Prevention of absenteeism and school failure in students with ASD: Improving the transition from primary to secondary school

People with autism can show great resistance to change. Insistence on sameness manifests itself in different ways. The child asks to always eat the same food, to wear the same clothes, to go the same way to school and back, and is upset because of the slightest changes in the daily routine. Thus, for example, a school-age child may show resistance due to a change of classroom (e.g. due to going to the gym or dining room), teachers, school, environment, etc. People with low-functioning autism are somewhat more prone to simpe motor mannerisms, while complex routines and rituals are characteristic of people with high-functioning autism. Stereotypical behaviors, routines, and rituals usually help a person with autism cope with unpredictable and uncontrolled sensory inputs and the growing stress that accompanies inadequate sensory stimulation. Hence, it is not surprising to find that there is a positive correlation between different forms of stereotypical behavior, on the one hand, and anxiety disorder, on the other (Russell et al., 2019).