Systematic Review of Articles Describing Experience and Supports of Individuals with Autism Enrolled in College and University Programs

Abstract

The increase in the number of higher-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is likely to lead to an increased interest in postsecondary opportunities including degree-granting college and university programs. To provide an understanding of the current evidence-base for supporting individuals with ASD in higher education, this article reports the results of a systematic review of the literature concerning college students with ASD. Overall, 20 articles describing 69 individuals met the inclusion criteria. This small number of articles and participants indicates the scarcity of research on this topic and only two of these studies were experimental in nature. These studies described a video-self modeling intervention and a counseling intervention respectively. Eighteen "case studies" were also present in the literature that described difficulties ranging from anxiety to housing concerns. This review deliniates the limitation of our understanding of effective college programming for individuals with ASD.

Autism and the Academic Library: A Study of Online Communication

“…22 There is little research about the college experiences of students with ASD themselves, instead focusing on the experiences or impressions of parents, teachers, or administration. 23 Dawn Prince-Hughes, an academic as well as a person with autism, suggests that such firsthand accounts of individuals with ASD are typically not sought or published, as readers not on the spectrum, also known as neurotypicals, are not familiar with following the train of thought of those with ASD. 24 She notes that, traditionally, accounts from individuals with ASD have been heavily edited.…”

Preface: Special Issue—College Experiences for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Findings from a systematic review of the literature describing the experiences of college students with ASD (Gelbar et al 2014) have lent support to the notion that non-academic issues are underlying many of the difficulties experienced by this student population. Based on 20 articles, with a cumulative sample of 69 current and former college students with ASD, the most commonly reported experiences were related to struggles with anxiety, loneliness, and depression (respectively).…”

“…Based on 20 articles, with a cumulative sample of 69 current and former college students with ASD, the most commonly reported experiences were related to struggles with anxiety, loneliness, and depression (respectively). Since the release of the Gelbar et al (2014) review, approximately ten additional articles on the topic of the needs and/or experiences of post-secondary students with ASD have been published. While this uptick in interest is promising, the general dearth of literature on this topic significantly limits both our understanding of the challenges impacting the ability of many students with ASD from achieving their full potential in post-secondary academic settings, and our insight into how these challenges can be addressed.…”

The Relationship Between Autism Symptomatology, Performance, Experienced Problems, and Benefits in Problem-Based Learning Curricula

“…Despite the possible impact of ASD on educational experience and performance, the recent increase of students with ASD in higher education was initially not accompanied by an equally strong increase in research on the possible problems these students experience in educational settings (Gelbar et al 2014;Gobbo and Shmulsky 2014;Knott and Taylor 2014;Mulder and Cashin 2014;Pinder-Amaker 2014). Only the last few years, research has started to look into the problems students with ASD face, although there is still little focus on supporting these students at university.…”

“…Another problem reported by students with ASD is related to their cognitive setup: ASD is usually accompanied by a preference for bottom-up processing, causing students with ASD to experience difficulty with instructions and assignments that highly depend on top-down processing (Gobbo and Shmulsky 2014). In addition, students with ASD often report having difficulties with prioritising, organising, time management, initiating and aborting working on assignments, quick shifting between different sources of information or different subjects, and planning, especially long-range planning such as for assignments or exams that are due in several weeks or even months (Gelbar et al 2014;Gobbo and Shmulsky 2014;Pinder-Amaker 2014). These findings are supported by teacher observations, since both students with ASD and their teachers observe difficulties in over-focusing on details, planning, and time management, especially when students have to submit several essays per term, and when deadlines cover an extended period of time (Knott and Taylor 2014).…”