Exclusion and Truancy of Autistic Adolescents in a UK Population Representative Sample

Autistic students experience many problems with school attendance. School exclusion and truancy are among the least researched school attendance problems in this population. The study aimed to describe levels of exclusion and truancy in a UK population-representative sample of autistic adolescents and identify child, family and school factors associated with each school attendance problem.

Data were drawn from the Millennium Cohort Study where exclusion and truancy information was available for 460 autistic 14-year-olds. Descriptive statistics were used to report the weighted prevalence of exclusion and truancy. A bio-ecological framework guided the selection of available child, family and school factors potentially associated with exclusion and truancy for modelling. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to investigate associations.

Twenty-five percent of autistic adolescents were temporarily or permanently excluded at least once. Fifteen percent of autistic adolescents reported truanting at least once. Externalising problems were strongly associated with higher odds of exclusion and truancy. The level of school support was strongly associated with higher odds of exclusion. There was weak evidence of an association between exclusion and low parental school engagement and between truancy and the absence of intellectual impairment.

Poor mental health and in particular externalising difficulties seem to be strongly associated with a greater likelihood of parent-reported exclusion and adolescent-reported truancy. The role of school support and adaptation to the child's needs warrants further investigation.