The study, published in the April issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, suggests that up to a third of children who are at risk of being excluded from school for disruptive behaviour could have undiagnosed social communication problems of an autistic type.

Researchers from the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) recruited 26 persistently disruptive children aged 6-13 years old from primary schools in the London borough of Hackney. 16 of the children had been excluded from school at least once before, and 10 were considered by their teachers to be at high risk of exclusion. The researchers interviewed the children’s parents, and the children were given tests of IQ, attention, social cognition and theory of mind.

The researchers found that 9 of the 26 disruptive children (35 per cent) and met clinical criteria for an autism-spectrum disorder. However, their social communications had not been detected by a professional.

Lead researcher Professor David Skuse,head of behavioural and brain sciences at the ICH and manager of the UK’s National Centre for High Functioning Autism at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust (GOSH), said:

“Our research shows that many children who get into trouble at school are being labelled ‘disruptive’ or ‘aggressive’ by their teachers and peers, when in reality they are displaying behaviours that are consistent with traits we see in clinically diagnosed autism. The children involved in our study have been recommended for appropriate treatment and their educational needs should now be recognised and adjusted accordingly.