School community perspectives on making schools more inclusive for autistic adolescents

Abstract

Despite international frameworks promoting inclusive education, autistic adolescents continue to face systemic, social, and environmental barriers in secondary education. While student voices are vital in understanding inclusion, the broader school community plays a critical role in shaping inclusive experiences. This study explored how key members of the school community, parents of autistic adolescents, educators, and non-autistic peers, understand inclusion and what measures they believe can promote meaningful inclusion in secondary education. Using reflexive thematic analysis, data from seven focus groups (N = 23) were analysed. Participants included parents, secondary school teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs), and non-autistic adolescents aged 12–18. Two main themes were identified from the analysis: (1) Seeing the Label, not the Person, which highlights how rigid use of diagnostic labels and stereotypes can limit understanding and support from staff and peers; and (2) Inclusion as a Continually Evolving Process, which frames inclusion as a dynamic, ongoing practice built through everyday relationships, small adaptations, and a shared school ethos. Participants emphasised the need for experiential training for staff, neurodiversity education for all students, and stronger institutional commitment to addressing structural and social barriers. Inclusion was not perceived as a static outcome but as a relational, dynamic process that must be embedded across school culture. Findings point to the need for experiential staff training, neurodiversity education for all students, and greater attention to small daily practices that foster inclusive school environments.