Understanding Student-Teacher Relationships Among Children with Autism: The Role of Parental Involvement and Child Behavior

Background:  

Parents who engage in reinforcing learning activities at home and regularly attend parent child conferences are more likely to have children with favorable school outcomes (e.g., Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997). However it is not clear whether parent involvement is also related to student-teacher relationships (STRs) which – when warm, close or positive in typically developing (TD) children – are predictive of positive school outcomes (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). This study qualitatively analyzed the STR from the parents’, as opposed to the teachers’ perspectives, and determined how parental involvement in the child’s education may relate to the STR for young children with autism.

Objectives:  

(1) To understand how parents describe the student-teacher-relationship (STR); (2) To examine the relationship between parents’ involvement in their child’s education and the STR; and (3) To understand how child behavior problems and social skills relate to both the parent-teacher relationship (PTR) and the STR.

Methods:  

Interviews were conducted with parents (N = 116; 89% mothers) of children with autism (M age = 5.7; M IQ = 87, WPSSI). A subset of 30 interviews were qualitatively analyzed to examine how parents described the STR. Researchers iteratively coded interviews to look for broad codes related to the STR; a confirmatory phase followed. The 30 interviews were coded by two researchers; mean kappa indicated 80% reliability. Correlations among the quantitative Parent Teacher Involvement Scale (PTIS), the Parent Teacher Relationship Scale (PTRS), related child characteristics, and the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) were examined.

Results:  

Preliminary results indicated that: Q1: Qualitative parent reports of poor STRs matched quantitative teacher reports of a poor STRS. Qualitative parent reports of positive and warm student-teacher relationships matched quantitative teacher reports of a warm STRS. Q2: Correlation analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between STRS and PTIS scores (r = -.18, p <.05). Q3:  Higher levels of child internalizing behaviors (CBCL), as reported by parents, were related to less positive STRs (r = -.24, p <.01); lower levels of child social skills were related to less positive PTRs  (r = -.20, p <.01). Surprisingly, the PTRS and the STRS were not correlated significantly.

Conclusions:  

Qualitative parent reports of the STR mapped onto teacher-ratings: parents and teachers agreed on the level of positivity/warmth in the relationship between the child and his/her teacher. Correlational analyses indicated that more parent involvement related to lower STRS scores. Perhaps parents of children with more behavioral/social problems are in more constant contact with the teacher regarding how to deal with these challenges. Conceivably, these meetings might be contentious (i.e., parents of children with more behavioral challenges and fewer social skills encountered less warm relationships with the child’s teacher). Consistent with previous studies (Sutherland et al., 2008) parent reports of children’s internalizing behaviors (e.g., anxiety) were significantly related to poorer STRs. Implications for interventions with teachers, parents and early schooling will be discussed.