Author(s): Mehmet YAVUZ
The aim of this study is to seek the answer to the question of what kind of problems the teachers who work with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face while implementing field trip observation method and how they overcome these problems. The participants of this study comprise of 19 teachers working at Sakine Kalyoncu and Hamit ?brahimiye Special Education Application Centers in Istanbul between 2017 and 2018. A semi-structured interview technique was used in this research. As a result of the study, it was found that the teachers utilize field trip observation method to teach students social skills, to create an opportunity for them to see new places, to teach them new skills, to promote the generalization of the skills that they learn at school and to eliminate behavioral problems. Besides, it was also revealed that the teachers use this method since the students’ parents do not take them out. The problems the teachers encounter during field trips were detected to be the parents’ unwillingness to send their children to field trips, not wanting to pay the fee of the trip, not wanting to attend the trip as a parent, school bus drivers’ unwillingness to provide service and demanding extra money, and finally the need for an extra teacher. As for the problems faced during field trips, they were found to be the students’ having a seizure, grabbing food from shops without permission and people’s negative attitude towards individuals with ASD. The teachers declared that they do not have any problems after field trips. When the literature is examined, some studies on how field trip obser vation method is implemented with children presenting normal development were found. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study on how it is implemented with children with ASD. Therefore, this study is thought to be unique in this respect and it is also thought to pave the way for researchers who wish to study on this issue
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