Actually Autistic at School: Giving Voice to #ActuallyAutistic Perspectives on School Inclusion
Date
2024-04
Authors
Lawy, Natalie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
Autistic students are at risk for poor outcomes at school (Adams, 2022; Ashburner et al., 2010; McDougal et al., 2020; Munkhaugen et al., 2019; Totsika et al., 2020), and teachers in Nova Scotia feel they lack the training and tools to adequately support autistic students in their classrooms (Corkum et al., 2014). Autistic students feel the same way, identifying school staff’s poor understanding of autism as a significant barrier to their inclusion and participation (Ducarre, 2023). Very little data has been collected directly from autistic students in Canada about their school experiences and no data has been collected in Nova Scotia to date. The present study, conducted by an autistic researcher, uses semi-structured interviews incorporating novel interview methodology to support inclusion and accessibility for autistic participants. Reflexive thematic analysis is used to identify how autistic students describe their experience of inclusion at school. Key findings signal the significance of interpersonal relationships, the role of personal interests in relationships and academic success, and
identification of specific communication gaps between teachers and autistic students. Recommendations for further research include the creation of a professional development workshop for educators to promote improved communication between educators and autistic students. The communication gaps identified in the present study present specific, high-impact targets for teacher training to effect meaningful change in our schools.