{"id":1441,"date":"2026-08-30T22:52:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/?p=1441"},"modified":"2026-09-01T13:25:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T03:25:00","slug":"cvc2026-739","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/cvc2026-739\/","title":{"rendered":"CVC2026-739 \u2013 Understanding the voices and learning experiences of children with autism in inclusive educational settings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"cvc-hero alignfull\"><span class=\"cvc-chip\">Presentation \u2013 CVC2026-739<\/span><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Understanding the voices and learning experiences of children with autism in inclusive educational settings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"cvc-authors\">\n<p><strong>Saguna Thapa, <\/strong>Kathmandu University, Nepal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"CVC2026-739 Understanding the voices and learning experiences of children with autism in inclusive\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Evp5g9rMD3A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>Background: <\/strong>Inclusive education is not only about placing children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms but also about understanding their communication, participation, and emotional experiences. Autistic children often express themselves in different ways that may not always be recognised in schools. Drawing on practicum experiences in inclusive educational settings in Nepal, this reflective study explores how supportive and empathetic learning environments help autistic children feel included, confident, and respected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aim: <\/strong>This study explores autistic children\u2019s voices, communication, and learning, and how supportive inclusive classrooms improve participation, expression, respect, and belonging.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method\/approach:<\/strong> Permission to undertake the observations was granted by the practicum coordinator and the education head of this program. Parents and guardians were informed that PGDE student teachers would observe learners as part of the practicum program. All participants and research sites were de-identified to maintain confidentiality. The study focused on two case study learners (aged 7 and 20 years) and included observations of approximately 18 autistic learners (8 aged 5\u201312 years and 10 aged 17\u201330 years) during classroom activities and school programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results\/findings: <\/strong>The study found that autistic children communicated and participated in meaningful ways through behaviour, routines, facial expressions, gestures, and sensory responses. During the classroom experience, it was noticed that some autistic children expressed comfort, stress, or interest not through words but through their actions and routines. Supportive practices such as visual supports, predictable routines, patience, acceptance, and positive teacher-child relationships helped learners feel comfortable, confident, and engaged. Inclusive environments also supported emotional well-being and participation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion: <\/strong>This study highlights the importance of recognising and valuing the different ways autistic children communicate and learn in inclusive classrooms. From the learning and field experience, it is understood that inclusive education is not only about access to classrooms but also about creating environments where every child feels heard, respected, and valued through compassionate, flexible, and responsive teaching practices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for children and families: <\/strong>You deserve to be understood, respected, supported, safe, included, and confident at school, where your unique ways of communicating and learning are valued.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for practitioners:<\/strong> You recognise autistic communication, use flexible teaching practices, and create inclusive, supportive classrooms where every child feels heard, respected, and valued.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keywords<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> autism, children\u2019s voices, inclusive education, communication, participation, reflective practice<\/p>\n<p><strong>This presentation relates to the following <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal13\"><strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"cvc-sdgs\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal4\">SDG 4: Quality Education<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saguna Thapa, Kathmandu University, Nepal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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