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Inclusion and exclusion: Support for children and young people with autism

The Autism Education Trust provides information and guidance about school exclusions. Autistic Children are particularly vulnerable to being excluded from school. Sometimes behaviour associated with their autism can be confused with disobedience because of a lack of awareness by both pupils and school staff. Autistic pupils trying to cope with the unstructured social aspects of school life can feel overwhelmed and become anxious and display distressed behaviours. Head teachers may feel that exclusion is the only solution in order to maintain the safety and well-being of other pupils. Indeed, it may be the case that a mainstream school is not the best setting for a child. However, distressed behaviour can be an indication of unmet needs and schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to policies and practices to ensure that autistic pupils also feel safe, confident and able to experience success.

The Autism Education Trust provides resources looking at:

  • the steps to avoid exclusion of autistic pupils
  • school stress and anxiety - emotionally based school avoidance and impact on family life
  • successful re-integration of autistic pupils following school exclusion
  • School Exclusions: A guide for parents/carers
  • Exclusion: A guide to help governing boards.