Exploring primary school teachers understanding of the characteristics of girls on the autism spectrum in Northern Ireland

“God did I miss somebody”, “God, I got that wrong”. This study sought to explore mainstream primary school teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the female phenotype of autism in Northern Ireland. While it is acknowledged that it is not the teacher’s responsibility to diagnose autism, research suggests that females with autism engage in masking behaviours which could be a factor as to why fewer females receive a diagnosis of autism or why they are diagnosed at an older age compared to males with autism. The researcher was interested in finding out mainstream primary school teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the behaviours of the female phenotype in the classroom, how it presents and if any challenges or difficulties arise as a result of it. This study adopted an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods design consisting of two distinct phases: quantitative data collection in the form of an online survey answering questions based on two vignettes, followed by a qualitative element entailing semi structured interviews. Participants comprised of mainstream primary school teachers with at least two years teaching experience, recruited from mainstream primary schools across Northern Ireland. A total of 80 participants completed the survey while eight semi structured interviews were conducted. Basic descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests were used to explore teachers’ responses to the quantitative data, and reflexive thematic analysis was carried out to examine the interviewees’ answers and experiences relayed in the interviews. Findings suggest that although teachers were equally likely to consider autism in girls, many reported feeling under-equipped in terms of knowledge and confidence in recognising the female presentation of autism. Participants also expressed a need for additional training to support the identification and support of autistic girls within the classroom. Implications for educational psychology practice are included, alongside some future research suggestions.