Commitment to philosophy, teacher efficacy, and burnout among teachers of children with autism.
Strong belief in your autism method lifts confidence but also ups emotional exhaustion—guard against burnout while you train.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jennett et al. (2003) sent surveys to autism teachers who use ABA and TEACCH.
They asked how strongly each teacher believed in their own method.
They also asked how burned-out and how effective the teachers felt.
What they found
ABA and TEACCH teachers scored the same on burnout and efficacy.
Yet, within both groups, the more a teacher believed in the method, the more effective she felt.
Strong belief also came with slightly higher emotional exhaustion.
How this fits with other research
Petersson-Bloom et al. (2025) later looked at 57 studies and found most autism teachers still feel under-trained and low in efficacy.
Kisbu-Sakarya et al. (2021) showed that extra autism training lifts mainstream teachers’ willingness to teach inclusive classes by raising their efficacy.
Griffith et al. (2012) tried a short workshop. Knowledge went up, but helping intent dropped, showing that boosting skill without support can backfire.
Why it matters
Your passion for your method fuels confidence, yet it can quietly drain you. Build safety valves into weekly schedules: five-minute check-ins, peer vent sessions, or a quick burnout screener. Pair new training with emotion-regulation tools so skill gains do not melt under stress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Variables that may be related to burnout in teachers of students with autism, including commitment to an underlying philosophy of a treatment and professional self-efficacy, were explored. Teachers using one of two different treatment approaches to autism participated: those using Applied Behavior Analysis (n = 34), and those using TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Related Handicapped Children) (n = 30). Participants completed the Autism Treatment Philosophy Questionnaire, developed by the authors to differentiate between the philosophy of the approaches; Teacher Efficacy Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results indicate a significant difference in philosophical commitment between the groups, but no differences in teaching efficacy or burnout. The relationship between a commitment to one's teaching approach and certain dimensions of teaching efficacy and burnout was found to be significant. Implications include the need for adequate training of teachers of students with autism.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2003 · doi:10.1023/b:jadd.0000005996.19417.57