Exploring Education Bias Towards Autistic Children and Young People in UK State Education

Abstract

Background: This project investigated cognitive pathways contributing to educator bias
toward autistic children. Given that educators may hold negative attitudes toward autism and
exclusion rates from UK mainstream schools are high, we questioned the extent to which
educators' cognitive biases align with the lived experiences of bias reported by parents and
teachers.
Design: A retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) paradigm was modified to assess memory for
positive and negative traits of an autistic and non-autistic child. Alongside the RIF paradigm,
semi-structured interviews with carers and teachers provided insights into the bias within
education towards autistic students.
Method: One hundred and thirteen educators were recruited through mainstream schools and
Prolific™. Participants read two pen portraits to prime stereotypes of autism and a child with
a Special Educational Need and then encoded 10 valenced traits of each child. Five positive
or negative traits were practiced for one child before recalling all 20 traits. Reflexive thematic
analysis was used to analyse interview data.
Results: A basic test effect was observed for positive traits with no observed between-group
differences for the autism and slow reader targets. However, no basic test effect was observed
for negative traits and no retrieval-induced forgetting effects were observed for either positive
or negative traits for both the autism and slow reader groups. Four key themes were developed
from the interview data: educator bias, systemic bias, the impact of teacher practice and school
culture on outcomes and communication and trust.
Discussion: Findings highlight the need for systemic and policy reforms, alongside targeted
training to address educator bias. Further research is required to understand the full extent of
this bias across the UK.
Conclusion: Educator bias toward autistic children is a significant concern, affecting autistic
students, their families and educators, and warrants further investigation to reduce educational
inequalities.
Keywords: Education bias, autism, stereotyping, memory, language

Date of Award	4 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Josie Briscoe (Supervisor) & Laura Hull (Supervisor)