Which Barriers Do Autistic Children Experience in Inclusive Classrooms? An Experience Sampling Approach

Autistic children face individual barriers to their participation in mainstream schools. A key challenge for the inclusion of autistic children is the identification, consideration, and elimination of such barriers at school. This study aimed to use an experience sampling approach to capture and study individual barriers experienced by children in the everyday classroom context. A total of 48 children (six autistic) from fourth to sixth grade of a German mainstream school and their four teachers participated. The study consisted of an introductory session at school, a 10-day period with daily assessments, and a feedback questionnaire. Children reported on which barriers from different categories they experienced. Results show that autistic and non-autistic children experienced barriers from various categories at school. Children differed considerably in how many and which barriers they experienced, highlighting the heterogeneity of children in inclusive classrooms. The findings emphasize the feasibility of assessing individual barriers in everyday school life using smartphone-based assessments. Findings will be used to develop a smartphone app prototype that allows to support the identification of barriers and therefore inclusion of those children.