What autistic children say about home, school, and masking

What the researchers did

Researchers invited 136 autistic children aged 8–14 (mean about 10) to complete an online questionnaire within a larger project. They analysed answers numerically and for recurring themes in written comments: what children knew about autism, how they felt about being autistic in different places, and what challenges they faced.

What they found

• Many said they knew little about autism and lacked words to explain needs outside the family.
• Over 60% felt comfortable talking about being autistic with family; only about 16.5% felt that way with other people.
• Worry about being different and masking to avoid judgment were common themes, tied to exhaustion and loneliness.
• Noisy, crowded, unpredictable places — especially school — were frequent sources of overwhelm; peers and unsupportive adults featured in distress stories.
• Home, family, and understanding (often neurodivergent) friends were described as safer; some children showed emerging positive autistic identity.

What this means for families and therapists

• Ask children directly where they feel safe enough to be themselves.
• Build autism vocabulary and self-advocacy first with trusted adults, then expand carefully.
• Use children’s accounts when advocating with schools about bullying, listening, and sensory load — alongside practical home supports in our daily life guide.

Limitations and what we don't know yet

• One-time self-report survey; not cause-and-effect.
• Children who can complete an online form may not represent those with greater communication barriers.
• Sample diversity and geography were limited.

This is a plain-language summary of Growing-up autistic: Sharing autistic children's experiences and insights by Mullally S.L., Wood A.E., Edwards C.C. et al., Autism (2026). Source license: CC-BY-NC. It is not medical advice — talk to a qualified clinician before changing therapy.