Secondary transition experiences of autistic young people and their impact on psychological well-being.

Autistic people are highly likely to experience mental health difficulties during their lifetime (Hallett & Crompton, 2018; Lever & Geurts, 2016; Simonoff et al., 2008), with lifetime prevalence estimates for anxiety and depression ranging from 11 to 49% (based on meta-analyses of existing studies, Hollocks et al., 2019; Hudson et al., 2019; Lai et al., 2019). A period of their lives that may be linked to increased mental health difficulties is that of the transition from primary to secondary school. The National Autistic Society (2020) has identified this transition as challenging for autistic children and their families, however research on the matter is scarce. Therefore, we have a limited understanding of children’s experiences of transition, of the different factors and outcomes of transition, and of potential avenues for support and intervention. Hence, we sought to answer the following question: What does the secondary transition mean for autistic children? Nine autistic young people (7 boys) aged 12 to 17 years old participated in face-to-face semi-structured interview. All participants were special secondary school pupils who had experienced the transition to secondary school prior to the interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using thematic analysis (following recommendations from Braun & Clarke, 2006). Three themes were identified: 1) New school and second chances; 2) School environment; and 3) Relationships. Participants who had transitioned from mainstream to special school provision expressed being given a ‘second chance’ at education as mainstream provision was unable to support them adequately. Moreover, the school environment had an important role in the quality of participants’ transition; feelings of agency, support and safety were integral to this experience. Relationships with peers and adults at school also had a significant impact (both positive and negative) on participants’ experiences of the transition and their later well-being. Taken together, these 3 areas of participants’ experiences had a significant impact on their well-being at school following the transition. This study has implications for: 1) our understanding of transitions and mental health in autistic children, an area currently understudied; 2) best practice for transition support, by providing insight on how the transition is experienced by autistic children and by identifying critical areas for support (for example relationships with teachers and peers, and agency and safety at school); 3) our current policies for mainstreaming autistic pupils (most of this study’s participants did not benefit from the presumption of mainstreaming); and 4) autism training for teachers (development of autistic-led training to ensure adapted support and to avoid misunderstandings in school). More research with young people with identities other than cis male and mainstream pupils is needed to expand on these findings, along with further research on factors linked to psychological well-being to identify avenues for interventions to support autistic pupils transitioning to secondary school.