Autistic Student Well-Being Indicators at School: Parent, Educator, and Therapist Perspectives

Autistic students experience high distress and unmet support needs at school, yet there is limited school‑based evidence to guide how their well‑being is understood in everyday educational contexts. This study aimed to address this gap by examining school‑based indicators of autistic student well‑being across multiple dimensions.

A two‑phase, multi‑informant design was used. In Phase 1, qualitative data were collected from caregivers, educators, and school‑based therapists (n = 41) to identify externally observable indicators of high and low well‑being. In Phase 2, a separate sample (n = 36) evaluated the perceived reliability of the most frequently identified indicators by participants in Phase 1.

Inductive content analysis identified 94 indicators of high well‑being and 99 indicators of low well‑being. Three key findings emerged. First, indicators varied substantially in how they were expressed across students, highlighting the importance of interpreting change relative to individual baselines rather than normative expectations. Second, many indicators reflected specific dimensions of well‑being and did not function as global markers across contexts. Third, indicators most frequently reported were not always those judged to be most reliable, underscoring limitations of frequency‑based approaches.

These findings demonstrate that autistic student well‑being at school is multidimensional, context‑dependent, and individually patterned. By clarifying how well‑being indicators are identified and interpreted in school settings, this study provides a foundation for future practice‑focused tools, professional learning, and research that supports more responsive and inclusive approaches for autistic students.