The SIMAS (Schüler:innen im Autismus-Spektrum an Sonderpädagogischen Bildungs- und Beratungszentren) research project is the first to systematically investigate the prevalence and educational implications of autism diagnoses in the context of special educational support in Baden-Württemberg.
The starting point is the increase in autism diagnoses in children and adolescents that has been observed for years - both internationally and in Germany. At the same time, there is a lack of reliable, school-related data for Baden-Württemberg. In particular, it is unclear how many pupils on the autism spectrum are actually taught at special education and counselling centres (SBBZ) and what specific requirements result from this for school practice.
A key feature of current developments is the increasing visibility of autism in the school context. Around a third of diagnoses are associated with a cognitive impairment, while at the same time pupils on the autism spectrum learn in all special educational specialisms.
This heterogeneity leads to specific educational requirements, such as
- Designing structured learning environments
- Establishing reliable routines
- Individualisation of forms of communication
Despite these challenges, there is still a lack of systematic findings on how schools deal with them and what support they need. This is precisely where SIMAS comes in, combining basic educational research with concrete practical relevance.
The project is organised in two phases and combines quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Phase 1: Quantitative analysis
- Comprehensive data collection at SBBZ of all specialisms
- Analysis of the number of pupils on the autism spectrum
- Differentiation according to special educational focus
- Calculation of prevalence rates
- Comparison of the school years 2020/21 and 2025/26
The aim of this phase is to create a reliable data basis for Baden-Württemberg for the first time.
Phase 2: Qualitative study
- Conducting interviews and focus groups (N = 21) with teachers
- Inclusion of various special educational disciplines
- Thematic analysis of experiences in everyday school life
The focus is on questions such as:
- What challenges do teachers experience in the classroom?
- Which pedagogical strategies have proved successful?
- Where is there a need for support?
This phase serves to categorise the quantitative findings in a context-sensitive manner and to develop practical perspectives for action.