COMMUNICATION IN ONLINE LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD): EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience limitations in communication and socialization, including challenges in accessing higher education. These communication constraints further complicate the situation for ASD students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is exacerbated by the shift from traditional offline to online learning during the pandemic. Online learning, reliant on communication technology, proves to be challenging for individuals with ASD, given their existing communication difficulties. The challenges faced by students, educators (i.e., teachers or lecturers), educational institutions, and parents constitute crucial aspects that warrant thorough examination. The primary objective of this research is to analyze communication in online learning for ASD students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research employed a qualitative approach with a narrative method. Data were collected through structured interviews with the research subjects consisting of education organizers, lecturers, and assistant lecturers at the London School Beyond Academy (LSBA)—a school for students with special needs headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. In-depth interviews and an extensive literature review were conducted to gather data. Subsequently, the collected data were qualitatively analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus. The research findings reveal the crucial role of communication among stakeholders in the socialization of information and communication technology, curriculum, and training for lecturers and parents. This communication plays a vital role in creating a conducive online learning environment for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, despite these efforts, both lecturers and students require more time to deliver and comprehend learning materials in the online setting.
Autism Spectrum Disorders; Communication; Online Learning; Special Education.