What Works for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This article reports the results of a systematic review of the emerging research on programs and services designed to meet the needs of students with ASD. For the purposes of this review, only articles that included data on program outcomes were included. A total of eight studies that met this criterion were identified. These studies included three that examined the effects of cognitive-behavioral interventions, three that reported the results of methods to enhance social communication skills, one study of a transition to college program, and one evaluation of a variety of widely used accommodations. This review identifies methods that have been found to be effective supporting students with ASD in higher education settings as well as needs for future research.

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

“…The previous studies identify the social aspects of university as particularly challenging for students with autism and it has therefore been proposed that providing appropriate social support is essential (Zeedy et al 2016 ; Kuder and Accardo 2018 ). Furthermore, such support can have a positive consequence of improving quality of life and improving academic outcomes (Tobin et al 2014 ) and it should incorporate the strengths mentioned above.…”

Transition to Higher Education for Students with Autism: Challenges and Support Needs

“…Approximately, about 1 in 68 children, and 1 in hundred adults are in the spectrum of ASDs (Brugha et al, 2011;Brugha et al, 2016;Christensen et al, 2016). With the increase in the prevalence of ASD over the recent times (Cox et al, 2017;Gelbar, Smith & Reichow, 2014), it is expected that individuals with ASDs seeking to enroll in higher education are likely to continue to rise (Kuder &Accardo, 2018;Pinder-Amaker, 2014;Thierfeld Brown & Wolf, 2014).…”

“…Additionally, higher education may present an array of barriers to transition among students with ASD while (Barnhill, 2016;Brown & Coomes, 2015;Knott & Taylor, 2014;Kuder & Accardo, 2018). For instance, Hewitt (2011) highlights that higher education may be the first-time students with ASD are required to advocate for themselves to access supports or accommodations.…”

Increasing Accessibility in a Peer Assisted College Support Program for Students with Autism in Higher Education

“…Researchers stress the importance of developing college programs that support the individual unique needs of postsecondary students with ASD [2], [5], [14], [15], [16], particularly issues related to class schedules, organization, meeting timelines, anxiety, stress, and isolation influence student success or failure [17]. Often students with ASD may not self-disclose and seek the educational/social support offered by disability support services, until after a problem surfaces inside or outside the classroom [15], [8].…”