Challenges encountered by teachers in supporting children with autism in primary schools in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper reports the challenges experienced by teachers in supporting children with autism (CA) in primary schools in Tanzania. It is a qualitative study that employed purposive sampling technique to select seven primary school teachers of CA from two schools. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview and were analysed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that teachers experience challenges when supporting CA due to inadequate knowledge in managing the behaviours of CA. Also, teachers received little collaboration from parents of CA due to a lack of commitment to the education of their CA. The paper recommends for continuous professional development training to teachers of CA to enhance the acquisition of updated knowledge and skills for supporting CA. Also, there is a need for effective collaboration between teachers and parents for the successful support of CA.