Learning from neurodivergent students about their mental health and wellbeing during transition to secondary school: A systematic review.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Education Studies University of Warwick Coventry UK.
- 2Department of Psychology Royal Holloway University of London Egham UK.
- 3Group for Research in Relationships and Neurodiversity (GRRAND), Division of Psychology & Lang Sciences, Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology Faculty of Brain Sciences University College London London UK.
- 4Anna Freud Centre London UK.
- 5Department of Psychology and Human Development IOE UCL's Institute of Education University College London London UK.
Abstract
The impact of transition from primary to secondary education for neurodivergent children is an area where research, though emerging, has not yet produced consistent or conclusive findings. By adopting a neurodiversity-informed framework, we conducted a systematic review of empirical studies examining the child-reported impact of this transition on psychosocial and mental health outcomes amongst neurodivergent children such as autistic, children with developmental language disorder, and children with Down syndrome (DS). Six databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, ASSIA, and Google Scholar) were searched from 1995 to July 2026. The review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for transparent reporting. Of the 488 records identified, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria: longitudinal empirical studies with comparison groups, including minimum two timepoints before and after the transition from primary to secondary school, with child-reported psychosocial, mental health, or wellbeing data. Study quality was assessed using the quality appraisal checklist. Given substantial heterogeneity across studies, a narrative synthesis following synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines was conducted. Key gaps in the existing literature include the near-total absence of co-produced or participatory research designs, underrepresentation of specific neurodivergent groups (e.g., children with Williams syndrome and DS), and failure to examine intersectional factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status as moderators of transition-related outcomes. Findings on the impact of transition on mental health were mixed and inconclusive, while psychosocial outcomes such as school concerns, belonging, and connectedness, emerged as more sensitive and consistent indicators of transition-related vulnerability. Methodological priorities for future research include longitudinal co-produced designs, intersectional analyses, and inclusive outcome frameworks developed with neurodivergent children themselves. The theoretical and educational implications of this review for the development of evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming intervention studies targeting the transition period are discussed.
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BibTeX
@article{palikara2026learning,
title = {{Learning from neurodivergent students about their mental health and wellbeing during transition to secondary school: A systematic review.}},
author = {Olympia Palikara and Rebecca Lucas and Danielle Baptiste and Cat Jones and Laura Kelly and Georgia Pavlopoulou and Vassilis Sideropoulos},
journal = {JCPP advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/jcv2.70175},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909181},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Learning from neurodivergent students about their mental health and wellbeing during transition to secondary school: A systematic review.
AU - Olympia Palikara
AU - Rebecca Lucas
AU - Danielle Baptiste
AU - Cat Jones
AU - Laura Kelly
AU - Georgia Pavlopoulou
AU - Vassilis Sideropoulos
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - JCPP advances
DO - 10.1002/jcv2.70175
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909181
AB - The impact of transition from primary to secondary education for neurodivergent children is an area where research, though emerging, has not yet produced consistent or conclusive findings. By adopting a neurodiversity-informed framework, we conducted a systematic review of empirical studies examining the child-reported impact of this transition on psychosocial and mental health outcomes amongst neurodivergent children such as autistic, children with developmental language disorder, and children with Down syndrome (DS). Six databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, ASSIA, and Google Scholar) were searched from 1995 to July 2026. The review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for transparent reporting. Of the 488 records identified, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria: longitudinal empirical studies with comparison groups, including minimum two timepoints before and after the transition from primary to secondary school, with child-reported psychosocial, mental health, or wellbeing data. Study quality was assessed using the quality appraisal checklist. Given substantial heterogeneity across studies, a narrative synthesis following synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines was conducted. Key gaps in the existing literature include the near-total absence of co-produced or participatory research designs, underrepresentation of specific neurodivergent groups (e.g., children with Williams syndrome and DS), and failure to examine intersectional factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status as moderators of transition-related outcomes. Findings on the impact of transition on mental health were mixed and inconclusive, while psychosocial outcomes such as school concerns, belonging, and connectedness, emerged as more sensitive and consistent indicators of transition-related vulnerability. Methodological priorities for future research include longitudinal co-produced designs, intersectional analyses, and inclusive outcome frameworks developed with neurodivergent children themselves. The theoretical and educational implications of this review for the development of evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming intervention studies targeting the transition period are discussed.
SN - 2692-9384
ER -