Abstract

This study explored the parental perspectives regarding the inclusion of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream kindergartens in Kuwait. To undertake the study, twenty seven parents of young children with autism were interviewed to explore their perspectives on the inclusion of their autistic children. Additionally, two owners and two administrators of private and public kindergartens were interviewed individually to substantiate whether early childhood inclusive education policies had been implemented in Kuwait. As an essential element of the study, eleven mothers of normally developing children at the kindergarten stage were individually interviewed verify whether the Kuwait cultural traditions had an impact on the implementation of inclusive education for autistic children. In the quest to answer the research question, the researcher employed a qualitative holistic single case study approach while constructing the study from within Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory (1998). From within the theoretical framework of this study, the researcher approached parents’ perspectives on early childhood inclusive education for children with autism as being embedded in a series of contexts. The contexts explored extended from the autistic children’s characteristics (Person) through the early childhood inclusive education policy (Exo-system) to the broad society (Macro-system) in order to explore the contexts that might have the potential to form parents’ viewpoints towards the inclusion of autistic children. The conceptual framework of this study facilitated the presentation of a holistic picture of the study results demonstrating the interconnected nature of the contexts surrounding the inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder from the parental perspectives and how these contexts operate to influence parental viewpoints and consequently came to constitute one of the barriers to the inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, the employment of the qualitative single, case study method enabled the researcher to deeply understand the multiple factors that influenced the study participants’ perspectives from within their cultural context.

The findings of this study reveal the influence of traditional Kuwaiti societal norms and the characteristics unique to autism spectrum disorder on the negative parental view of the inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder. The negative social attitudes of Kuwaiti society towards children with autism spectrum disorder have led to the dominance of the medical model of understanding disability and subsequently, to the barriers to the implementation of inclusive education for young children with autism spectrum disorder. The parental views aligned with a medical model of disability, therefore, these parents favoured segregated settings for children with autism spectrum disorder and identified barriers as within-child factors. However, given that autism spectrum disorder is a diverse and complex developmental disorder broadly characterised by impaired communication skills and social interaction, as well as limited interests and repetitive behaviours, the appropriateness of inclusion for students with autism spectrum disorder remains a controversial topic. Many authors claim that the inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder in general education settings is the best approach to support educational and overall progress in children with autism spectrum disorder. Others, however, harbour concerns about whether the inclusion program can meet the social and educational needs of children with autism spectrum disorder. Given the issues raised in this study regarding the relationships between early childhood inclusive education for children with autism spectrum disorder and its multidimensional contexts, the study findings suggest that the deeply-rooted traditional norms in Kuwait do not accommodate the inclusive education model for young children with autism spectrum disorder in Kuwait. Although the results of the present research indicate that the characteristics unique to autism spectrum disorder constitute one of the barriers to the inclusion of young children on the spectrum, these challenges that arise from autistic children’s neurodevelopmental disabilities cannot be addressed without recognising the traditional cultural norms that stigmatise these children.