Professional Development for Equitable Education

This chapter explicitly explores school professionals’ (hereafter, simply ‘professionals’, thus including teachers and other school staff, such as paraprofessionals working in educational settings) development and their learning about autism and strategies to support this group of students. This chapter argues that professional development and professional learning are essential tools for students’ right to equitable education. Furthermore, this chapter describes a practical example of research projects designed as professional development initiatives (interventions), the outcomes of the participants, and the school context. Implications for practice are discussed, and the implementation process of professional development initiatives is analysed. Finally, the vital aspects of including the experiences of students with autism and supporting them in telling their stories about their educational experiences are discussed. As such, this chapter presents how research and practice can inform each other and bridge the gap between them.