As a demographic, autistic young people are some of the most excluded from education, the workplace and society as a whole.  

Setting up a pupil, learner or local panel is one way that you can provide the space for autistic young people to have their voices heard on the decisions that matter to them.  

This isn’t just a “nice to have” but is rooted in legislation, with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) saying that children and young people should have a say in decisions that affect their lives.  

It also supports the Ofsted requirement of pupil voice, with autistic young people providing “insight into the student experience and the education system” that no neurotypical (non–autistic) person would be able to replicate. 

By engaging with autistic young people, your educational setting or local area could provide support and services that are authentic, useful and ensure young people are receiving the right support at the right time. 

The Autism Education Trust (AET) decided to create the guide as we have benefitted so greatly from our Autistic Young Experts (AYE) panel which we created in 2016.  

Our AYE panel add their voice and life experience to all of our projects and guide our organisation on how to support autistic young people in the ways they need.  

Check out the Autistic Young Experts Panel Pages on our website for more information about them and the central role they play at the AET.