Listening to Autistic Children in Preschool and Primary School Research: Methodological Reflections on Participation and Voice

The inclusion of children’s perspectives is increasingly emphasised in educational research; however, autistic children remain underrepresented as active participants, particularly in early educational contexts. This study synthesises methodological insights from two mixed-methods studies conducted in Swedish preschool and primary school settings to examine the conditions under which autistic children participate as contributors to research. A retrospective and reflexive methodological synthesis was employed, drawing on methodological documentation, video-recorded data, and researcher reflections from the original studies. The analysis examined how participation was designed, negotiated, and interpreted across contexts. The findings indicate that participation is not a binary feature of research design, but a graded, situated, and relational process shaped by accessibility, mediation, and contextual conditions. Accessibility functioned as an epistemic condition influencing what could be expressed and recognised as knowledge, while participation was continuously negotiated through interaction among children, adults, and research settings. Adult mediation both enabled and shaped participation, revealing inherent epistemic and ethical tensions. The study concludes that participation is more accurately understood as a methodological and relational accomplishment rather than an individual capacity, underscoring the need for flexible, reflexive research approaches that support diverse forms of expression while maintaining methodological quality and ethical integrity.