Abstract/Summary

A substantial literature indicates that autistic children and young people are much more likely than their non-autistic peers to have difficult school experiences and poor educational outcomes. However, how autistic people describe and make sense of their school experiences has received less attention from researchers, especially in relation to primary school, the period of formal state education in the United Kingdom for children from the age of five to eleven years old. Furthermore, little is known about how early school experiences impact on the lives of autistic adults, particularly in terms of identity development. Using thematically analysed data collected from focus group and one-to-one interviews, this study aimed to contribute towards this gap in the literature by documenting the subjective accounts of six autistic young adults. The findings show that the participants’ primary school experiences were characterised by routine invalidations and hostilities from peers and school staff which led to anxiety about social acceptability. These early negative experiences had long lasting implications in terms of self-concept and general wellbeing. Recommendations for teacher training and education policy are discussed.