Specialist Resource Centres as Protective Microsystems: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study of Autistic Pupils' Experiences in Mainstream Secondary Schools.
Alice Boddy, Anna Cook
Autistic pupils in schools with Specialist Resource Centres described predictable safe spaces, trusted adults, and flexible support as protective; those in schools without SRCs reported inconsistent adjustments and support dependent on individual staff.
Qualitative, single-region; the funder created the centres being evaluated.
Key findings
1Pupils in SRC schools described predictable safe spaces, quiet areas, and clear routes to support as protective, with some reducing reliance over time as confidence grew; in schools without SRCs, adjustments like exit cards were less consistently honoured and pupils were sometimes questioned when using them.
2Masking was described across all settings as a social survival strategy with high emotional cost, often displaced to home as exhaustion or dysregulation; SRCs were specifically described as a place to unmask, while outside centres, opportunities to drop the mask were fewer.
3Staffing shortages, limited access to specialist therapies including Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, delayed diagnoses, and constrained mental health services were reported consistently across timepoints; where placement fit and resourcing were poor, SRCs risked shifting from bridges into mainstream to containment spaces for unmet needs.
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How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
All seven schools were in South-East England within one Specialist Resource Centre network, so findings may not transfer to other regions or provision models. Parents and staff may not accurately represent what pupils actually experience internally, particularly given the prevalence of masking described in the study. Although data were collected at five timepoints over three years, the authors note this does not support a formal analysis of change over time. Focus groups were not audio-recorded; one researcher took notes during and after sessions, which may limit the richness of what was captured. The funder (Cullum Family Trust) created and supports the very centres being evaluated, and commissioned the study through the National Autistic Society.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Cullum Family Trust (CFT) and conducted under contract with the National Autistic Society (NAS). NAS partnered with CFT in the establishment and support of the centres being studied, and CFT provided funding to NAS to evaluate those centres. CFT had no role in the analysis or reporting of findings and will not benefit financially; its interest is described as philanthropic. However, the funder created and supports the very service being evaluated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that Specialist Resource Centres work for all autistic pupils — the study is qualitative (themes, not measured effects), confined to one region, and the funder created and supports the very centres being evaluated. The authors themselves note that where placement fit and resourcing were poor, SRCs risked becoming containment spaces rather than bridges to mainstream participation.
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 →