Peer support and autistic children
July 29, 2026
Around 1 in 70 Australians are currently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. [1] [2] In recent years heightened awareness and improved access to diagnosis may have contributed to an increase in identification rates.[3]
For children, diagnosis often provides details about specific challenges, capabilities, and helpful strategies and supports. An understanding of a child’s challenges and capabilities can assist teachers to guide peers in accepting, working with and supporting the child.
Additionally, a strengths-based approach to supporting autistic children within a safe, inclusive teaching and learning environment can often help promote respectful acceptance of each child’s capabilities and needs by peers.
Common capabilities and abilities
Like all children, each autistic child is an individual who has specific needs, interests, passions and talents. Each child will exhibit their own traits, sensory preferences and sensitivities, character strengths, interests and abilities.
Capabilities and abilities may include:
- Curriculum strengths e.g. in mathematics, science, art, music or a special interest area.[4]
- Specialist knowledge in ‘Islands of ability’, often involving a special interest area. Between 75 – 95 percent of autistic people have at least one intense and focused interest. [5]
- Learning to read at a young age, with a preference for reading and writing factual texts.
- Memorising and learning facts, figures, and information of interest.
- Computer and internet competence and a liking for online and computer-based learning and games, video and use of other electronic devices.
- A learning and processing bias to visual information, timetables, charts and hands-on resources.
- Close attention to some detail at the expense of ‘big picture’ thinking.
- Primary age children may be able to work or play with an older mentor or playground buddy.
Everyday living and learning can be exhausting for many autistic children. Some may experience challenges around learning, thinking, communication, sensory awareness or peer acceptance. They often face heightened levels of anxiety, worry and stress as they try to read social situations or cope with sensory overload.
Using strengths (and challenges) to enhance a positive profile in the school
Focusing on practical approaches that capitalise on a child’s capabilities can help to reduce a child’s behavioural, learning and wellbeing challenges, by building a positive profile. Following are a few examples:
- Leveraging a personal strength: A Year 4 girl had behaviour challenges particularly with others in the school grounds but could sing very well in tune. Working with the school’s music teacher she slowly gained the confidence to sing the National Anthem with the teacher at school assembly each week. This led to her singing other songs individually, with the teacher, and in a group of 4 students, building a peer group and a high level of acceptance amongst other students.
- Writing confidence: A Year 3 boy had no desire to write, leading him to not participate in the Year 3 NAPLAN writing test. After agreeing with his teacher to confidentially fill in the names of students on weekly award certificates and having the job of passing each certificate to the principal to present at school assembly, the child built himself a positive profile in the school. Two years later, the student is regularly writing in the classroom and successfully participated in the Year 5 NAPLAN writing task.
- Embarrassment about stimming. A Year 5 boy was embarrassed by his need to talk to himself and stim with fingers flicking in front of his eyes while walking around the school, usually at break times. Having tried a few approaches that didn’t work, the child who was known by other students to want to be a YouTuber when he grows up, now happily walks around at recess with a microphone talking away, practicing being a YouTuber, which other students willingly accept.
- Capitalising on a special interest: A Year 7 child built a strong profile at school by making ten short videos with the mathematics teacher and one other peer, showing step-by-step approaches to solving equations and other algebraic problems. The videos have been well received by Year 5 to Year 9 students. The two students and teacher have had the videos processed by the school librarian to be available for loan. Further videos are planned.
The Psych4Schools ebooklet Working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) explains the nature of autism and suggests strategies to help understand and minimise challenges for autistic children, including anxiety, with a focus on a strengths-based approach to teaching and learning.
A strengths-based approach supports autistic children within a safe, inclusive and autism-friendly teaching and learning environment that promotes respectful acceptance of each child’s capabilities and needs.
The Psych4Schools website offers a comprehensive ebooklet library dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing, teaching and learning of children and young adolescents. To complement the ebooklets, Members can also access resource packages.
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Kind regards,
Murray
Murray Evely
Psych4Schools Psychologist/Guidance Officer
Contact us via email at: info@psych4schools.com.au
References
[1] Debunking Autism Treatment Myths Video, Jessica Paynter Griffith University
[2] Autism prevalence rate up by an estimated 40% to 1 in 70 people. Autism Spectrum Australia 11 July 2018, https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/news/autism-prevalence-rate-up-by-an-estimated-40-to-1-in-70-people-11-07-2018
[3] Australian Government. Autism in Australia (2017) Update https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/autism-in-australia/contents/autism
[4] Evely, M., (2019) A transition profile to assist in supporting a child with ASD. Psych4Schools, Melbourne, Australia https://www.psych4schools.com.au/blog/a-transition-profile-to-assist-in-supporting-a-child-with-asd/ (This transition profile resource has been updated to a new document ‘Student Support Handover Meeting (Sample & Template)’ in the Learning difficulties package, located in the Members Area. See page 18 of this ebooklet for further information.
[5] Studies cited in Harrop, C., Amsbary, J., Towner-Wright, S., and Boyd, B.A., (2018), That’s what I like: The use of circumscribed interests within interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. A systematic review.