Autism

Happe (2019) suggests autism is ‘relatively common’ with 1 in 100 children and adults diagnosed. It usually co-occurs with other conditions. Autism is now understood as a neurodiversity rather than a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is a dimensional condition.

As of 2024, the Autism Education Trust (AET) defines autism from a difference rather than a deficit approach. Autism is a processing difference that can impact three areas.

Social understanding and communication - differences in the way autistic people communicate, understand, and use language. They engage in social life from a different perspective (Milton, 2011). This leads to differences in how the person interacts and develops relationships.
Sensory processing and integration - hyper (high) or hypo (low) sensitivity to the eight senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, interoception (internal sensation such as hunger and pain), vestibular (balance), and proprioception (body awareness). These repsonses may vary between individuals and within the individual themselves during the day or in different environments.
Flexible thinking, information processing, and understanding - the ability to maintain focus and concentration, maintain interest, and how they learn will differ between autistic individuals and contrast with neurotypical people.

It is important to understand that autistic people are no longer identified by terms such as low and high functioning which is associated with cognitive delay. Supporting Happe’s view, the AET suggests that it is useful to consider the autistic individual within a developing spikey profile rather than a one-dimensional continuum or spectrum.

Strengths on school experience

Students feel that their strengths in school can include:

understanding why children may behave in particular ways from their own experiences
considering children from perspectives that neurotypical people may not
having empathy with children with additional needs so they can plan and adapt learning in a child-centred way
having high levels of concentration
being reliable, conscientious, and diligent
paying attention to detail and having the ability to identify problems
having an excellent memory
demonstrating commitment to the placement.

Potential challenges on school experience

As autism is unique to the individual, students may experience a combination of the various challenges. Students shared that barriers on school experience might include:

heightened anxiety due to workload, communication demands, and sensory overload
burnout ("I may present as managing and coping as I am very good at masking, but I am exhausted mentally and physically at the end of a day or at different times of the day")
finding socialising and actively communicating all day difficult
sensory overload: factors like fluorescent lights can be very overwhelming and the busy, loud school environment can lead to difficulties remaining in class without a sensory break
self-care ("I may give up the things that are important to my wellbeing because of burnout. I may survive rather than thrive and all I can manage at the end of the day is to travel home, eat, and sleep.").

Disclosing your needs on school experience

One of the most useful ways to ensure you are supported while on your placement is to disclose your diagnosis to your mentor, if you feel comfortable to do so. It is important that your mentor understands what your strengths and your unique challenges may be. Delay in disclosure or not disclosing could mean that you do not have access to the support you deserve. To help you with the conversation, follow what, when, and how guide.

What: state what is relevant, you do not need to disclose everything. Suggest the challenges you may need support with and how you mentor can support you with this.
When: as early as possible at a convenient time, or when specific support is needed.
How: in conversation with your mentor. Position your disability positively and come prepared for the conversation.

Strategies for students on schools experience

St Mary's University encourages students to advocate for themselves and take ownership over their school experience. Students may wish to consider different strategies to address the previously listed barriers.

Prioritise sleep: make sure you get enough sleep every night. Sleep stories help you unwind at the end of the day and free your mind of placement tasks.
Use apps for meditation, such as soundscapes or Calm, to relax.
Plan a timetable in detail each week.
RAG rate (prioritise tasks by red, amber and green) to manage anxiety about tasks.
Reward yourself at the end of the week even of the week has been hard and especially when it is going well. Meet a friend, buy something small, eat your favourite foods, or find another way to treat yourself.

Strategies for mentors supporting students

Mentors play a significant role in supporting our trainees in school. Trainees may be best supported by mentors if they:

agree how to communicate that they need time out to manage the stress and anxiety they may feel in the day
are open and help trainees to feel confident in asking for help or advice or when opting to disclose their disability
accept their trainee may not feel emotionally safe to disclose their disability for a while or at all
understand that their trainee's ways of working may be different to theirs and to accept this as long as tasks are completed
be clear and concise with advice and state explicitly what trainees need to do
be open to reasonable adjustments
do not disclose a declared disability without their trainee's permission
share information prior to a meeting to help reduce anxiety and allow processing time
agree the better times of the day for meetings and information sharing to avoid impact of burnout.

Support if issues arise on school experience

Students should:

speak to their personal tutor and programme staff for support
seek support from the Wellbeing Service
refer to wellbeing on placement handbook.