Abstract
Gender-diverse and autistic children and young people both experience marginalisation in UK school systems, including experiences related to bullying and difficulties regarding mental wellbeing. Research into the UK school experiences of children who are both gender-diverse and autistic is within its infancy, with an absence of research with children under the age of sixteen.
Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the current study explored the school experiences of gender-diverse, autistic children and young people under the age of sixteen.
The analysis led to the development of four group experiential themes: ‘Am I seen and am I safe in this school? Don’t let me down’; ‘The beauty in community’; ‘All eyes on me: Swept up in a storm of hostility; and ‘A mission to be myself: Rising above the constraints of a normative society’. These themes suggest that normative school cultures lead to gender-diverse, autistic children feeling unseen, invalidated and exposed to hostility in school. Wider societal narratives may impact upon how they are perceived, rendering it effortful to just ‘be’ in school, including fighting for support and compromising their authenticity. However, connecting with supportive communities may unlock self-perceptions relating to pride and joy, which may transfer into school experience.
Implications for educational professionals and policy-makers are discussed, particularly regarding person-centred approaches and the development of inclusive school systems.