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Promoting autism peer awareness in mainstream schools

Written by: Claire Droney
3 min read
Claire Droney focuses on research into SEND-awareness education to inform the development of an autistic peer awareness programme. ‘Autism is where children or adults get very angry and violent’, wrote one Year 4 student. ‘It’s when a person holds a lot of anger and can’t keep it inside’, wrote another. When asked ‘What is autism?’, a group of Year 4 children had some interesting answers. We weren’t surprised. These students’ only experience of autism was with a highly-anxious peer who had frequent meltdowns in class. But would their opinions change after completing our five-week Autism Peer Awareness (APA) programme? Difficulties with social communication, interaction and flexible thinking can cause friendship issues for our children and young people with autism in mainstream schools. With 70% of autistic students being educated in mainstream schools in the UK, we knew that we needed to spread awareness about this ‘hidden’ disability. Our aim at th

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This article was published in May 2017 and reflects the terminology and understanding of research and evidence in use at the time. Some terms and conclusions may no longer align with current standards. We encourage readers to approach the content with an understanding of this context.

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