Abstract
This thesis re-thinks play and inclusion for autistic pupils in Scotland, to find out the extent
to which a novel mobile app could successfully integrate a survey with video-based
provocations of play with professional learning and critical reflection for teachers to
impact inclusion. The Embracing Authentic Autistic Play series is a unique professional
learning programme highlighting dominant theories around autism, inclusion and play as
well as Scotland-based policy and practice around play pedagogy, children’s rights and
inclusive play, with alternatives that challenge what is ‘known’. The ethico-ontoepistemology developed from collective influences of posthuman theorists supports a
diffractive data entanglement framework through a critical lens. What resulted from this
non-standard relational approach was an unfolding of the concepts ‘taking control’ /
‘relinquishing control’ and ‘not play’ / ‘play’. The difference created by these unexpected
outcomes of the research enabled the creation of a diffractive ‘rainbow’ visualisation of
key ideas and concepts. The key ideas of culture / mindset / perspective; language /
justification; knowledge / understanding; confidence / consistency; relationships /
empathy / support; value / acceptance / validation; buy-in / meaningful change / thinking
outside the box; are visualised as key ideas that intra-act with the play and control
continuums. This infographic can be used as a tool alongside the app, supporting
teachers’ learning journeys for maximum impact. A future is envisioned by interview
participants, where utilising the app as a ‘jumping off point’ for widespread acceptance of
authentic autistic play leads to the impact of this research to ‘grow arms and legs’. There is
a movement towards the radical acceptance of authentic autistic play underway. This
research is a part of that, but the thesis is not the end of its involvement. It is an
opportunity, a ‘becoming’, that will continue to intra-act with the authentic autistic play
movement.
Lay Summary
Play and inclusion for autistic pupils in Scottish schools are turned on their heads within
this thesis to question what teachers ‘know’. A new mobile app with a built-in play video
survey and a professional learning programme for teachers, considers ‘knowledge’ from
deep-rooted ideas around autism, inclusion and play. Ideas like ‘taking control’ /
‘relinquishing control’ and ‘not play’ / ‘play’ were unfolded through a connected approach
to the research, and a ‘rainbow’ graphic was created to share these. Culture, mindset and
perspective; language and justification; knowledge and understanding; confidence and
consistency; relationships, empathy and support; value, acceptance and validation; buyin, meaningful change and thinking outside the box; are the key ideas shown in the
rainbow infographic. This can be used as a tool alongside the app, supporting teachers’
learning journeys for better outcomes. Interview participants saw a future where the app
could be used as a starting point for more people to accept authentic autistic play. A trend
towards acceptance is underway and this research is a part of that. But instead of
stopping here with this thesis, it will stay tangled up in the trend moving forward.
| Date of Award | 25 Mar 2026 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution | - University Of Strathclyde
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| Sponsors | University of Strathclyde |
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| Supervisor | Anna Robinson (Supervisor), Helen Marwick (Supervisor), Zinnia Mevawalla (Supervisor) & Claire Wilson (Supervisor) |
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