It's been studied that young people with autism struggle with school life due to social activity and sensory discomfort.
Children with autism often find it difficult to maintain a social life due to lack of social awareness and interaction with peers. This accordingly affects 88% of autistic students across the UK.
Not only does this involve lack of social awareness, sensory discomfort can often become an issue within students time spent at School. This can include, concentration within a classroom environment, passing through corridors with loud noise and general anxieties within a school environment.
Throughout my time of being at school, I struggled most in lack of social awareness. This would lead to refusing to attend school because of my anxieties. I would often feel pressured into certain activities I didn't want to co-operate in. Although it was the majority of social awareness, I felt excluded because I didn't have as many friends as a typical teenager should have. It became a huge deal for me. I felt there was too much pressure on me. I wanted to interact with peers but I didn't know how to.
I unfortunately missed the majority and most important years of school because for me it was becoming to much to take on and I didn't want to put myself through any more misery than I already was.
The reasons for this was because I was lacking friends. I struggled to make friends because I'm not good at tackling social situations. I had no social skills whatsoever.
In result of me missing a huge gap of school, I've attended short stay Schools which understand the situation you're in and is specially designed to help with this. I've also spent a short period of time doing home-schooling which was helpful because it was one-to-one which there was no need to interact with others. It eased the pressure because I was learning in my home environment.
Sometimes I'd often imagine what School would be like for me if social awareness didn't get the better of me. I missed the opportunity to do my GCSEs. I've come away with no exam grades however I know myself that doesn't mean I'm not clever. It just means I didn't have the ability to take on School due to my autism diagnosis although I've always been told that I've certainly got the mental capacity to achieve this.
At the moment I go to College. I'm studying Media & Photography to gain qualifications. My social awareness has improved, I've got a bundle of friends at College. To help with my social awareness I have a Learner Support Assistant which eases the added pressure and stress that occurs in my days of studying.