The effect of school exposure and personal contact on attitudes towards bullying and autism in schools: A cohort study with a control group.

The specialist centres had only recently opened, so an inclusive school ethos may not have been fully established, potentially underestimating the long-term impact of the school environment. The neurotypical targets in the vignettes were described as being self-conscious about their weight, which was not value-neutral compared to the description of autistic targets (using words like 'anxious' and 'angry'), potentially introducing stigma or bias in the responses. The study relied on hypothetical vignettes, which may not accurately predict actual behaviour in real-life bullying scenarios. Self-reported attitudes and contact may be influenced by social desirability, particularly in schools promoting an inclusive ethos. The study did not measure the quality of personal contact, only the quantity of time spent.

The authors received funding from Qube Learning.

Do not assume that opening specialist centres in mainstream schools will automatically reduce bullying or improve peer attitudes. The study found that while emotional reactions to bullying improved, judgements, intended behaviours, and general attitudes towards autism did not change significantly due to school exposure alone. Positive personal contact was the stronger predictor of improved attitudes.