Collecting data from students with autistic spectrum disorders in secondary school

The aim of this article is to present the steps and methods of data collection focusing on secondary school students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who attend some classes in a resource classroom, and some in an ordinary classroom. The study in question aims at better understanding the nature of social interactions taking place in the classroom between these students and their teachers. The first part of the paper provides some contextual information (law of February 2005, existing organization of schooling for secondary school students with ASD, research concerning socio-cognitive issues and education of students with ASD). The data collection methodology is described in the second part of the paper and takes into account the contextual elements as well as the methodological choices made by other researchers in this domain. Analysis of all these elements resulted in a plan composed of four preliminary steps (constituting the research sample, collecting consent forms, choosing and preparing data collection methods, verifying the compliance of the research project with the law on information technology, data files and civil liberties) and several data collection methods involving four information sources (filmed observations in natural contexts, interviews, review of school and medical records, a standardized test).