The Challenges of Mainstream Secondary School: A Synthesis of Qualitative Views from Autistic Students

Abstract The current review synthesises research exploring the views from autistic students about their experiences in mainstream education. Autistic students experience significantly higher rates of mental health difficulties compared with their neurotypical peers and are vastly overrepresented in permanent exclusions. Research has identified low sense of belonging as a common experience among excluded students; however, there remains a relative paucity of research exploring autistic students’ perspectives on their educational experiences. It is therefore important to undertake a review of research exploring autistic students’ views on the challenges of mainstream secondary school in order to identify the potential barriers to their sense of belonging and psychological wellbeing. Fourteen studies were critically appraised in relation to the review question, and an adapted version of thematic synthesis was utilised to synthesise the findings. Twelve descriptive themes emerged from the data, which were conceptualised into four analytical themes: ‘feeling unsupported and misunderstood by peers’, ‘experiencing sensory overload in the school environment’, ‘feeling inappropriately supported with academic work’ and ‘feeling misjudged and undervalued by teaching staff’ . The strengths and limitations of the included studies are discussed alongside recommendations for future research and Educational Psychology practice.