Transition From Primary to Secondary School From the Perspectives of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Concomitant Intellectual Giftedness

Abstract

Transition from primary to secondary school is an often challenging milestone in the lives of all students. Although existing research provides insight into transition for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research that considers transition from the perspective of students with ASD and concomitant intellectual giftedness (IG) appears scant. This paper contributes to narrowing this gap by providing insight into the experiences of 21 students with ASD and concomitant IG who had already transitioned to secondary school. Data gathered from focus group discussions revealed that this particular cohort of students experienced difficulties in gaining social acceptance by same-age peers and were unequipped to meet the expectations of secondary school teachers and an increased workload, which intensified their transition experience. These findings highlight that this cohort of students requires specific preparation and support to transition to secondary school, which was not occurring.