{"id":858,"date":"2025-08-09T08:39:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/?p=858"},"modified":"2025-08-09T08:39:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:39:04","slug":"before-people-see-the-autism-they-see-my-race-masking-intersectionality-and-belonging-for-black-autistic-girls-in-uk-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/09\/before-people-see-the-autism-they-see-my-race-masking-intersectionality-and-belonging-for-black-autistic-girls-in-uk-education\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBefore People See the Autism, They See My Race\u201d: Masking, Intersectionality, and Belonging for Black Autistic Girls in UK Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMasking is not just about autism. It\u2019s about survival, identity, and being seen \u2014 or not seen at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This powerful insight sits at the heart of a significant new piece of research by Tiffany Nelson and Hannah Lichwaba. Their work centres the lived realities of Black Autistic girls in the UK education system, a group so often pushed to the margins of policy, support, and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why This Research Needs to Be Heard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We talk a lot these days about inclusion, neurodiversity, and equity. But too often, that conversation overlooks those standing at the sharpest intersection of multiple identities. This study doesn\u2019t just fill a gap, it names the silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through careful, respectful interviews with four girls aged 16\u201317, Nelson and Lichwaba explore what it really means to navigate school as a Black Autistic girl. Their findings invite us to listen differently, not just to what&#8217;s said, but to what\u2019s felt and lived every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Seeing Through a Kaleidoscope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To honour the complexity of these young people\u2019s experiences, the researchers developed a new analytical framework: <em>Kaleidoscope Analysis<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This approach weaves together:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intersectionality Theory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like a kaleidoscope, the framework allows for shifting patterns \u2014 it recognises that identity isn\u2019t static, and experience can\u2019t be reduced to a single story or lens. It&#8217;s a refreshing, rigorous move away from one-size-fits-all narratives.<strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Five Interwoven Themes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What emerged from the study is rich, layered, and urgent. These five themes speak volumes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Belonging Isn\u2019t Optional<\/strong><br>The girls described a deep desire not just to be included, but to be <em>recognised<\/em>. Not tolerated, not tokenised truly <em>seen<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Expectations as Pressure Points<\/strong><br>Masking became a tool for survival, shaped by the need to fit in not just as Autistic students, but as Black girls expected to behave, speak, and present in particular ways.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Weight of First Impressions<\/strong><br>One participant shared: <em>\u201cBefore people see the autism, they see my race.\u201d<\/em> That single sentence encapsulates so much about how prejudice operates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sensory Struggles Misunderstood<\/strong><br>Sensory overload in classrooms often went unnoticed or, worse, interpreted as rudeness or bad behaviour. There\u2019s a cost to being misunderstood.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relationships Matter<\/strong><br>Supportive adults and peers weren\u2019t just \u201cnice to have,\u201d they were often the difference between masking in silence and being able to breathe.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Implications for Schools, Psychologists, and System Leaders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t just a study to read it\u2019s one to act on. Nelson and Lichwaba offer clear, thoughtful recommendations that should become part of everyday practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prioritise intersectional, neuro-affirming approaches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reject deficit-based models of behaviour<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Challenge racialised and gendered expectations with humility and care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create spaces for pupil voice and really listen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build inclusive environments that don\u2019t just accommodate difference, but <em>celebrate<\/em> it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A Reflection for the EDUK Network<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At EDUK, we often say: <em>equality isn\u2019t an add-on, it\u2019s the foundation<\/em>. This research echoes that truth. It\u2019s a reminder that anti-racism, neurodiversity, and belonging must be stitched into every policy, conversation, and classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re proud to spotlight this work, and we encourage everyone in our networks, whether you\u2019re in education, psychology, leadership, or community practice to engage deeply with it. Read it. Share it. Reflect on it. Let it change how you work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read the full article (open access):<\/strong><br><em>The lived experiences of masking Black Autistic girls in UK education<\/em> by Tiffany Nelson &amp; Hannah Lichwaba <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1080\/02667363.2025.2541211\">https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1080\/02667363.2025.2541211<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Questions to Explore with Your Team or Network:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where in your setting is intersectionality already being addressed \u2014 and where is it missing?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does genuine belonging look, sound, and feel like for every learner?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do we move from <em>good intentions<\/em> to <em>anti-oppressive impact<\/em>?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is an urgency to talk about inclusion to practice it and to do this at every level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cMasking is not just about autism. It\u2019s about survival, identity, and being seen \u2014 or not seen at all.\u201d This powerful insight sits at the heart of a significant new piece of research by Tiffany Nelson and Hannah Lichwaba. Their work centres the lived realities of Black Autistic girls in the UK education system, a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","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":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-disability-inclusion","category-fostering-inclusivity-insights-and-tips","category-race-ethnicity-and-culture"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u201cBefore People See the Autism, They See My Race\u201d: Masking, Intersectionality, and Belonging for Black Autistic Girls in UK Education - Equality and Diversity UK Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/08\/09\/before-people-see-the-autism-they-see-my-race-masking-intersectionality-and-belonging-for-black-autistic-girls-in-uk-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cBefore People See the Autism, They See My Race\u201d: Masking, Intersectionality, and Belonging for Black Autistic Girls in UK Education - Equality and Diversity UK Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cMasking is not just about autism. 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