of cognitive and social development (SCEB, Adrien, 2007, Thiébaut et al., 2010.) of clinical behavioral disorders (BSE-R, Barthélémy et al., 1997), of sensorial processing (SEQ, Baranek et al., 2006) and of manual lateralization (Auzias, 1984); b) videotaped observations of children in the classroom in contexts varying on structure and cognitive demands, submitted to systematic structured coding and analysis about quality of communication and interactions with adults and peers. Results: All children made substantial progress on clinical, sensorimotor, cognitive as well as social communicative measures. Sensorial and behavioral disorders significantly decreased as soon as the end of the first year. Over the 2 years, profiles of cognitive and social development strengthened both in levels achieved and in homogeneity across domains. Communication improved in forms and functions, although children’s initiatives remain less frequent than responses, and social exchanges were mostly observed with adults and more scarcely between children. Manual lateralization showed atypical trajectories over time suggesting unusual neurodevelopment. Conclusions: The implications of these encouraging initial results are discussed to ensure the best educational opportunities and well-being of ASD children within inclusive school settings. The need for concomitant parental support and guidance is also emphasized (see their parallel follow-up within this research program, Bellity et al., Escap 2017). Key words: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Early childhood special education, developmental follow-up, cognitive and social functioning. |