Identification of the Article and Its Methodology
The article upon which this paper is based is the Responses to bullying and use of social support among pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in mainstream schools: a qualitative study which is authored by Neil Humphrey and Wendy Symes. The article was published in the 10th Volume, number 2 of the Journal of Research in Special Education Needs in 2010. The article is based increased mainstreaming of children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. While the authors laud the efforts towards mainstreaming, they still recognize the insurmountable challenges and barriers that may serve as impediments to children for benefiting from the education opportunities (Humphrey & Symes, 2010).
In addition to this background, the article is also based on the evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders are often bullied and that the social support they get is inconsistent when compared that that afforded to children with other special needs and those without disabilities. The aim of the article is to determine how social support influences the response of the pupils to bullying. The article also aims to determine the barriers that serve as impediments to the development and use of social support in the event of bullying (Humphrey & Symes, 2010).
The study for which findings are reported in the article is qualitative in nature; hence a qualitative article. The conclusion that the article is qualitative in nature is based on several reasons. Firstly, the authors have included an overt clue in the topic of the study that the study is qualitative in nature. In addition to this clue, there are other aspects of the methodology that lead to the conclusion that the article and the study there in is qualitative in nature. These aspects have a higher bearing on the conclusion that the article is qualitative in nature compared to the overt clue in the topic of study (Humphrey & Symes, 2010).
Firstly, the researchers employed a phenomenological study approach for the research design. There are different qualitative research approaches that researchers in different fields of study employ. One of the common study approaches in qualitative research is ethnography. Al-Busaidi (2008) reports that phenomenology, the research design employed by the researchers of the article, is one of the qualitative research designs.
Phenomenology as a qualitative research design is interested in understanding the dynamics of a given phenomenon in a holistic manner and within its context. Al-Busaidi (2008) also reports that phenomenology as a qualitative research design is interested in understanding how humans make meaning from various experiences. The fact that the researchers use the phenomenological research design is an indication and reason to conclude that this is a qualitative article.
In addition, the approach employed by the researchers lays emphasis on the context of the study (Russell & Gregory, 2003). This is a key attribute of the qualitative studies unlike quantitative studies which are not very concerned with the context in which the study is performed (Russell & Gregory, 2003).The focus on the context in qualitative studies is based on the fact that the context is a major influencing factor on the findings of the study. It is for this reason that many qualitative studies are performed in the natural settings of the subjects (Russell & Gregory, 2003).
The other aspect that led to the conclusion that this is a qualitative article is the data collection and analysis approach that the researchers employed. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to enable them explore the thoughts, experiences, and feelings of the participants (Hesse-Biber & Leavy, 2011). This is a common approach in qualitative studies. Even though the interview is guided, the researcher has a leeway to explore questions that might not be in the interview schedule, but are important to understanding the phenomenon under study. The fact that the researcher employed a thematic analysis of the data shows that it was qualitative in nature (Guest & MacQueen, 2008: Dempster, 2011).
Relevance to my Specialization Area in Psychology
My areas of specialization on psychology is applied behavior analysis. As a behavior analysis specialist, my role involves working with people with developmental disabilities and those people with behavioral disorders. The people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are some of the people who require the services of a behavior analysis specialist. The article is relevant to my profession because it offers a contextual understanding of the challenges and barriers that children with autism spectrum disorder undergo when they are mainstreamed with other students in academic institutions.
Any attempts towards behavior modification of the social systems from which the students with autism spectrum disorder draw support should be based on an understanding of the role that social support plays, how social support affects the response of the stakeholders to the challenges facing the pupils with autism spectrum disorder, and the reason for which the social support is not afforded when the pupils face the various challenges. This article offers this and much more information, all of which is important to the delivery of my mandate as a behavior analysis specialist.
The article is also relevant to the field of psychology because it explores various concepts and constructs that are studied in the field of psychology. For instance, one of the constructs is the emotional effect of bullying on pupils, the systematic abuse of power and the effect this has on an individual, and the behavioral response to aggression.
References
Al-Busaidi, Z. (2008). Qualitative Research and its Uses in Health Care. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 8(1): 11-19.
Dempster, M. (2011). A research guide for health and clinical psychology. Basingstoke. Palgrave Macmillan.
Guest, G., & MacQueen, K. M. (2008). Handbook for team-based qualitative research. Lanham, MD: Altamira.
Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2011). The practice of qualitative research. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Humphrey, N., & Symes, W. (2010). Responses to bullying and use of social support among pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in mainstream schools: a qualitative study. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 10(2): 82-90.
Russell, C. and Gregory, D. (2003). Evaluation of qualitative research studies. Evidence-Based Nursing. 6: 36-40.
