THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF A CHILD WITH ASPERGER'S DISORDER IN A GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING: A PILOT CASE STUDY

This pilot qualitative case study was designed to investigate how the quality of life (QOL) of a child with Asperger's Disorder was impacted by her placement in an inclusive education setting which provided no specialized social skills instruction. Direct and indirect data were gathered and examined regarding themes that centered around QOL dimensions and exemplary indicators derived from the body of literature regarding QOL measurement for persons with disabilities. Positive results included participant satisfaction with physical safety, teacher acceptance, and access to needed materials. Other findings indicated the need for social skills instruction and individualized instruction in non-applied abstract learning activities. Additional findings from the study demonstrated the need for a more comprehensive individualized education program (IEP) and more rigorous implementation of the IEP.