Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37990
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Item Educational psychologists’ perspectives on the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ally, Nazrana; Israel, NickyThis qualitative study aimed to explore a sample of South African registered educational psychologists’ perspectives on and experiences with the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context, including their awareness of available treatments, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, decision-making processes, level of involvement in treatment stages, and their roles in relation to other professionals. Additionally, it examined the psychologists’ perceptions of the challenges faced by ASD children and their parents in accessing treatment in South Africa, the common strategies they employed, and the difficulties they encountered when treating ASD children. An interpretive approach was used, employing semi-structured interviews conducted in English with eight South African registered educational psychologists specializing in ASD. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by a self-reflexive journal to maintain awareness of potential biases. The findings highlighted the scarcity of educational psychologists in South Africa engaged in ASD cases, limited specialized ASD training, and a paucity of resources available in South Africa which encouraged participants to seek resources internationally. Participants emphasized the importance of evidence-based, individualized interventions tailored to each child's context. They also emphasized that diverse approaches were crucial for meeting the individual needs of both the child and the family. They raised concerns about applied behaviour analysis (ABA), citing its potential limitations in fostering flexibility and promoting rote learning. They recommended modifying cognitive-behavioural methods to suit specific contexts and moving away from clinical environments to foster creativity and resourcefulness. 4 Participants were actively involved in diagnosis and assessment, highlighting the importance of exposing educational psychology students to various ASD-specific assessments and emphasizing the need for addressing training gaps and cost barriers for accessing assessment tools. Educating stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and other professionals, was deemed essential for creating a supportive and informed environment for children with ASD. Significant challenges identified included limited ASD-specific training, a lack of support and awareness, long waiting periods for diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and stigmas associated with ASD. Addressing these challenges requires grassroots training initiatives and collaborative efforts among families, professionals, and policymakers to ensure quality care and support for individuals with ASD.Item The Mental Health Needs of South African Mainstream High School Learners: Teachers’ Experiences and Perceptions(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Abreu, Leandra Imilia; Amod, ZaytoonThis qualitative study set out to explore teachers’ experiences and perceptions of South African high school learner mental health. Mainly, what teachers believe to contribute towards learner mental health, what they deem to be the barriers and how they believe these barriers can be addressed. The study aimed to provide insight into facilitative factors and challenges concerning adolescent learner mental health in addition to offering support to teachers in managing the mental health of their learners, an important factor in assisting the overall development of South African learners. To better understand these views, twelve qualified and registered teachers practicing in South African high schools were interviewed using a non-probability, purposive sampling technique and following an interpretive phenomenological approach. The use of semi-structured individual interview questions was used to ascertain the perceptions and experiences of 12 teachers in South Africa. The teachers were approached via online platforms, due to social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis to establish the main themes brought up by the participants. The findings uncovered numerous themes and subthemes surrounding teachers’ perceptions of aspects contributing to the mental health of their learners namely: challenging households and the role of parents, social pressures and stressors, anxiety, depression, ADHD and the influence of self-esteem. The impacts of COVID-19 were also prominent due to the interviews being conducted during the initial lockdown period in South Africa. The teachers identified a lack of resources and teacher mental health training/knowledge, stigma and poverty as three of the major barriers to learners accessing mental health support. Finally, the teachers identified multilayered responsibilities, interventions pertaining to teacher training and curriculum adaptions as possible approaches to address these barriers. These findings suggest that managing the mental health of learners is extremely burdensome for teachers who feel unsupported. Obtaining teachers’ perceptions, experiences and beliefs about learner mental health is thus important to improve school psychological services. The findings contribute to research regarding factors influencing learner mental health and adds to the limited empirical research available surrounding South African teachers’ experiences and perceptions. It is recommended that future research be carried out on several different aspects surrounding adolescent mental health in South Africa.