Chris Bonnello, autistic author, special needs tutor and autism advocate, discusses how schools can support the emotional welfare of their autistic pupils.

The wellbeing of pupils is the most important priority for any school; however, the wellbeing of autistic pupils is profoundly less likely to be met in the education system. This can result in academic struggles and disengagement with school life, as well as lifelong mental health concerns.

This article will discuss the reasons why autistic pupils may struggle more in education than their non-autistic peers, and how to meaningfully accommodate pupils’ emotional welfare.

Why do autistic children find school difficult?

The main reason autistic pupils experience difficulties in school is also the main reason autistic people struggle everywhere else: the simple fact that the world is built with ‘everyone else’ in mind. 

Primary schools, for example, are filled with brightly-coloured walls, noisy playgrounds and ‘nice surprises’ being sprung on pupils. The expectation is that all schoolchildren enjoy this. In the wider world, workplaces are seemingly built for non-autistic employees, and recruitment processes are also designed in their favour. Often an autistic person’s biggest struggle is not rooted in being autistic, but in the non-autistic world they inhabit.

In addition, schools may be places where autistic children feel the need to ‘mask’ for social survival: feeling the need to conceal their personality, their interests and even their vulnerabilities in order to avoid the judgement that comes with being different.

Masking is damaging for many reasons, one being that if children are skilled at masking then the teaching staff won’t be aware of their needs. Another is that the children may learn that hiding their needs is a key factor in being seen positively by others, since they are less likely to be judged when they mask.   

Schools must adapt to autistic pupils’ specific needs, because fears and worries about school can affect their wider wellbeing too. When a pupil goes home, their fears about school follow them. I know several autistic children who have become frightened by the very concept of education - even when learning is mentioned in a non-academic sense, they have to leave the room.

So how do you meaningfully accommodate an autistic pupil?

The best way to protect and nurture your pupils has its foundations in the environment and relationships you set up.

As discussed above, the school environment may need to be changed to reduce sensory overload. This may involve changes to the classrooms, for example less clutter on the walls. It could involve allowing autistic pupils to spend playtimes indoors to avoid loud and chaotic playgrounds. 

Relationships in education underpin absolutely everything, from engagement in lessons to managing safeguarding concerns. At certain schools I’ve worked in, a good relationship can determine whether the child feels able to attend at all. Without a good relationship, teachers may not be aware that autistic pupils are experiencing difficulties, particularly if the children are masking. If a pupil feels listened to and accepted, they will be more likely to disclose their difficulties – or even disclose concerns that require safeguarding intervention.

So once the environment and relationships are set up, what do you do next? My three suggestions:

1. Ask the pupil directly how they feel they can be helped… and meaningfully listen.

2. Ask their parents for their perspective… and believe them.

3. Hold wellbeing sessions in school where autistic child learn about themselves, their neurology and their strengths. Even if the sessions don’t meet any specific curriculum objectives, they’ll be invaluable for the child’s self-perception.

Don’t be afraid to change long-held approaches – doing so will mean you are creating the right environment to meaningfully accommodate all of your children’s needs, and not just the needs of your non-autistic students.