Abstract
<p>Autistic students are increasingly represented in mainstream classrooms, yet for many, school remains a source of stress and misunderstanding. While existing research has largely focused on adverse outcomes for autistic students, less attention has been given to identifying indicators of well-being and understanding how it is experienced in everyday school settings. This study addresses this gap by centring autistic students’ perspectives through a flexible, multi‑modal qualitative design. Twelve autistic primary and secondary students shared their experiences through interviews, drawings, written responses, and photovoice methods tailored to their communication preferences and strengths. Data were analysed using inductive content and reflexive thematic analysis. Students described diverse indicators of well‑being across emotional, social, sensory‑physical, and academic domains. High well‑being was often reflected in engagement in learning, access to effective self‑regulation strategies, and expressions of joy, while low well‑being often led to withdrawal, reduced communication, tense posture, and expressions of sadness. Thematic analysis of student experiences highlighted how autistic student well‑being is frequently misunderstood or overlooked. Overall, autistic student well‑being emerged as relational, context‑dependent, and individually patterned, drawing attention to the ways it may be variably expressed, recognised, and responded to in school settings.</p>