Building Inclusive High School Communities for Autistic Students

High schools have the potential to foster the growth of students’ interests and social relationships beyond the classroom. Sports teams, performing and visual arts groups, special interest clubs, and service projects are some of the extracurricular activities on campus that provide students with opportunities for personal development and social inclusion. Students with autism are often excluded from these opportunities (Shattuck et al., 2011; Taylor et al., 2017) and, as a result, have fewer spaces to build friendships and experience feelings of community belonging. Contrary to common assumptions, most students with autism have the desire to participate in campus activities, make friends, and find social engagement (Bennett et al., 2018; Cresswell et al., 2019), but there are many barriers blocking access to social inclusion on campus. A campus culture shift to greater inclusivity can benefit students with autism and other students with disabilities as well as the entire student population. In this article, five strategies are discussed for building a more inclusive school community by expanding access to activities outside the classroom on campus.