This week, a University of Otago led study found that autistic pupils are significantly less likely to attend school regularly, particularly at a young age.

The researchers of the study had information on 654,438 pupils, of which 8427 were autistic. They found that autistic pupils' regular attendance was 55.3%, compared to 62.5% for non-autistic pupils. They also found that autistic students would experience about 78 fewer school days on average per year compared to their non-autistic peers.

Lead author, Dr Nick Bowden, of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, has said that "it's important to remember that behind the data are real children, whānau, and educators, trying to make it work, often without the tools or support they need".

Producer Max spoke with Larah van de Meer, Research and Advocacy Manager at Autism New Zealand, about the recent study by the University of Otago.