Why real inclusion is essential for autistic pupils
LAST year Scottish Autism joined forces with Children In Scotland and the National Autistic Society Scotland to publish Not Included, Not Engaged, Not Involved: a report on the experiences of autistic children missing school. The report was the result of responses to a national survey of more than1,400 parents, and highlighted that hundreds of children were missing out on their fundamental right to an education.
The research showed one-third of respondents said their autistic child had been unlawfully excluded from school in the previous two years – with almost one-quarter (22 per cent) of those parents saying this happened multiple times a week. It also showed 28% of autistic children have been placed on a part-time timetable in the last two years while 85% did not receive support to catch up on work they had missed when excluded. A significant number of respondents (72%) said it would have helped their child if school staff were able to gain a better understanding of autism.
The real impact of the report is the lived experience of parents of autistic children, as they shared the effect on their children of missing out on their education. It makes painful and frustrating reading. However, nothing quite impacts like hearing directly from children and young people who are living with the consequences of what is deemed to be appropriate for their education.
At a recent event I heard from a young autistic woman who spoke about her experiences in a mainstream school and the crippling anxiety she experienced during that important and impressionable time of her life. For many young people, attending school is their first sense of community participation. We know from our work that if, for any reason a child is excluded or unable to participate there are significant and enduring
You are not part of an inclusive environment if you are in a constant state of high arousal and anxiety
effects on wellbeing, mental health, attainment and family life.
The young woman describing her schooldays as “crushing” led me to question our current approach. Inclusion has become inextricably linked with being in a mainstream school.
You are not part of an inclusive environment, nor are you receiving an appropriate education if you are in a constant state of high arousal and anxiety. Pupils who find themselves in fight or flight mode for most of the school day and feel misunderstood, isolated and socially excluded will simply not thrive.
The expression of that anxiety frequently gets labelled as challenging behaviour or school refusal or is understood as being unproblematic because “everything is fine at school” but in the safety of home the pressure is released and there is significant stress.
To be clear, this is not a criticism of individual teachers or schools. The traumatic experiences of too many autistic pupils is due to systemic inflexibility, under-investment and a one-size-fits-all approach that simply does not work. Listening to and respecting the perspective of children who are telling us they are not included, not engaged and not involved is, however, the starting point in addressing the issue with a sense of empathy.
Our report called for the Scottish Government to work with local education authorities and professionals to ensure autistic children are not only physically included in schools but also suitably engaged and involved over the course of their education. We believe this is essential and will continue to campaign to see significant improvements in educational experiences to help ensure autistic children can thrive.
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