‘I think autism is like running on Windows while everyone else is a Mac’: using a participatory action research approach with students on the autistic spectrum to rearticulate autism and the lived experience of university

University Students with Autism: The Social and Academic Experiences of University in the UK

“…Indeed at the very core of ASD are the social and communicative difficulties that individuals experience throughout development; for example, difficulties with interpersonal skills, self-regulation, lower self-esteem, and a possible atypical social motivation that may impact upon learning social expertise from an early age (Myles and Simpson 2002 ; Dijkhuis et al 2017 ; Matthews et al 2015 ; White et al 2016 ; Chevalier et al 2012 ). Moreover, coping with independent living and new routines while adapting to a large number of new challenges, can also feed into difficulties for these students (Vincent et al 2017 ; Jackson et al 2018 ; Van Hees et al 2015 ). As a result of this constellation of challenges, it has been reported that autistic students can experience heightened social isolation, loneliness, bullying, and stigmatization compared to their peers (Vanbergeijk et al 2008 ; Madriaga et al 2010 ; Gelbar et al 2014 ).…”

“…Van Hees et al ( 2015 ) interviewed 23 autistic university students who reported sincerity, fairness, and willingness to listen to others as personal strengths. Furthermore, some autistic students perceive the new and challenging social situation of University life as an opportunity to try and test their personal abilities, which indicates a very positive and flexible approach (Vincent et al 2017 ). Therefore understanding how to capitalise on these strengths is crucial.…”

Experiences of educational transition: young women with ASD, and the staff supporting them, speak

“…They develop areas of intense interest, which means they become experts in their chosen topics. Students with HFA often bring a different set of perceptions to a task and will think about a problem in a different way which may enrich the learning experience (Wing, ; Vincent et al , ). Students with HFA can bring these strengths to bear if they are supported appropriately in the areas where difficulties are liable to occur, including study skills, communication skills and social support.…”

“…They develop areas of intense interest, which means they become experts in their chosen topics. Students with HFA often bring a different set of perceptions to a task and will think about a problem in a different way which may enrich the learning experience (Wing, 1981;Vincent et al , 2017).…”

Listening to young people with autism: learning from researcher experiences

“…. There is detailed discussion of how autistic students in higher education can be involved in the process of data analysis, interpretation and dissemination (MacLeod,Lewis & Robertson 2013;Vincent et al 2017). However, there is comparatively less literature exploring how younger children with autism might be able to participate more fully in the research process.…”