Please note that this is an on-going project.
Project Description
This project includes a series of studies focussing on school non-attendance in autistic children. The overall aim is to develop a logic model of school non-attendance for autistic children.
The logic model will be informed through two key elements
a) a study identifying the risk factors for non-attendance, both cross-sectional and longitudinal.
b) a series of studies listening to people with lived experience to find out what works to help prevent or reduce school non-attendance in autistic children.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
The core research team includes Professor Dawn Adams, A/Prof Kate Simpson and HDR candidate Raechel Smart. Other collaborators include A/Prof Jess Paynter, A/Prof Glen Melvin and Prof. Kylie Gray (UK).
The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the autistic and autism communities, who will the beneficiaries of the work.
Outcomes to Date
Multiple publications including
Adams, D., McLucas, R., Mitchelson, H. et al. Form, Function and Feedback on the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised in Children on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 2156–2167 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05107-4
Adams, D. Child and Parental Mental Health as Correlates of School Non-Attendance and School Refusal in Children on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 3353–3365 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05211-5
Project Significance
SDG4 is focussed on inclusive and equitable quality education. It also ensures equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities.
Our work has shown that Autistic children miss six-times more school than non-autistic children. This has clear and obvious impacts on their access to inclusive and quality education. If we can develop an autism-specific model of causes of school non-attendance, it can help inform supports and programs to reduce school non-attendance challenges. This would then move us further towards meeting SDG4 for autistic children in Australia.