The Effect of a Scenario Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Teacher Experience and Professional Development Training on Perceptions of Appropriate Behavior Interventions

This study sought to discover the difference that the number of years of teaching experience and professional development had on how teachers implemented behavior interventions for a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teachers from a school district in the southern region of the United States were given one of two scenarios and asked to complete related questions to the best of their ability. The teachers were then asked to complete a demographics survey that assessed their years of teaching experience as well as their professional development training regarding autism. The information from the demographics survey was then compared to how the teacher responded to the scenario. It was hypothesized that the years of experience and professional development training would positively affect the way a teacher implemented behavior interventions. However, the research showed no significant difference in either hypothesis. There was also no significant interaction effect found.