Over the past few weeks, many schools will have been celebrating World Autism Acceptance Month. Displays and assemblies will have taken place, along with conversations about what autistic children and young people need in school.

But while this is a great initiative, there is a question we need to ask: what happens for the rest of the year?

In our experience across Liberty Academy Trust’s specialist schools for autistic pupils, the biggest barriers they face in their education are not always the obvious ones. These barriers are often embedded in the everyday practices of school life, or what we might call the “hidden curriculum”.

These are the unwritten rules of school. When it is appropriate to speak, how to show you are listening, what participation should look like. Neurotypical pupils often absorb these “school rules” intuitively. Autistic pupils are expected to work them out.

The issue is not that autistic pupils cannot meet expectations, but that those expectations are rarely designed with neurodiversity in mind.

As a result, schools can fail to recognise or value different ways of communicating, participating and engaging in learning - with significant consequences.

The cost of ‘fitting in’ for autistic pupils

Many school systems, unintentionally, reward behaviours aligned with neurotypical norms. Students are praised for sitting still, making eye contact, contributing verbally in groups and coping with busy and sensory-rich environments.

For autistic pupils, meeting these expectations often requires masking - a term used to describe suppressing natural responses in order to “fit in”.

Masking can help a child to navigate the school day, but it often comes at a cost. We see increased anxiety, exhaustion and, in some cases, a loss of identity. It can also mean that needs go unrecognised, particularly for girls, whose ability to adapt socially can mean that underlying challenges aren’t spotted.

This is not about pupils being unwilling to engage. It is about systems that define engagement too narrowly.

The risk with behaviour policies

The same issue can be seen in behaviour systems.

Policies that reward quiet compliance or penalise movement, sensory regulation behaviours or opting out of group talk may appear consistent and fair. But for some autistic pupils, these behaviours are not about disengagement or being disruptive. Instead, they are essential forms of self-regulation.

Similarly, an emphasis on oracy without recognising alternative communication styles can exclude pupils who process and express ideas differently.

Without realising it, we risk focusing on deficits and asking autistic pupils to succeed on terms that do not work for them.

Representation matters

The hidden curriculum is also reflected in what pupils see and, just as importantly, don’t see in their learning.

Autistic characters are still largely absent from many English texts and PSHE curricula. When they do appear, they are often framed through extremes: the misunderstood genius or the socially incapable outsider.

These narratives shape how peers understand autism and how autistic pupils understand themselves. Texts need to offer more nuanced portrayals, and avoid stereotypes such as the “special powers” trope.

Our Wonderfully Wired project - in which pupils are creating their own book based on this popular text celebrating neurodiversity - is helping them to see their differences as strengths, not deficits, and demonstrating what real representation can look like.

A shift from awareness to acceptance

There is growing momentum around inclusion, including within national policy. But meaningful change will not come from a month devoted to autism awareness, despite it having clear value.

Rather, it requires a wholesale shift in how schools think about inclusion. It cannot be an add-on, but rather a change in whole-school culture.

This means:

• Recognising that communication and participation look different for different pupils.
• Reviewing behaviour policies to ensure that they do not penalise self-regulation.
• Creating sensory-aware environments that reduce unnecessary stress.
• Using curriculum materials that reflect authentic, diverse experiences.

These are not “extras”. They are part of meeting our responsibilities to all pupils.

What mainstream schools can take forward

We see every day what happens when autistic pupils are supported to be themselves. They engage more and begin to contribute. They develop confidence in who they are.

Mainstream schools are already working hard to be inclusive, often in the face of significant pressures. Small shifts in practice, particularly in how we understand behaviour, communication and identity, can make a profound difference.

Autism acceptance is an important starting point, but if we want pupils to thrive, we need to look beyond the visible curriculum and examine the hidden one, and ask whether it truly works for every child.

Inclusion is not about helping pupils fit into the system as it is. It is about shaping a school system where every pupil can belong.

Jo Galloway is director of education at Liberty Academy Trust, which runs three special schools