Question description

 

Question: Suppose you are interested in how children with severe autism experienced the receipt of special education assistance in public schools. This population is
characterized by underdevelopment of social cognition, social skills, and language skills. How many children should be included in the study? Why? What are the factors considered in making this determination?

Answer: Since I proposed a qualitative methodology with a case design, I think 30 children should be included in the study and convenience sampling be utilized since the participants are easy to reach in public schools. However, a larger sample may help to verify these trends and may enable researchers to identify items that best discriminate sensory difficulties in children with autism for the development of a screening checklist (Mascha & Boucher, 2006). Data sources would include a descriptive survey with a convenience sample derived from autism treatment agencies and a parental support groups that support the children and parents of children with special needs. Other factors to be considered is that particular attention should be given to interviews, specifically, interview guide preparation, participant recruitment, obtaining informed and voluntary consent, conducting effective interviews, accurate analysis and interpretation of data, ways to involve participants in data analysis, effective communication of research findings, and providing feedback to participants. Researchers should keep in mind the approaches to use and barriers involved when conducting a research study and recruiting families of individuals with autism. Krogh & Lindsay (1999) assert that families of individuals living with autism may frequently receive invitations to participate in research and, given the impersonal nature of traditional recruitment approaches, they may be less likely to read and respond to them.

Professor's question that I request an answer to: Good ideas and recommendations, Janet! Thank you for your analysis. A size of 30 children seems viable but are you considering this sample size for observation purposes? Keep in mind that these are children with severe autism so speaking to them will more than likely be a challenge. The question I have for you is why convenience considering we discussed its limitations back in Module 1 of the course? What makes convenience sample appropriate for this study?