How did autistic children, and their parents, experience school transition during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the start of the academic year in September 2020 was a unique time for those transitioning to a new school. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents who supported autistic children making a range of different school transitions in 2020. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 13 parents of autistic children in the UK, and data were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. For some parents, the Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted on aspects of school transitions. However, other parents expressed the view that these same circumstances created opportunities to approach the school transition in a unique, improved manner. This article sheds light on the heterogeneity of experiences and perceptions of parents of autistic children, and highlights the need to examine the impact of Covid-19 on school transitions, including practices that it may be advantageous to retain.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)168-189
Number of pages24
JournalBritish Journal of Special Education
Volume49
Issue number2
Early online date28 Apr 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Special Education published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of National Association for Special Educational Needs.

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