21/08/2019 by Dr Judy Eaton Anxiety, Autism, Blog, Child and Young Person, Parenting related, Teaching related 0 comments

Last updated: 3rd June 2026

Article Updated – September 2022

Many children (especially girls) do not receive a formal diagnosis of Autism until they move to secondary (or High school) around the age of twelve. This often follows few (or fewer) difficulties at primary (or Elementary) school.

The reasons for this are outlined in this article and may help explain why some children require additional support to make this important transition.

When a child is at primary school they generally tend to be taught by one or two teachers each year who are responsible for delivering the whole curriculum. Teaching usually takes place in one classroom (with occasional lessons in the school hall or IT suite). Books are kept in a desk or locker close to the classroom.

Many, (probably most), will have significant challenges with their executive function. Executive function is the ability to plan, sequence and organise.

The move to secondary school usually involves the child going to a far bigger school, sometimes across multiple sites. Whereas in primary school, the teacher teaches the whole class for the day and generally gets to know the individual children quite well, in secondary school, teachers teach a subject. As a consequence, they may not get to know the individual children as well as the primary school class teacher. In addition, the child often has to make their way from one classroom to the next at the end of each lesson, often having to make sure they have the homework from the previous lesson written down and their books ready for their next class before they leave.

This can be a particular challenge for an autistic child. Many, (probably most), will have significant challenges with their executive function. Executive function is the ability to plan, sequence and organise. Difficulties in this area will often result in lost books or kit for sports activities. It may also mean that the child struggles to find their way quickly and efficiently to the next classroom.

Many autistic children also have difficulties with their working memory and processing speed. This means that when the teacher informs them of their homework or what they need to bring for the next lesson, they probably won’t remember what was said. Add to this the challenges many have with processing speed and handwriting and it is very likely that the child will not have time to accurately write down what is needed in time before they have to leave the classroom for their next lesson.`

The curriculum also changes when the child moves to secondary school. Most typically developing children will have a huge development in their reasoning ability at around twelve. Piaget referred to this as the ‘formal operational stage’. This is the time when the child becomes able to think in abstract terms and to move beyond the ‘here and now’. With autistic children, this ability can be slower to develop. This often means that the child suddenly begins to struggle with school work (even if this has not been an issue in the past). Questions like ‘How would it have felt to be a World War One soldier?’ are often challenging and cause frustration. Suddenly questions in coursework and examinations rely upon the ability to make inferences and deduce information from various sources. This can be incredibly challenging for the Autistic child who remains at the stage of ‘concrete’ thought. Mathematics questions are often not straightforward and ‘hidden’ in text which, again, makes interpretation of exactly what is required more difficult.

Both autistic girls and autistic boys can struggle to read between the lines, and cope with young people they thought were friends talking behind their backs.

There is also the issue of friendships. In the primary school years, playdates are often facilitated by parents. Parents often take the children to and from school. By the time they reach secondary school, there is often an expectation that they will travel to school on their own or with peers. Children decide for themselves who they wish to be friends with (and who they do not wish to be friends with) and can be very cruel to anyone who does not ‘fit in’. Both Autistic girls and boys can struggle to read between the lines, and cope with young people they thought were friends talking behind their backs. Girls in particular find the whole ‘Mean Girls’ culture very difficult to handle. In today’s social media-driven world, it is impossible to escape from the pressures of this type of interaction, even at home.

All of the above can lead to the child beginning to experience higher levels of anxiety and even begin to school refuse. Of course, once this pattern starts, the child will quickly get further behind in their school work and may lose contact with their peers.

Many of these problems could be easily supported. Giving young people their homework on a sheet of paper, giving clear and unambiguous explanations for what is required, helping them to organise their school bags and find their way around school (some schools use colour coding for different books and parts of the school), all help to reduce the underlying anxiety.

Having a place the young person can go to at lunch time if they are overwhelmed by the sensory environment, or simply struggling with friendship issues can make all the difference to their ability to manage the day.

A final note, and one that has been mentioned in previous articles, is the issue of ‘masking’. Just because a school teacher or SENDCO does not recognise either the Autism or the anxiety in a child, does not mean ‘there is nothing wrong with them’. Some children are incredibly good at covering up both their difficulties and their anxiety until they get home in the evening. If a parent reports that they are experiencing difficulties at home – even if the child has not had difficulties in the past – it is still worth considering making the small changes outlined above, they might just make all the difference between a child coping with the transition to secondary school or not.

Footnote:

Launched on 21st August 2019, this book addresses the gender gap in the understanding of autism, and explores the educational needs of Autistic girls from early years to secondary school, in both mainstream and special school settings.

Education and Girls on the Autism Spectrum

by Judith Hebron and Caroline Bond

Addressing the gender gap in the understanding of autism, this multi-perspective book explores the educational needs of girls on the autism spectrum from early years to secondary school, in both mainstream and special settings. The collection, comprising insights from autistic women and girls and educational and medical professionals makes recommendations for a collaborative and integrated approach that enables girls on the spectrum to reach their full potential. By establishing close collaborations between girls on the spectrum, their parents, teachers and specialist professionals, the field can move forwards in terms of providing understanding and an appropriate educational framework for success.

This book also includes a chapter written by Dr Judy Eaton titled – “A Clinical Psychology Perspective of the Experiences and Mental Health Challenges of Girls With Autism.”

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