Abstract

As part of global efforts in inclusive education, more autistic students are attending mainstream schools. However, many have negative school experiences and lower educational attainment. Strengths-based approaches have been proposed to improve these outcomes, but there is limited research on their implementation in mainstream high schools. Understanding educators' experiences with these approaches could provide insights into improving the inclusion of autistic students. This study aimed to understand educators' experiences and perspectives on implementing strengths-based approaches for autistic students in mainstream high schools. Thirty-nine high school educators participated in semi-structured interviews or provided written responses in an online survey which were analysed phenomenologically. Nine themes were identified: 1) strengths-based approaches in high school; 2) identifying strengths; 3) building student-teacher relationships; 4) strengths-based pedagogical strategies; 5) strengths-based curriculum; 6) strengths-based post-school transition; 7) the role of collaboration; 8) ongoing professional development; and 9) the impact of strengths-based approaches. Educators reported favourable views towards strengths-based approaches but faced barriers across the educational system and school environment. Insights provided by educators play an essential role in closing the gap between inclusive education theory and practice, thereby improving school experiences and educational outcomes for autistic students.

Citation

White, J., McGarry, S., Williams, J. P., & Black, M. H. (2025). "We are running a marathon not a sprint": Educators' experiences and perspectives on inclusion for autistic students through strengths-based approaches in mainstream high school. Asia-Pacific Edu Res. doi.org/10.1007/s40299-025-00969-z