Mental health difficulties among young people on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools: a comparative study

Hebron, Judith; Humphrey, Neil

doi:10.1111/j.1471-3802.2012.01246.x

Cited by 58 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Whilst concerns have been raised about the impact of social difficulties on peer rejection (Hebron & Humphrey, 2014;McLennan et al, 1993;Sofronoff et al, 2011), autistic girls in this study were not socially de-motivated (cf. Chevallier, Molesworth, & Happe´, 2012) and enjoyed the company of small peer groups (see also Sedgewick et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Autistic girls and school exclusion: Perspectives of students and their parents

Sproston

Sedgewick

Crane

2017

Autism & Developmental Language Impairments

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Background and aims: If a child's behaviour does not conform to school policy or causes harm to either peers or staff, they may be temporarily or permanently excluded from school. Whilst it is unlawful to exclude children due to their needs, school exclusion is common amongst children with special educational needs, including autism. Currently, little is known about experiences of school exclusion from the perspectives of autistic students and/or their parents. This is particularly the case for girls on the autism spectrum. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight autistic girls and their parents (seven mothers, one father). Interviews explored experiences of mainstream schooling; alternative educational provisions that were offered (if any); the school exclusion process; and the girls' current educational provision. As well as asking the girls and their parents about positive and negative aspects of their past and current experiences, participants were asked to reflect on areas for potential improvements. Results: Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and three key themes emerged from the data: inappropriate school environments (including problems with the sensory environment, difficulties when placed with inappropriate peers and general pressures of mainstream classrooms), tensions in school relationships (including problems with staff and peers, alongside a general lack of communication), and problems with staff responses (including a perceived lack of understanding of the girls' needs and a lack of appropriate support being provided, resulting in 'battles' between parents and schools). Conclusions: The themes and subthemes that emerged from the interviews were not unique to autistic girls. Indeed, issues such as inappropriate school environments, a lack of staff understanding and breakdowns in relationships have been repeatedly raised by parents and young autistic people (mostly boys) in other studies, albeit in different environments. Nevertheless, the results highlight that more needs to be done to positively influence the direction of the girls' educational journeys. Implications: To improve the inclusion of autistic girls, it is recommended that educational establishments be proactive in developing inclusive environments, build positive relationships (both in and outside of the classroom) and, if exclusion is unavoidable, better support students both before and after the process.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Autistic girls and school exclusion: Perspectives of students and their parents

Sproston

Sedgewick

Crane

2017

Autism & Developmental Language Impairments

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“…These findings are supported by the extant literature in which high rates of bullying in mainstream school have been reported by parents of children with ASD Cappadocia et al, 2012;Chen & Schwartz, 2012;Little, 2002;Reid, 2011;Reid & Batten, 2006;Rowley et al, 2012) and serious, negative impacts as a result of bullying including: reduced self-esteem and social skills , mental health difficulties Cappadocia et al, 2012;Hebron & Humphrey, 2012;Penney, 2013), and suicidal feelings and selfharming behaviour .…”

Section: "Socially He Didn't Really Go Well With Groups or Peers Becasupporting

confidence: 71%

“…Furthermore, research indicates that students with ASD experience bullying throughout their mainstream schooling and report higher levels of bullying compared with students with other special needs and typically developing students Wainscot, Naylor, Sutcliffe, Tantam & Williams, 2008) and lower levels of social support . Students have experienced serious, negative impacts as a result of bullying including: disruptions to educational progress Reid & Batten, 2006), reduced self-esteem and social skills , mental health difficulties Cappadocia, Weiss & Pepler, 2012;Hebron & Humphrey, 2012;Penney, 2013;Zablotsky, Bradshaw, Anderson & Law, 2013), and suicidal feelings and self-harming behaviour .…”

Section: Rationale For the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These findings are concerning as quantitative studies of the mental health of young people with ASD indicate that young people with ASD already experience a significantly greater incidence of mental health difficulties than their typically developing peers (Gurney, McPheeters, & Davis, 2006;Hebron & Humphrey, 2012;Kim Szatmari, Bryson, Streiner & Wilson, 2000) and students with other special needs (Hebron & Humphrey, 2012). Furthermore, bullying at school has resulted in ongoing mental health difficulties in adulthood for people with ASD (Aspect, 2012;Portaway & Johnson, 2005;Wittemeyer et al, 2011).…”

Section: Themes Of the Broader Literature On Students With Asd In Maimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The framework for thematic analysis developed by Braun and Clarke (2006) was employed. This framework was deemed appropriate as it provided a systematic structure for the thematic analysis to ensure rigour and has been used previously in qualitative studies on the educational experiences of students with ASD (Hebron & Humphrey, 2012;. The student and parent data were treated separately during data analysis.…”

Section: Overview Of the Research Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Square pegs in round holes: The mainstream schooling experiences of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents

Harrington¹

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There has been an international movement towards inclusion and consequently an increasing number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) attend mainstream schools. In recent years there has been a growth in cross-sectional research that seeks to understand the experiences of students with ASD in mainstream schools. This research indicates that students often experience bullying, a lack of understanding from teachers and peers and frequent suspensions and exclusions.To date there has been little research to explore the participation of students with ASD in mainstream school over time. There is a need to understand participation in mainstream school as a This thesis makes a contribution to knowledge about the participation of students with ASD in mainstream school by incorporating the perspective of students with ASD and their parents and more so, by considering participation across schooling years as a whole. It also makes a contribution to methodological knowledge about doing inclusive research with young people with ASD.

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Autistic identity: A systematic review of quantitative research

Davies,

Cooper,

Killick

et al. 2024

Autism Research

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Autism can be considered both a personal and social identity. Identifying the factors contributing to positive Autistic identity development is crucial given the potential implications for mental health and wellbeing. In this systematic review, we aimed to synthesize quantitative literature on Autistic identity to identify the (individual and environmental) factors associated with Autistic identity, and to ascertain the relationship between Autistic identity and mental health and wellbeing. A total of 3,617 studies were screened and 20 met our inclusion criteria. Results indicated that people developed a more positive Autistic identity when receiving external autism acceptance and external support. The association between individual factors and Autistic identity were largely nonsignificant or inconclusive, highlighting the need for broad support that meets the needs of a range of Autistic people, rather than specific subgroups. Importantly, positive Autistic identity was associated with improved mental health and wellbeing. Peer support and/or self‐directed support resources may be valuable mechanisms for supporting Autistic people to cultivate a positive Autistic identity. The evaluation of such support, including the long‐term impacts on identity development, will be a critical avenue for future research.

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Mental health difficulties among young people on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools: a comparative study

Cited by 58 publications

References 54 publications

Autistic girls and school exclusion: Perspectives of students and their parents

Autistic girls and school exclusion: Perspectives of students and their parents

Square pegs in round holes: The mainstream schooling experiences of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents

Autistic identity: A systematic review of quantitative research

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