Exploring Some Perspectives Of Saudi ESL Teachers On Teaching Students With ASD.

Abstract

There is currently limited research on autistic children growing up in multilingual environments, even though nearly half of the world's population speaks multiple languages. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) involve significant challenges in communication and language skills, and for this, expert advice is sought by many parents of ASD children over whether or not their child should learn both languages in a bilingual setting. This study explored Saudi teachers' perspectives on teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to young students with ASD, and the effective strategies and difficulties they encounter. The participants in the study were eight ESL teachers from two private schools with international curriculum in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. They were interviewed following a qualitative approach. The results indicated that using teaching strategies like visual aids, modelling, and repetition in ESL instruction can effectively enhance the language and social skills of children with autism. Teachers did observe that, despite the difficulties in developing effective teaching strategies, children with ASD are highly capable of learning new languages. Furthermore, the study highlights different methods that teachers can employ to help children acquire and expand their English learning. The study also indicates the importance of parents working together with the teachers for successful language acquisition. Lastly, to gain a deeper understanding of the whole teaching experience that meet ESL teachers when teaching Saudi ASD students, the study also recommends suggestions for further future research.