Suzy Rowland is an author and autism/ADHD specialist coach and speaker. She founded the #happyinschool project to address the issues around educating neurodiverse pupils, and is the author of SEND in the Clowns, a handbook for parents of autistic children and those with ADHD. Here Suzy offers some advice on how schools can improve autistic pupils' wellbeing and learning.

Schools improvement requires strong leadership and collaborative skills to steer a school towards excellent attainment outcomes. But where do children with additional needs - particularly autistic pupils - fit into this vision, considering they are a group of pupils most vulnerable to exclusion and lower attainment? Schools have made progress towards deepening their understanding of autism, but for many families and children, their real-life experiences of being autistic at school are very different to the theoretical learning.

71% of autistic children are taught in mainstream schools (Priory Group, last accessed 5 May 2021) that are built and managed for children who are not neurodiverse. From ‘corridor crush’ to the sounds and smells of the canteen, many autistic children find the sensory overload of mainstream intolerable, hampering any chance of learning. Autistic youngsters arrive at school with a variety of presentations: delayed development, selective mutism, masking, emotional dysregulation, high IQ, social skill stresses, sensory integration difficulties, stimming, co-occurring conditions (for example dyslexia and ADHD), anxiety. It is virtually impossible to predict what their individual needs will be. Some will also be undiagnosed.  

Every autistic child is different, so is their peer group. This may make the job of blending your pupils into a cooperative, integrated group of learners, uniquely challenging.  Investing time to build trust and assess the strengths and difficulties of autistic children in your year group will pay dividends, both in terms of how their specific learning needs are met as well as whole class co-operation. 

Below are some suggested tools that school staff can use to improve autistic pupils' wellbeing and learning.

Make the case for adjustments 

Many autistic children require adjustments, as they do not learn in the same way as their neurotypical peers. Not all adjustments are costly or time-hoovers, but they can be the difference between engagement and non-engagement. Write any adjustments into the SEN support or other plans.

Be prepared to review the plan to accommodate the child’s changing cognitive and emotional needs.

Forward planning to minimise anxiety

Non-uniform days are a key part of school culture and can create high anxiety for autistic children who are rules-based. Decisions about clothing and attention to detail can drive up anxiety. High excitement levels can be overwhelming. Using a social story in advance to explain how the day will run, will help them to work through some of their ‘what if’ anxieties. 

Educate the peer group

Bullying and social exclusion are common experiences for autistic kids, causing their self-esteem to plummet. Angry outbursts are often a reaction to unkindness or personal frustration. Building autism and neurodiversity awareness into your Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) or Citizenship lessons is a good way to address this.

“Own voices” with safe and calm spaces

Distressed behaviours are less challenging if viewed through the lens of functionality, distress or self-expression. Calm and safe designated spaces where children can emotionally re-balance, talk to a teacher or relax with a fidget toy, are essential spaces for all schools. 

As the autistic child’s disability is hidden, it can be difficult to appreciate the efforts they are making to fit in, especially if they are ‘literal’ language processors.  Listen carefully and provide adequate time for a response.

Use the young person’s own experience at school to help determine what support they need, paying specific attention to the issues they have personally raised. 

Turn resilience on its head

Recognise how resilient autistic kids already are, coping with a school environment they constantly need to decode, trying to figure out multitudes of confusing social cues and sensory distractions.

Approach resilience as a collaboration by establishing the baseline of the child’s tolerance level for a particular situation. For example, the ability to initiate a conversation with another child or the length of time it takes to calm down after a distressed outburst. Staff need to understand that a child’s level of ‘resilience’ may appear lower when they have reached their cognitive load capacity. 

Acknowledge autistic self-identity

Not making eye contact is okay. Sensory integration difficulties, masking, feelings of shame around feeling ‘different’, a different communication style, fluctuating energy levels, less flexibility and avoidance (especially against close-held values), are all aspects of autistic identity.

Examine your perceptions 

Consider scripting dynamic social stories without bias, in other words those that include the autistic child’s voice and their perception of a particular event. 

Intervene before a situation boils over

Introduce children to techniques that help self-regulate their emotions, getting them accustomed to recognising their own ‘triggers’. Use age relevant psychoeducation and whole class discussions to avoid isolating autistic children. 

Aspire for individual excellence

Focusing on strengths is a key route to overcoming some of the specific learning difficulties associated with being autistic.

Understanding the need to release body energy

Autistic children in school can experience physical tension and anxiety, especially those with co-occurring conditions e.g., dyspraxia or attention deficit disorder (ADD). Regular movement can be conducive to better learning outcomes. 

Place wellbeing front and centre of your school’s offer

Emotional learning support assistants and mental health support workers are trained using CBT approaches, that focus on cognitive re-structuring and ‘catching’ negative thoughts. Access to therapeutic support is a strong predictor of a school that will meet the needs of the autistic learner. Specialist speech and occupational therapists can identify barriers to learning and make suggestions that can be applied in a range of classroom settings. This is especially helpful when learners are undiagnosed.