Neurodiversity-Affirming Autism Training for School Staff in the United Kingdom: A Scoping Review
Sue Mesa, Eric Linley, Trish Hobman, Lorna G HamiltonObjective
This scoping review mapped the availability and content of neurodiversity-affirming autism training for school staff in the United Kingdom.
Introduction
Autistic young people often report negative experiences in mainstream education, with limited educator knowledge identified as a contributing factor. Although autism training is considered important, access remains inconsistent and the extent to which provision reflects neurodiversity-informed perspectives is unclear.
Inclusion Criteria
The review included academic and grey literature describing autism training for school staff that explicitly reflected a neurodiversity-informed perspective. The extent to which training was neurodiversity-affirming was assessed using Hartman et al.'s framework, emphasising autistic voice, positive identity, environmental adaptation, self-advocacy and valuing neurodiversity. Only English-language sources were included.
Methods
A three-stage search strategy was used. Stage 1 involved searches of APA PsycInfo, British Education Index, CINAHL, Web of Science, Teacher Reference Center and Ovid Medline. Stage 2 comprised targeted searches of Google, Google Scholar, EThOS and ProQuest. Stage 3 involved consultation with content experts. Data were analysed using descriptive numerical analysis, deductive framework analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis.
Results and Implications
Few training courses aligned with neurodiversity-affirming principles. Most reflected deficit-based perspectives or lacked conceptual clarity, creating a difficult-to-navigate training landscape. Co-produced, research-informed training is needed to support inclusive practice and improve school experiences for autistic pupils.