Social Squares; the impact of having autism on school participation, and the moderating role of the household and school environment

Going to school is a milestone in the development of a youth, with research showing that youths with autism struggle to participate. This thesis examines the relationship between the level of autistic traits and the school participation of autistic youths. Furthermore, this thesis investigated whether and to what extent the relation between autistic traits and school participation could be moderated by household income, parental education and social school environment. Data was acquired through the Dutch Autism Register (NAR), out of which a sample was created containing 200 children (age range: 4-16 years, Mage = 12.23, SDage= 2.93). The AQ28, CASE & CASP questionnaires were used to measure relevant variables. Correlation analysis along with moderation analysis using the PROCESS v4.1 plug-in were employed to test the formulated hypotheses. Results showed that the effect of autistic traits on school participation was not significant (r(110 = -0.24, p = 0.02), with parental education...Show moreGoing to school is a milestone in the development of a youth, with research showing that youths with autism struggle to participate. This thesis examines the relationship between the level of autistic traits and the school participation of autistic youths. Furthermore, this thesis investigated whether and to what extent the relation between autistic traits and school participation could be moderated by household income, parental education and social school environment. Data was acquired through the Dutch Autism Register (NAR), out of which a sample was created containing 200 children (age range: 4-16 years, Mage = 12.23, SDage= 2.93). The AQ28, CASE & CASP questionnaires were used to measure relevant variables. Correlation analysis along with moderation analysis using the PROCESS v4.1 plug-in were employed to test the formulated hypotheses. Results showed that the effect of autistic traits on school participation was not significant (r(110 = -0.24, p = 0.02), with parental education being the only significant moderator (b = -34.32, t(108) = -2.03, p = 0.045). Results are interpreted and reasons for discrepancies are discussed. Future research should aim to further the representativeness of the sample and power of the analyses used, with future practice focussing on adapting youths' environment to suit their special needs.Show less

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Social Squares; the impact of having autism on school participation, and the moderating role of the household and school environment