Types and correlates of school non-attendance in students with autism spectrum disorders.
Vasiliki Totsika, Richard P Hastings, Yoko Dutton and 5 others
PMID 32419486WHAT IT FOUND
School non-attendance is common in children with autism, with 43% showing persistent absence.
School refusal was the most frequent reason, accounting for 43% of missed days. Factors linked to higher absence included older age, mainstream school attendance, and parental unemployment.
Key findings
01Persistent absence was reported for 43% of children in this study.
02School refusal was the most frequent reason for non-attendance, accounting for 43% of all absences.
03Attending a mainstream school, being older, not living in a two-parent household, and parental unemployment were consistently associated with higher levels of non-attendance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a cross-sectional design, so it cannot prove that these factors cause non-attendance. Data was collected via parent report, which may be subject to memory errors or bias. The sample was recruited via social media and an autism charity, which may not represent all children with ASD. The study did not measure the severity of autism symptoms, anxiety, or depression, which are known factors in school refusal. Truancy rates may be underestimated because parents might not know if their child is skipping school.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study received no financial support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association with mainstream schools as evidence that special schools are safer or that mainstream settings cause refusal. The cross-sectional design cannot determine causality, and students with higher needs may be placed in different settings based on their attendance history.