The School Attendance and Elective Home Education in Children with a Neurodevelopmental Condition

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many disruptions to children’s education, including the education of children with intellectual (learning) disability and/or autism. With funding from the ESRC (UKRI), we investigated the educational experiences of autistic children and children with an intellectual disability about a year after the COVID-19 pandemic started in the UK. 

An online survey collected data during the summer/autumn of 2021 from 1,234 parents of 5 to 15 year-old children across all 4 UK countries. The study investigated school attendance and home learning experiences of children with intellectual disability and/or autistic children who were registered to attend school in 2021. The study also investigated the experience of Elective Home Education in families of children with a neurodevelopmental condition whose child was de-registered from school before and after the pandemic started in the UK in March 2020.

The study provided evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on school attendance and home education for children with a neurodevelopmental condition.