The mainstream school experiences of adolescent autistic girls

Abstract

Research into the school experiences of autistic adolescents tends to utilise predominantly male samples, effectively neglecting the views of autistic girls. This study explores the perspectives of three autistic girls attending a mainstream secondary school recognised for its good autism practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the girls, their mothers and a therapeutic member of staff at the school. Findings highlight the unique experiences of secondary school and common challenges including anxiety resulting from sensory issues and inconsistencies in staff understanding of individual need. Implications for practice include ensuring effective sharing of information about individual needs and specialised support for developing social skills, to enable autistic girls to navigate the complexity of female friendships during adolescence.

Autistic pupils’ experiences in primary and post-primary schools: A scoping review and consultation with autistic pupils in Ireland

“…School was a place where many autistic children identified feelings of anxiety and stress, with 32 of the 36 included studies referring to this (e.g., Saggers, 2015 ; Tobias, 2009 ; Tomlinson et al, 2022 ; Warren et al, 2021 ). Children reported experiences of significant stress (‘I always felt very stressed, anxious and out of place’, Goodall & MacKenzie, 2019 , p. 508), and a negative impact of mainstream school on their mental health: ‘School was always awful.…”

What could be considered as effective support for autistic females in high school? A systematic literature review

“…Furthermore, strategies to enable autistic females to communicate their needs and enhance their understanding of school and social rules were found to reduce anxiety (Myles et al., 2019; Pickup, 2021). In addition, methods to communicate changes to the routine, such as a room change or supply teachers, were welcomed by autistic females (Jacobs et al., 2021; Pickup, 2021; Tomlinson et al., 2022). Participants frequently identified noise within high schools as an exacerbating factor for stress and anxiety, indicating a preference for calm, quiet areas of school (Cook et al., 2018; Jacobs et al., 2021; Myles et al., 2019; Pickup, 2021; Tomlinson et al., 2022).…”

“…Individualised support for learning such as flexible exam arrangements were also identified as successful (Tomlinson et al, 2022). Tomlinson et al (2022) also found that autism-friendly strategies were reported to be helpful, particularly if used flexibly and personalised to meet individual need: 'The autism-friendly strategies offered by the school provided a broad framework; however, given the heterogeneity of autism this needed to be individualised further by school staff and the girls themselves' (Tomlinson et al, 2022, p. 21).…”

Redefining Inclusive Education for Autistic Children in International and European Law

“…Sensory related anxiety in (mainstream) school settings are commonly reported in studies of autistic children's lived experience. Noisy, crowded and chaotic spaces like corridors, cafeterias, playgrounds or even classrooms are often cited as triggering (Rainsberry, 2017;Goodall and MacKenzie, 2019;Aubineau and Blicharska, 2020;Tomlinson et al, 2021). In response to these sensory specificities, autistic children are often left to resort to avoidance strategies, such as hiding in the toilets (Goodall, 2019), avoiding collective areas (Hill, 2014;Goodall and MacKenzie, 2019;Aubineau and Blicharska, 2020), or temporarily withdrawing from classrooms (Goodall, 2018;Tomlinson et al, 2021;Warren et al, 2021).…”

“…Noisy, crowded and chaotic spaces like corridors, cafeterias, playgrounds or even classrooms are often cited as triggering (Rainsberry, 2017;Goodall and MacKenzie, 2019;Aubineau and Blicharska, 2020;Tomlinson et al, 2021). In response to these sensory specificities, autistic children are often left to resort to avoidance strategies, such as hiding in the toilets (Goodall, 2019), avoiding collective areas (Hill, 2014;Goodall and MacKenzie, 2019;Aubineau and Blicharska, 2020), or temporarily withdrawing from classrooms (Goodall, 2018;Tomlinson et al, 2021;Warren et al, 2021). However, answering autistic children's sensory specificities with reasonable accommodations is particularly difficult (Moore, 2007;Wing, 2007;Croydon et al, 2019) since, as Symes and Humphrey (2010) explain, their 'preference for … low sensory stimulation is at odd with the noisy, bustling and often chaotic environment of mainstream schools' (479).…”