Navigating Autism in School

What’s the best educational setting for my child to learn and grow? It’s a question many parents contemplate, but it’s an especially challenging question for parents of autistic kids. Federal law requires that public schools provide accommodations to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities — and yet, many parents say it’s a constant battle to ensure that their kids are actually receiving the services they need.

On this episode, we explore the experiences of autistic kids at school — the often unseen challenges they face, the ongoing fight for better services, and what experts say could make a difference. We hear stories about research to bring best practices for autistic kids to an already overburdened and under-resourced school system; what happened when an autistic teen decided to give herself a pre-high school glow-up; and a little-known condition that makes school an almost impossible struggle for some autistic kids.

Also heard on this week’s episode:

• Developmental pediatrician Wendy Ross joins us to talk about the kinds of school environments that work best for kids with autism, and to discuss some of the barriers and challenges that get in the way. Ross is the director of the Jefferson Center for Autism and Neurodiversity in Philadelphia.
• A lot of kids don’t like going to school — but for a subset of autistic children, just getting into the classroom every day can feel like an impossible task. The reason? A little-known condition known as Pathological Demand Avoidance, or PDA. Reporter Liz Tung talked with one mother about her grueling, two-year journey to find the right preschool for her autistic daughter, and make sense of what PDA would mean for her education and future.