Completion of Upper Secondary Mainstream School in Autistic Students in Sweden.
Isidora Stark, Jessica E Rast, Michael Lundberg and 5 others
PMID 39017805WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic students in Sweden were far less likely to finish upper secondary school than their peers.
The gap was largest for autistic girls and those with ADHD. This suggests current educational support systems are failing to meet the needs of this population.
Key findings
01Autistic students had significantly higher odds of not completing upper secondary education compared to non-autistic peers, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors and ADHD.
02The disparity was more pronounced in females than in males, with autistic females showing higher odds of non-completion relative to non-autistic females than autistic males did relative to non-autistic males.
03Students with both autism and ADHD had the highest odds of non-completion, followed by those with autism only, and then those with ADHD only.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Register data did not include information on student-specific factors like intelligence, behavioral difficulties, or the specific supports and adaptations available to each student. The study could not investigate school-related factors such as class size, teacher competence, or peer relations, which may influence educational outcomes. Data on ADHD treatment was not available, so the impact of medication or therapy on educational completion could not be assessed. Students with unidentified intellectual disability who followed a mainstream curriculum may have been included in the autism group.
Declared interests
The text does not explicitly state funding sources or conflicts of interest in the provided excerpts, though it cites NIH grants in the reference list.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association between autism and non-completion as a direct result of autism itself. The study shows that the current educational environment and support systems are not adequately meeting the needs of autistic students, particularly females and those with ADHD.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →