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Beyond tick-box transitions? Experiences of autistic students moving from special to further education

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posted on 2023-06-21, 06:01 authored by Jacqui Shepherd
This paper reports on a qualitative, longitudinal case study conducted in England that explored the transition experiences of autistic students with intellectual disabilities (ID) as they left special school to go to colleges of further education (FE). Sequential interviews with six young people, their parents/carers and educators were developed to address an important knowledge gap in relation to progression to post-16 education for differently abled learners. Transition is theorised through both the lens of the social model of disability and the three typologies of induction, development and becoming. Combining these enables a focus on flexible systems and adaptive environments as well as an openness to the variability of autistic students. While the research found evidence of transition planning, it also identified gaps in critical processes, limited understanding of autistic students’ capacity to manage change and normative expectations around independence. Parents reported a largely ‘tick-box’ approach to transition that was further reflected in a lack of preparation for social transition. The paper highlights responsibilities of institutions to make adaptations to transition processes in order to enable autistic students to better navigate change.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

International Journal of Inclusive Education

ISSN

1360-3116

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Department affiliated with

  • Education Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-04-02

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-09-23

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-04-01

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