[Development and evaluation of a psychoeducational group training programme for teachers of autistic pupils with mental retardation].

OBJECTIVES

Teachers of autistic pupils show profiles of increased stress that are caused by the social, communicational, and cognitive deficits of these children. The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a psycho-educational group training programme for teachers.

METHODS

The curriculum covered theoretical issues of autism as well as educational skills focusing on "structured teaching" (TEACCH: Schopler, 1997). The training outcomes were evaluated within a pre-post (9 months) design. A total of 10 teachers working with 10 autistic children (mean age: 10 years) from schools for mentally retarded pupils participated in the training programme which included three one-day group sessions followed by six half-hour individual training sessions in the classroom (over a period of six months). The outcome variables were measured by means of teacher questionnaires assessing child behavioural symptoms, teachers' stress reactions, effects on the teachers' psychological adaptation, teacher-student-interaction and implementation of methods.

RESULTS

The training programme resulted in significant effects (p < 0.5) on child symptoms as well as on teachers' stress reactions. In addition, the teachers' psychological adaptation and teacher-student-interaction improved. On average, teachers implemented about two structured teaching methods.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate some evidence for the clinical validity of the teacher training procedure examined, taking into consideration some methodological limitations.