Autistic Children’s Wellbeing at School: A Systematic Review

Student wellbeing is a critical yet underexplored area of research in autistic children, with clear implications for school and post-school outcomes. This systematic review examines how student wellbeing in autistic children has been defined, conceptualised, and explored in the research. Searches of seven databases identified 5,592 articles, with eleven studies meeting inclusion criteria. Included studies reported on four areas: conceptualisation of autistic student wellbeing; impact of psychosocial, cultural and learning contexts; role of educators; and the influence of physical learning environments. However, inconsistent definitions and measurements of wellbeing limit comparisons between informant groups and studies. This review emphasises the need to prioritise autistic student wellbeing research, and the value of incorporating diverse and multi-informant perspectives.