The Social Communication Experience of Children with Autism in Mainstream School

The current educational emphasis on the inclusion of children with autism in mainstream schools indicates a need to understand the child’s social communication experience in that environment, in order to provide meaningful support. This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of six children diagnosed with autism, by exploring the perspectives of the children and their parents. The study identified three recurring themes used to illustrate the words of the participants in the study; the potential to find a place in society, the impact of social communication difficulties at school and the role of peers. Implications for intervention in terms of the need to take into account the perspective and social context of the child are discussed. The study contributed to the discussion on the methodology of conducting research with children with speech, language and communication needs and highlighted the need for future research to take into account the cognitive processing style seen in autism.