Inclusive Practices, Particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Public Schools in New Providence, The Bahamas

The purpose of this qualitative study was to effectively analyse connections between the needs of students diagnosed with ASD and accommodations made in the regular public school classrooms in New Providence, The Bahamas in addressing those needs. Furthermore, the purpose included determining whether the necessary training is provided for regular classroom teachers who are responsible for educating these students. Achieving this entailed exploring factors that influence the inclusive education programme implemented within the schools. Ten schools (five primary, three junior, one secondary and one senior high) were randomly selected. Consequently, the principals and teachers assigned to those schools were included due to their affiliation with the programme and the students with special needs. The qualitative research methodology findings led to data being classified into six themes, namely (i) provide teacher support, (ii) provide necessary resources, (iii) ensure quality education access, (iv) implement appropriate resources, (v) address behavioural concerns, and (vi) provide teacher training. These themes were used to discuss the findings. Findings revealed that (1) there is an urgent need to revise policy and properly implement inclusive practices; (2) the country's ministry of education provides minimal support to the schools; and (3) there is a severe lack of teaching and learning resources and appropriate training for teachers in the field of special education. The study then provides an analysis and interpretation of the results that informed the conclusion and recommendations of the research.