Examining Social Validity of TEACCH in South Korea Through Implementation Science

Using the combined frameworks of implementation science and social validity, this study examined the perspectives of stakeholders on Structured TEACCHing, an environmental modification-based intervention designed to support autistic learners, in South Korea, where adapting learning environments to students’ needs has received limited attention. Five special education teachers, five therapists, and three parents of autistic children completed a 16-hr TEACCH workshop and participated in semi-structured pre-, post-, and follow-up interviews. Qualitative content analysis revealed that participants valued TEACCH’s goals and outcomes but identified feasibility challenges across learner, instructor, institutional, and cultural levels. Particularly, institutional rigidity (e.g., standardized curricula) and normalization-focused views of disability emerged as barriers, underscoring the need for leadership training, culturally adapted guidelines, and broader acceptance of neurodiversity.