Abstract:

The sense of belonging is a key predictor of well-being, academic adjustment and educational continuity in inclusive pathways. For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), belonging is challenged by attitudinal barriers, academically driven practices and discontinuities in support during educational transitions. This study aims to analyse such barriers and the supports required from Early Childhood Education to Secondary Education and the transition to post-compulsory education, in order to strengthen social participation as a core element of an inclusive approach.

A convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. Participants were 404 students from Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Baccalaureate stages in schools enrolling students with ASD, 22 families of children with ASD and 4 students with ASD. Sampling was intentional. Data sources included questionnaires on attitudes towards inclusion and perceived social support administered to students, and semi-structured interviews with students with ASD and their families. An inductive thematic analysis (NVivo 12) was conducted to identify facilitators, barriers and practices.

The integrated data reveal a developmental trajectory of social participation and belonging across stages. In Early Childhood Education, social participation emerges as a structural component of inclusion: shared routines, mediated play and family–school collaboration promote positive interaction, while unstructured moments and limited communicative support act as barriers. In Primary Education, peer relationships are generally positive, with high perceived support and acceptance of classmates with ASD. Girls report higher levels of care, suggesting gender differences in socio-emotional dynamics. Levels of victimisation are similar to those found in other contexts, though inequalities in social exclusion appear across year groups, particularly during the transition to adolescence.

In Secondary Education, despite an overall supportive climate, a subgroup (13%) shows lower predisposition towards the inclusion of peers with ASD. The participation of students with ASD remains restricted to academic contexts, with limited involvement in informal spaces, weakening their sense of belonging. An increase in social exclusion is observed in this stage, coinciding with lower perceived well-being, indicating adolescence as a critical period both for “belonging” and “feeling that one belongs”. In the transition to post-compulsory education, anticipatory planning, inter-institutional coordination and professional support are deemed essential, yet often insufficient due to the withdrawal of supports. Families become the main compensatory resource. Effective strategies promote autonomy, competence and stable interpersonal relationships that sustain belonging in new environments.

Acknowledgement:
This study was made possible through two converging projects: DUPAS (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Knowledge Generation Projects – State Plan 2021–2023, PID2021-124951OB-I00); eBelong2: Sense of Belonging Project (023-1-RO01-KA220-HED-000158ERASMUS+2023K2/JEAN MONNET478).

Keywords:

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sense of belonging, social participation, inclusive education, transition to university, supports, barriers.