Lost learning in mainstream schools
Parents have had to give up work, use foodbanks and claim benefits as a result of their autistic children missing out on education, new research by Ambitious about Autism reveals.
Nearly 90% of parents said that lost learning had negatively affected their personal or professional life, with one in 10 parents losing a job because of their child’s problems at school. More than half of parents have had to take significant time off work to support their autistic child.
Ambitious about Autism has been examining the impact of lost learning in mainstream schools on autistic pupils and their families by conducting a survey of over 1,300 autistic young people and parents.
The research found that 71% of autistic young people had experienced some form of lost learning. Over 60% of young people said lost learning had damaged their academic achievements and their mental health.
Autistic pupils experience the world differently to non-autistic peers and so may face challenges that their neurotypical classmates will not – for example feeling overwhelmed by the environment in a noisy classroom.
They may also struggle to communicate their needs to staff or fellow pupils. Nearly 80% of survey respondents said if teachers and staff had improved autism knowledge it would be transformative.
The survey also reveals the wider emotional toll on families with 40% of parents saying their marriage, relationship or partnership had come under strain because of lost learning issues and nearly half of parents saying that other siblings had also been negatively affected.
Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said:
Parents are facing financial and emotional turmoil as they try to support their children whose needs are not being met at school. We’ve spoken to parents who have gone through marriage break-ups, are struggling to pay the bills and are seeking help from foodbanks. Many have been forced to reduce working hours or give up their career completely.
Lost learning among autistic pupils in mainstream schools remains a hidden crisis. Schools must be equipped to provide meaningful support so that autistic pupils are not only present in mainstream education but actively engaged and able to succeed. Autistic young people and parents have told us that autism-specific training in schools could help improve understanding and support for autistic pupils.
We need to think and do things differently. We must take this opportunity to push forward and ensure that autistic pupils are meaningfully included in mainstream education.
About the research
Ambitious about Autism’s ‘experiences of mainstream education’ online survey ran between 24 October - 25 November 2024. 1309 autistic people and parents responded. Read the full report.
Lost learning is defined as situation where a child misses out on education, such as being suspended, excluded or absent from school as well as situations where learning is lost within school – such as a child being internally excluded, or put on a part timetable.
