Understanding autism in education: Teacher's opinions, student's lives

Abstract

With autism diagnoses on the rise, autistic pupils are increasingly navigating mainstream education without adequate support, while class teachers bear responsibility for well‐being without proper training. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with primary school teachers ( N  = 5) to understand experiences of working with autistic pupils (AP). These findings were presented to a focus group of Autistic Students (AS) ( N  = 7), reflecting on experiences of primary school in the UK. Both samples, through thematic analysis, identified preventative systemic barriers for inclusive education. AS were more action‐oriented in deconstructing systems; teachers focused more on developing practice for their specific classroom. Findings highlight the need for more training on autism inclusivity and more resources to implement accommodations.