How well are children with autism spectrum disorder doing academically at school? An overview of the literature

Abstract

The academic achievement of individuals with autism spectrum disorder has received little attention from researchers despite the importance placed on this by schools, families and students with autism spectrum disorder. Investigating factors that lead to increased academic achievement thus would appear to be very important. A review of the literature was conducted to identify factors related to the academic achievement of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 19 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review. Results indicated that many individuals demonstrate specific areas of strength and weakness and there is a great deal of variability in general academic achievement across the autism spectrum. Adolescents and individuals with lower IQ scores were underrepresented, and few studies focused on environmental factors related to academic success. The importance of individualised assessments that profile the relative strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents to aid in educational programming was highlighted. Further research on child-related and environmental factors that predict academic achievement is needed. The academic achievement of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received little attention from researchers despite the importance placed on this by schools, families and students with ASD. Investigating factors that lead to increased academic achievement thus would appear to be paramount. A review of the literature was conducted to identify factors related to the academic achievement of children and adolescents with ASD. Nineteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review. Results indicated that many individuals demonstrate specific areas of strength and weakness and there is a great deal of variability in general academic achievement across the autism spectrum. Adolescents and individuals with lower IQ scores were underrepresented and few studies focused on environmental factors related to academic success. The importance of individualised assessments that profile the relative strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents to aid in educational programming was highlighted. Further research on child-related and environmental factors that predict academic achievement is needed.

Classroom displays—Attraction or distraction? Evidence of impact on attention and learning from children with and without autism.

“…It may be that a classroom heavily Running Head: Impact of classroom visual distraction on attention and learning in autism and typical development 8 decorated with displays is particularly stimulating for children with ASD, more so than the focus of lessons. Of the studies that exist which look at predictors of academic achievement in ASD, large focus has been placed on factors internal to the child (IQ, autism severity, sensory processing; for a review, see Keen, Webster & Ridley, 2015). However, as Keen et al (2015) highlight, it is important to understand how factors external to the child, such as physical features of the classroom, may impact upon learning as these are amenable to intervention.…”

Priority service needs and receipt across the lifespan for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

“…As delineated in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework [World Health Organization, 2001], overall health and well being is an outcome of interactions between these domains. For individuals with ASD, impairments in physical and mental health [Jones et al, 2015;Moss, Howlin, Savage, Bolton, & Rutter, 2015;Simonoff et al, 2008;Totsika, Hastings, Emerson, Lancaster, & Berridge, 2011] and adaptive and cognitive functioning [Bal, Kim, Cheong, & Lord, 2015;Shattuck, Narendorf et al, 2012] limit activity levels and restrict full participation in society through recreation, school and vocation [Baldwin, Costley, & Warren, 2014;Keen, Webster, & Ridley, 2015;Nicholas, Attridge, Zwaigenbaum, & Clarke, 2015;White, Scahill et al, 2007]. The preponderance of such difficulties, the variability in level of functioning and ASD severity, and the lifelong nature of the condition complicate service planning, and require a prioritization to address expressed needs and individualized care at different life stages [Moes & Frea, 2002;Stahmer, Schreibman, & Cunningham, 2011].…”

Socio-Material Realities of Inclusive Pedagogy for Autistic Pupils in Mainstream Primary Schools in the UK

“…The inclusion of autistic pupils has been conspicuously hard to achieve in this respect, however, with children and young people at much greater risk than their peers of being excluded from school (Moore 2016). Autistic pupils' experiences of schooling have been associated with negative attitudes by teachers and teacher stress (Cappe et al 2017;Roberts & Simpson 2016), higher rates of social exclusion and bullying (Humphrey & Hebron 2015), and poor educational outcomes (Keen, Webster & Ridley 2016;NAS 2016). Many autistic pupils report feeling unhappy in school and describe school as a place where they feel neither understood nor accepted (APPGA 2017; Williams, Gleeson & Jones 2019).…”