A comprehensive survey of current and former college students with autism spectrum disorders

There is a paucity of research concerning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pursuing higher education. This study sought to augment this gap in the literature by surveying individuals with ASD who are currently college students or who have previously attended college. Thirty-five indi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Yale journal of biology & medicine 2015-03, Vol.88 (1), p.45-68
Main Authors: Gelbar, Nicholas W, Shefyck, Allison, Reichow, Brian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age
Anxiety - psychology
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder - epidemiology
College students
Colleges & universities
Community colleges
Demography
Depression - psychology
Disability Evaluation
Discrimination, Psychological
Education
Educational Status
Emotions
Female
Focus: Autism Spectrum Disorders
Higher education
Humans
Likert scale
Male
Personal Satisfaction
Secondary schools
Social skills
Students - statistics & numerical data
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
Universities
Workforce
Young Adult
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:There is a paucity of research concerning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pursuing higher education. This study sought to augment this gap in the literature by surveying individuals with ASD who are currently college students or who have previously attended college. Thirty-five individuals completed an online survey. These individuals reported receiving extensive academic supports that enabled their academic success. Their reported difficulties in the social and emotional domains received less support. In addition, not all areas of campus life were supportive, as study abroad and career service offices were reported to not understand individuals with ASD. Overall, the results of this survey indicate the importance of self-advocacy and the need for institutions of higher education to provide comprehensive supports for individuals with ASD in the academic, social, and emotional domains in order to effectively integrate this group into the campus environment.
ISSN:0044-0086
1551-4056