When educational pathways become fragile: Teachers' perspectives on the schooling of autistic students

Abstract

International research indicates elevated levels of educational instability among autistic students, including school mobility and exclusion. However, systematic evidence on how such trajectories are experienced within differentiated education systems remains limited, particularly from teachers' perspectives in Germany. The present study examines teacher‐reported educational pathways of autistic students across school types, focusing on patterns of instability, institutional conditions and professional challenges. A total of N  = 392 teachers completed an anonymous online survey. Data were analysed using a two‐stage strategy combining descriptive analyses with exploratory inferential analyses within a defined subsample. Teachers predominantly described educational trajectories as fluctuating and recurrently challenging, whereas formal exclusionary events were reported as rare or limited to individual cases. This pattern indicates that instability may not primarily manifest in formally recorded events but rather in ongoing challenges within everyday school participation. Institutional conditions were described as uneven and frequently constrained, particularly with regard to staffing and environmental adaptation. Repeated participation in autism‐related training and perceived support from school leadership and colleagues were associated with higher professional confidence. These findings underscore the relevance of institutional and professional support structures for teachers' capacity to respond to autistic students' needs and to support sustained educational participation.