Understanding Barriers to School Attendance

School absence has often been considered as a ‘behavioural issue’ with interventions focused on returning young people to the classroom as soon as possible. But this misses something important. Behaviour is communication. What are autistic young people communicating to us when they are not attending school and what can we learn from listening to their voices?

At The Autistic Girls Network, we recognise many autistic young people feel unsafe within traditional and mainstream education. For some, this may result in high levels of absence, with figures suggesting autistic students are twice as likely to be ‘chronically absent’ then their neurotypical peers (Nordin et al., 2024). For others, attendance may be consistent, yet actual inclusion within the classroom is limited. Many speak of how school experiences are detrimental to their health and wellbeing.

Despite these impacts, it is rare within research that autistic young people are directly asked about their own experiences. However, recent research by Mullally et al, (2026) provides a valuable exception. Within this work, 136 children and young people were asked about their experiences of growing up autistic. The outcomes of this study mirror the stories we hear regularly at The Autistic Girls Network, providing further evidence of the barriers autistic young people face in accessing and attending mainstream education.

Key barriers to school attendance were identified as: overwhelming experiences, unsafe people and an overarching feeling of being different to peers in a way which could feel confusing, threatening and isolating.

Many autistic young people experience hypo or hyper sensitivity to sensory stimuli. They may experience increased or decreased sensitivity to both external sensory sources such as noise, and internal sensory experiences such as emotions and bodily sensations. These experiences can be challenging within a school environment which offers huge amounts of sensory stimulation. Within the study, young people made comments such as:

‘Busy places made me feel like I was going to explode’

‘Bright lights and loud noise are way too much. They make it feel hard to focus’

‘I get very tired and overwhelmed, my senses cause me pain sometimes.’

However, overwhelm at school was not only linked with external stimuli. Many young people described feeling their emotions very intensely with high levels of empathy for other people. This could increase stress and anxiety, particularly in the absence of ‘safe adults’ who could support emotional regulation. Additionally, some autistic young people need additional support in recognising and understanding their own emotional states, commenting:

‘I’m good at recognising what other people are feeling (but not myself).’

‘Managing my emotions is harder for me because I am autistic. I have meltdowns when I am overwhelmed.’

Experiences of sensory and emotional overwhelm can impact autistic people’s abilities to communicate, as well as to process information. In an educational context this may not just prevent learning, but also be experienced as a meltdown, shutdown or a loss of speech. Young people within the research described how difficulties communicating often linked with further anxiety, as well as anger and frustration.

‘I sometimes cannot talk at all’

‘I struggle to speak to people. I also struggle when people ask me to make lots of decisions at once.’

‘School!!!! School is so hard and changes and when I can’t talk and nobody understands how hard it is for me as I can’t explain it well enough and I just say I’m fine at school but I’m not.’

Whilst some autistic people can benefit from alternative communication strategies at times of overwhelm, these are not always readily available, or supported by others.

Alongside an overwhelming environment, many autistic young people can feel unsafe, both with peers and adults such as teachers. This is perhaps unsurprising as a government review suggested that 87% of autistic people had ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ experienced bullying (Gov.uk, 2021). For the young people in the study, lack of safety with peers was commonly linked with a vulnerability to victimisation. This was further compounded by uncertainties around social inference. One young person stated:

‘Talking to people and figuring them out are very stressful. I can’t tell whether people genuinely like me or not.’

When trust was built, it was often slow and selective, with hypervigilance and constant monitoring to check whether a relationship still felt safe. Additionally, many young people were aware of their differences to their peers but had experienced stigma and prejudice in relation to being autistic. This was then linked with masking which could be exhausting.

‘I don’t tell people I am autistic at school or they will bully me.’

‘I subconsciously try to hide the fact I am struggling and worry about what people notice’

Lack of safety is not limited to peer relationships. Within the study, adults were often described as unsafe due to feelings of being unheard and misunderstood. Young people described how their needs were often unnoticed or overlooked, and many did not feel they could trust adults to respond in ways which were helpful or supportive. This was captured in comments such as:

‘At school they don’t listen to the things we have asked for. .. I become tired more easily.’

‘I don’t feel brave to tell people at school what I need. I don’t think they listen or get why I’m struggling… and I’m scared of being told off.’

In order to manage within an environment which feels overwhelming, surrounded by people who feel unsafe, many autistic people report developing various coping strategies. Some of these, such as masking are linked with hiding authentic behaviours, needs and communication style. However, this is often unsustainable and linked with poor mental health outcomes. Cassidy et al, (2020) noted that when autism is paired with unmet support needs and masking, this can be an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation or attempts.

Young people within the study spoke of searching for sanctuary. This was defined as a place where they feel safe, understood and able to express themselves authentically. Such a sanctuary would allow expression of autistic identity, and comfort would be available at times of overwhelm or distress. This sense of sanctuary often contrasts with school experiences, with young people stating:

‘I feel safer is a nest.’

‘I’m happy with my family at home where I can be myself.’

Sanctuary could also linked with being around others with a shared autistic identity. This shared understanding and solidarity provided safety and increased self-acceptance and compassion. Within a classroom where an autistic pupil was in the neurominority, this could be harder to come by, with 23% of children stating that they never feel safe or able to talk about their autistic experiences. Furthermore, only 26.8% of the young people felt it was ‘okay to be autistic’ around peers and teachers.

We have seen how for many autistic young people, school triggers a threat response, with experiences such as stigma, bullying and unpredictable routines continuing to trigger this experience throughout the day. If we are to reduce barriers to school attendance, it is therefore crucial that we increase reliable and consistent cues of safety. This involves adapting our school environments and considering relational dynamics between autistic young people, their peers and their teachers.

Hamilton & Petty, (2023) suggest a compassionate pedagogy. This they suggest is a context within which cognitive diversity can be noticed, welcomed and accepted with warmth. Drawing on principles from compassionate focused therapy, they suggest that low arousal and strengths-based approaches can provide a safer environment for learning, particularly when paired with attunement and relational repair when difficulties are encountered.

Practical changes could also include sensory adjustments, such as access to quiet spaces, movement breaks and seating choice. An increase in autonomy in these areas reduces the risks of autistic young people experiencing a ‘sensory nightmare’ from which they need to escape (Fielding et al., 2025). Additionally, predictable routines and clear transitions are likely to reduce anxiety and emotional overwhelm, whilst supporting co-regulation.

For times when overwhelm does occur, ensuring autistic young people have access to alternative communication pathways is crucial for ensuring consistent autonomy and reducing threat response. This could include access to writing materials, communication devices or use of physical gesture to ensure needs are communicated. Finally, peer-based support and relational training for staff is suggested, as safe relationships and connections offer modelling of compassionate interaction, and increase activation of the soothing system.

At The Autistic Girls Network, we put these research findings into practice by prioritizing the “cues of safety” that many mainstream environments lack. Through our Face-to-Face groups, we provide a physical and social sanctuary where young people can move away from the exhaustion of masking and experience the solidarity of a shared autistic identity. This sense of belonging is mirrored in our work with learners at The Haven, where we cultivate a compassionate pedagogy that values cognitive diversity. By creating environments that respect sensory needs and provide alternative communication pathways, we ensure that our learners feel heard and understood, directly countering the feelings of isolation and being “unnoticed” that so often lead to school distress. Whether through peer support in our groups or tailored learning at The Haven, our goal is to provide the reliable, safe relationships that allow autistic young people to flourish authentically.

Autistic young people are significantly more likely than their neurotypical peers to be absent from education. When we understand this from an internal perspective, we can recognise the very real barriers which make it feel overwhelming and unsafe to attend. If behaviour is communication, then absence is not a refusal to be overcome. It is a signal that school environments need to adapt, and these adaptations must consider the sensory, processing and communication differences autistic people experience.

Heather Connolly-Smith is a writer, therapist and specialist university mentor for neurodivergent students. She is particularly interested in neuroaffirmative practice and the importance of systemic change to support the wellbeing of autistic people.