Whose voices are being heard? A scoping review of research on school experiences among persons with autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this scoping review is to critically examine empirical research that draws on first-person experiences of schooling among students with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as to map whose voices are heard in research and where the current knowledge gaps are. The review examined key characteristics of this body of research in relation to the publication context and research methodology. Studies were identified through a systematic scoping review of research published between January 2000 and December 2021 in four electronic databases and a subsequent ancestry search. Fifty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria. The results show an increased research interest in first-person accounts of schooling from 2016 onwards. The autism voice dominated over ADHD and was strongly skewed towards the academically able group. There was an overrepresentation of boys and secondary school children across the studies. Characteristics such as the child’s social class, ethnicity and socioeconomic background were largely neglected, with details associated with the diagnosis being foregrounded. Interviewing was the main method used, and student perspectives were often accompanied by other data sources. The article concludes with a discussion on the silencing of already marginalised sub-groups and the importance of approaching research as an ethical enterprise.