The students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are students with special educational needs. They belong to the group of students with learning difficulties because they have difficulties in three areas of development. These are social interaction, communication and behaviour. Students with learning difficulties, including students with ASD in Croatia have the right to education that is in line with their abilities and interests, i.e. appropriate to their individual support and with reasonable adjustments. These are the key elements of inclusive education. Inclusive education contributes to full appreciation of human rights, social justice and enables equal opportunities for all students. Teachers have an important role in the education of ASD students. They are the foundation of inclusive education. It is essential that teachers acquire the skills that enable them to be successful in educating and teaching students with ASD. Teachers are expected to get to know, understand and recognize the strengths of ASD students, to make a clear evaluation of them, to determine their educational needs and accordingly in teaching them to use the appropriate methods and techniques to secure the required learning resources. The goal of this research was to gain an insight into the competences required for teaching students with ASD. The qualitative interview research method was applied and the conclusion is that teachers aim to respond to special educational needs of these students, but are facing numerous challenges. One of the key challenges is that during their own education they have not been adequately trained to work with this group of students and often the specialist support is unavailable. Finally, it is recommended to enhance the initial training and professional specialism of teachers to ensure inclusive education for students with ASD.