Facilitating Success for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder at University

Background:

While many adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have average to high intellectual capacities they still experience numerous challenges which impact on their ability to negotiate everyday life. Despite recognition of their challenges there remain few evidence-based interventions targeting the needs of this group who continue to experience poor outcomes in important life areas such as employment, education and interpersonal relationships.

Objectives:

The aim of this research was to describe the viewpoints on factors impacting on the success at university for students with ASD from the perspectives of university students with ASD, their parents and their mentors.

Methods:

Q-methodology identified the viewpoints of the 57 participants. Twenty-two students with ASD participated (15 male and seven female; mean age=24.6; SD=9.7). Eleven of the participants were mothers and three were fathers of university students with ASD (mean age=54.0 years; SD=8.7). There were six male and 15 female mentors of university students with ASD (mean age=30.9 years; SD=7.9). The analysis employed a by-person varimax rotation factor analysis.

Results:

Three distinct factors were defined by 17 sorts from all three groups; factor one accounted for 23%, factor two accounted for 15% and factor three accounted for 8% of the variance, respectively. Viewpoint one Individualised support was characterised by the supports that facilitate success at university for individuals with ASD at university. Viewpoint two Contextual support was distinguished by the supports enabling participation in a university environment. This viewpoint also highlighted the logistical issues faced by students with ASD such as time management and transportation. Viewpoint three Social support was defined by the supports required for students with ASD to facilitate personal interactions within the university environment. This viewpoint identified consistent support as a mechanism for managing social interactions, recognising the difficulty that bullying can pose.

Conclusions:

The unique approach of the current study, has in part addressed the noted limitations in previous literature which has called for further research into the needs of university students with ASD. While young people with ASD aspire to succeed in post-secondary education they struggle negotiating the necessary steps in achieving this goal. This study highlighted that supports need to be individualised and that university services should broaden their interventions for students with ASD, and provide both social and academic support. The environment has been proposed as a potential intervention target in ASD with approaches such as peer mentoring likely to be particularly effective. Peer mentoring may be particularly suited in supporting university students with ASD given its potential to be tailored to meet individual needs. While traditionally, peer mentor programs have focused on providing academic supports, this study suggests that this focus should extend to include social, emotional and psychological support.