“I think your child might be autistic”: A qualitative survey study examining how school staff broach initial interactions with parents whose children may be autistic

Recognising and understanding that a child might be autistic is an important first step in the autism diagnostic pathway. For many families, this process involves working alongside school staff and, in England, this tends to be led by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Existing research highlights the importance of how and when clinical professionals disclose an autism diagnosis to parents, yet there is limited knowledge on how SENCOs might broach initial interactions with parents earlier in the process. In the current study, we used a qualitative survey with 105 SENCOs in England, to understand how they work with parents at this critical point. Using reflexive thematic analysis, seven themes were identified, which were organised into areas that SENCOs felt they did and did not have control over in relation to their interactions with parents. Specifically, SENCOs highlighted the need for preparation when speaking with parents, alongside the importance of a personalised approach, where they truly listened to parents and aimed to move into alignment with them (all factors perceived to be under their control). SENCOs also discussed the need for additional support and training for working with parents, the importance of the ethos around how the school approaches inclusion, and the need for education and health to work together (all factors perceived to be outside their control). Implications for practice are discussed.