Abstract:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) affirms the fundamental right to an inclusive education that ensures that every child and young person, including students with disability, can participate and learn in a safe, nurturing environment alongside their peers (United Nations 2016). Yet those with disability report experiences of exclusion at significantly higher rates (Graham et al. 2020) than their peers. Students with autism are especially vulnerable to exclusionary practices in mainstream schools (Cooke 2018; Guldberg et al. 2021; Goodall 2018) highlighting the need to capture their lived experiences, especially primary school-aged students (Cunningham 2020). This presentation reports on the findings of a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies that focused on eliciting the views of primary school students with autism (aged 6 -12) regarding their lived experiences in primary mainstream schools. Relevant records published from 2000 to August 2021 were identified through systematic searches of five electronic databases: Education Collection, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Of the 1158 studies screened for title and abstract, 22 studies met the eligibility criteria. Findings informing the research question: What are the lived experiences of primary school students with autism enrolled in mainstream primary schools?, revealed that enrolment does not necessarily result in positive experiences of inclusion. Common themes influencing inclusion emerged including experiences associated with: social participation; sensory processing difficulties; access to quiet and safe spaces; self-understanding and identity; understanding and awareness of autism; and learning experiences. Within these themes, students shared diverse perspectives on the enablers and challenges to their inclusion in mainstream primary schools. The implications of this review contribute to the voices of primary students with autism reflecting significant continuing exclusionary lived experiences such as experiences of bullying, victimization, and social exclusion, thus requiring personalised as well as systemic approaches to achieve their inclusion in mainstream primary schools. The primary years of schooling are foundational in supporting children with the development of self and identity, social connectedness and relationships and supporting learning, thus policy and practice need to address these exclusionary practices in mainstream schools. Further voices of primary students are needed in research including students with autism who communicate without relying on speech (e.g., Exchange Communication System (PECS)) or have accompanying disabilities. Adopting co-participatory research methodology and policy development with primary school students with autism will contribute to increased understanding and translation of inclusion policy into mainstream schooling practices.