Challenges faced and Strategies used by Teachers to enhance Academic Performance among Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at a School in Zimbabwe: A Quantitative Descriptive Study

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the challenges that teachers encounter when teaching learners with autism at a high school in Zimbabwe, and to identify strategies to enhance the academic performance of these students. Method: Twenty teachers participated in the study. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from them with the help of a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: Key challenges reported by the teachers were: time management, meltdowns, difficulties in coping with routine changes, obsessive compulsive tendencies and being easily distracted. Their confidence levels when teaching learners with autism were reported as: 5% not confident at all; 15% slightly confident; 65% fairly confident; 10% more confident; and 5% extremely confident. Most of the strategies currently employed in school relate to the use of visual teaching materials like colour coding, objects, videos, and worksheets. Participants recommended the adoption of new strategies such as provision of therapies at the school, advocacy to raise awareness on the educational needs of children with autism, and changes to curriculum delivery. Conclusion: Despite using a range of strategies to support learners with autism, the results imply a significant need for the teachers to be trained on autism and how to better support these learners to enhance their academic performance. However, the findings may not be generalisable to other schools as the study focussed on only one high school in an urban area of Zimbabwe.