What Autistic-Led Theories Mean for Education

Authors

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore current practice in initial teacher education across the UK as it pertains to the information taught about autism and other forms of neurodivergence. We make clear connections between autistic-led theories, including neurodiversity, monotropism, and double empathy problem, and classroom practice, to demonstrate how a deeper understanding of autism through these lenses can better equip teachers to support and effectively relate to their autistic students. While we focus primarily on autism, these theories can and should transform classroom practice more broadly - not just for autistic learners, but also for other neurodivergent, disabled, and minoritised students. We also explore alternative educational approaches, and how they might work with the insights yielded by these theories. Teachers might wish to adopt elements of these practices in their own classrooms when they better understand the connections to autistic-led theory.

1. Denise Foran , Marguerite Hoerger , Hannah Philpott , Elin Walker Jones , J. Carl Hughes , Jonathan Morgan (2015). Using applied behaviour analysis as standard practice in a UK special needs school . British Journal of Special Education, 42(1), 34-52. Wiley.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12088 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1610994298

   OpenAlex OpenCitations
2. Catherine J. Crompton , Martha Sharp , Harriet Axbey *Autistic author. Learn more… , Sue Fletcher‐Watson , Emma G. Flynn , Danielle Ropar (2020). Neurotype-Matching, but Not Being Autistic, Influences Self and Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Rapport . Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 586171-586171. Frontiers Media SA.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586171 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3094438712

   AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
3. Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1968949608

   AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
4. Connor Tom Keating , Lydia Hickman , Joan Leung , Ruth Monk *Autistic author. Learn more… , Alicia Montgomery , Hannah Heath et al. (2023). Autism‐related language preferences of English ‐speaking individuals across the globe: A mixed methods investigation . Autism Research, 16(2), 406-428. Wiley.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2864 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4311669372

   AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
5. C. Scott Rigby , Edward L. Deci , Brian C. Patrick , Richard M. Ryan (1992). Beyond the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy: Self-determination in motivation and learning . Motivation and Emotion, 16(3), 165-185. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/bf00991650 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1970610158

   OpenAlex OpenCitations
6. Peter Kraftl (2014). ‘Alternative’ Education Spaces and Local Community Connections: A Case Study of Care Farming in the United Kingdom . In Informal Education, Childhood and Youth (pp. 48-64). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

   Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1057/9781137027733_4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2410633990

   OpenAlex OpenCitations
7. Dinah Murray *Autistic author. Learn more… , Mike Lesser *Autistic author. Learn more… , Wenn Lawson *Autistic author. Learn more… (2005). Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism . Autism, 9(2), 139-156. SAGE Publications.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361305051398 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2028337741

   AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
8. Po-Chun Lin , Li-Yun Peng , Ray C. Hsiao , Wen-Jiun Chou , Cheng-Fang Yen (2020). Teacher Harassment Victimization in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Related Factors and Its Relationships with Emotional Problems . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), 4057. MDPI AG.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17114057 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3033438307

   OpenAlex OpenCitations
9. Edgar Stones (1975). British Educational Research Association . British Journal of Teacher Education, 1(1), 115-116. Informa UK Limited.

   Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/0260747750010113 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2028544876

   OpenAlex
10. Amos Nadler , Colin F. Camerer , David T. Zava , Triana L. Ortiz , Neil V. Watson , Justin M. Carré et al. (2019). Does testosterone impair men's cognitive empathy? Evidence from two large-scale randomized controlled trials . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286(1910), 20191062. The Royal Society.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1062 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2971875643

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
11. Ruth Payne (2015). Using rewards and sanctions in the classroom: pupils’ perceptions of their own responses to current behaviour management strategies . Educational Review, 67(4), 483-504. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2015.1008407 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2113241390

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
12. Francesco Poli , Maran Koolen , Carlos A. Velázquez-Vargas , Jessica Ramos-Sanchez , Marlene Meyer , Rogier B. Mars et al. (2024). Autistic traits foster effective curiosity-driven exploration . PLOS Computational Biology, 20(10), e1012453. Public Library of Science (PLoS).

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012453 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4403939783

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
13. Noah J. Sasson , Daniel J. Faso , Jack Nugent , Sarah Lovell , Daniel P. Kennedy , Ruth B. Grossman (2017). Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments . Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40700-40700. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1038/srep40700 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2585989266

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
14. Finbar Horgan , Neil Kenny , Paula Flynn (2023). A systematic review of the experiences of autistic young people enrolled in mainstream second-level (post-primary) schools . Autism, 27(2), 526-538. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221105089 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4283526793

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
15. Brett Heasman , Alex Gillespie (2018). Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members . Autism, 22(6), 740-750. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361317708287 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2727105378

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
16. Henny Kupferstein (2018). Evidence of increased PTSD symptoms in autistics exposed to applied behavior analysis . Advances in Autism, 4(1), 19-29. Emerald.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1108/aia-08-2017-0016 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2781829914

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
17. Kristen Bottema‐Beutel , Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… , Jessica Nina Lester , Noah J. Sasson , Brittany N. Hand (2021). Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers . Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 18-29. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0014 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3083347663

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
18. Craig Goodall (2018). ‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people . Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 3, 239694151880440. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/2396941518804407 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2894153791

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
19. Kristen Bottema‐Beutel , Shannon Crowley (2021). Pervasive Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest in Applied Behavior Analysis Autism Literature . Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 676303-676303. Frontiers Media SA.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.676303 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3157517315

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
20. Rosalind Ridley (2019). Some difficulties behind the concept of the ‘Extreme male brain’ in autism research. A theoretical review . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 57, 19-27. Elsevier BV.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2018.09.007 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2896884465

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
21. Brett Heasman , Gemma Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Divine Charura , Lorna Hamilton , Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… , Fergus Murray *Autistic author. Learn more… (2024). Towards autistic flow theory: A non‐pathologising conceptual approach . Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 54(4), 469-497. Wiley.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jtsb.12427 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4399330054

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
22. Jacquiline den Houting *Autistic author. Learn more… (2019). Neurodiversity: An insider’s perspective . Autism, 23(2), 271-273. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361318820762 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2905135405

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
23. Simon Ellis , Janet Tod (2018). Behaviour for Learning . Routledge.

    Type: Book DOI: 10.4324/9781315232256 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4239243489

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
24. Rebecca Wood (2021). Autism, intense interests and support in school: from wasted efforts to shared understandings . Educational Review, 73(1), 34-54. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2019.1566213 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2915127262

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
25. Craig Goodall (2019). ‘There is more flexibility to meet my needs’: Educational experiences of autistic young people in Mainstream and Alternative Education Provision . Support for Learning, 34(1), 4-33. Wiley.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/1467-9604.12236 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2950579068

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
26. Alaina Grissom , Erinn Finke , Emily Zane (2024). Verbal fluency and autism: Reframing current data through the lens of monotropism . Autism Research, 17(2), 324-337. Wiley.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.3071 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4389777984

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
27. Carla Tomlinson , Caroline Bond , Judith Hebron (2020). The school experiences of autistic girls and adolescents: a systematic review . European Journal of Special Needs Education, 35(2), 203-219. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2019.1643154 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2958836109

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
28. Morton Ann Gernsbacher , Melanie Yergeau *Autistic author. Learn more… (2019). Empirical failures of the claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 7(1), 102-118. American Psychological Association (APA).

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/arc0000067 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2994917579

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
29. Angie Voyles Askham (2022). ‘Theory of mind’ in autism: A research field reborn . Spectrum. Simons Foundation.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.53053/gxnc7576 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4226144714

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
30. Catherine J. Crompton , Danielle Ropar , Claire VM Evans-Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Emma G. Flynn , Sue Fletcher‐Watson (2020). Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective . Autism, 24(7), 1704-1712. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361320919286 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3026879779

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
31. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.

    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4247665917

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
32. Frédéric Guay (2022). Applying Self-Determination Theory to Education: Regulations Types, Psychological Needs, and Autonomy Supporting Behaviors . Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 37(1), 75-92. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/08295735211055355 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3209571999

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
33. Owen McGill , Anna Robinson (2021). “Recalling hidden harms”: autistic experiences of childhood applied behavioural analysis (ABA) . Advances in Autism, 7(4), 269-282. Emerald.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1108/aia-04-2020-0025 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3083430053

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
34. Romy Hume , Henry Burgess (2021). “I'm Human After All”: Autism, Trauma, and Affective Empathy . Autism in Adulthood, 3(3), 221-229. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0013 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3112663975

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
35. Cathryn Knight , Carmel Conn , Tom Crick , Sian Brooks (2025). Divergences in the framing of inclusive education across the UK: a four nations critical policy analysis . Educational Review, 77(2), 495-511. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2023.2222235 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4382314110

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
36. Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist *Autistic author. Learn more… , Lill Hultman , Sofia Österborg Wiklund , Anna Nygren , Palle Storm , Greta Sandberg (2023). Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference . The British Journal of Social Work, 53(8), 3647-3664. Oxford University Press (OUP).

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad138 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4378576242

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
37. Gemma Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Tim Wharton , Caroline Jagoe (2021). Mutual (Mis)understanding: Reframing Autistic Pragmatic “Impairments” Using Relevance Theory . Frontiers in Psychology, 12(12), 616664-616664. Frontiers Media SA.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3158450475

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
38. Samantha Friedman , Jenny Gibson , Catherine Jones , Claire Hughes (2024). ‘A new adventure’: a case study of autistic children at Forest School . Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 24(2), 202-218. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14729679.2022.2115522 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4293200532

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
39. Catherine J. Crompton , Kilee M. DeBrabander , Brett Heasman , Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… , Noah J. Sasson (2021). Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood . Frontiers for Young Minds, 9, 554875. Frontiers Media SA.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/frym.2021.554875 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3161196880

    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars OpenAlex OpenCitations
40. Michael J. Kennedy , John Elwood Romig (2024). Cognitive Load Theory: An Applied Reintroduction for Special and General Educators . TEACHING Exceptional Children, 56(6), 440-451. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/00400599211048214 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3210746290

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
41. Sophie E. Connolly , Hannah Constable , Sinéad L. Mullally (2023). School distress and the school attendance crisis: a story dominated by neurodivergence and unmet need . Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1237052-1237052. Frontiers Media SA.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1237052 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4386958092

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
42. Julia M Cook , Laura Crane , Will Mandy (2024). Dropping the mask: It takes two . Autism, 28(4), 831-842. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613231183059 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4383186102

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
43. Daniel Glenn (2022). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities . World Futures, 78(5), 339-341. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/02604027.2022.2094194 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4285727398

    OpenAlex
44. Pamela Heaton (2024). The Psychology of Music and Autism . Springer Nature Switzerland.

    Type: Book DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-70403-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4405337509

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
45. Rebecca Wood , Laura Crane , Francesca Happé , Ruth Moyse (2024). Learning from autistic teachers: lessons about change in an era of COVID-19 . Educational Review, 76(5), 1209-1231. Informa UK Limited.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2022.2103521 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4296571091

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
46. Marga Vicedo (2023). Autism's heterogeneity in historical perspective: from challenge to opportunity . Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1188053-1188053. Frontiers Media SA.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188053 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4385547889

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
47. Elizabeth Atkinson , Henry Wood-Downie , Sarah Wright (2024). ‘Everybody needs to learn more’: A thematic synthesis of the first-hand experiences of autistic students in primary schools . Neurodiversity, 2. SAGE Publications.

    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/27546330241275160 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4402545800

    OpenAlex OpenCitations
48. Aja Louise Murray , Valeria Garau , Richard Woods *Autistic author. Learn more… , Nicholas Chown *Autistic author. Learn more… , Sonny Hallett *Autistic author. Learn more… , Rebecca Wood et al. (2023). The Monotropism Questionnaire . OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints). OSF.

    Type: Preprint DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/wpx5g OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W6887732811 Crossref: not found

    OpenAlex