P-27 Knowledge skills and teaching practices with respect to Autism Spectrum Disorder among general education nursery school teachers from selected public nursery schools in Georgetown Guyana
Author(s):
A Persaud , O Bobb-Semple, K Mickle , T McAlmont , J Marks , M Edwards, R Sankar , B Persaud , S Villareal , G Ang , K Cummings , R Martin , E Cummings
Year of Presentation:
2025
Objective: To ascertain how prepared nursery school teachers to identify and provide the relevant support to nursery
school children that may be presented with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) in the selected public schools.
Methods: A qualitative study was done through an administered pretested questionnaire to 35 nursery teachers with a minimum of 5 years teaching experience from the selected public nursery schools in Georgetown to assess their knowledge, skills, and practices in relation autism spectrum disorder.
Results: Most teachers were aware that ASD is a developmental condition and recognized that they often struggle with communication, social interaction, and learning new information. However, 75% of teachers had no training in Special Education Needs (SEN), and 73% had never taught a child with ASD.
Conclusion: The study revealed that while nursery teachers in Georgetown demonstrate basic awareness of ASD, significant gaps exist in formal training, practical experience, and access to standardized tools. These limitations highlight the urgent need for structured teacher development, inclusive education policies, and resource investment to support children with ASD in early education settings effectively.