No abstract

Many autistic people do not learn they are autistic until adulthood. Parents may wait to tell a child they are autistic until they feel the child is “ready.” In this study, a participatory team of autistic and non-autistic researchers examined whether learning one is autistic at a younger age is associated with heightened well-being and Autism-Specific Quality of Life among autistic university students. Autistic students ( n = 78) completed an online survey. They shared when and how they learned they were autistic, how they felt about autism when first learning they are autistic and now, and when they would tell autistic children about their autism. Learning one is autistic earlier was associated with heightened quality of life and well-being in adulthood. However, learning one is autistic at an older age was associated with more positive emotions about autism when first learning one is autistic. Participants expressed both positive and negative emotions about autism and highlighted contextual factors to consider when telling a child about autism. Findings suggest that telling a child that they are autistic at a younger age empowers them by providing access to support and a foundation for self-understanding that helps them thrive in adulthood. Lay abstract People learn they are autistic at different ages. We wanted to know if telling kids they are autistic earlier helps them feel better about their lives when they grow up. We are a team of autistic and non-autistic students and professors. Seventy-eight autistic university students did our online survey. They shared how they found out they were autistic and how they felt about being autistic. They also shared how they feel about their lives now. Around the same number of students learned they were autistic from doctors and parents. Students who learned they were autistic when they were younger felt happier about their lives than people who learned they were autistic when they were older. Students who learned they were autistic when they were older felt happier about being autistic when they first found out than people who did not have to wait as long. Our study shows that it is probably best to tell people they are autistic as soon as possible. The students who did our study did not think it was a good idea to wait until children are adults to tell them they are autistic. They said that parents should tell their children they are autistic in ways that help them understand and feel good about who they are.

This article examines the transition from higher education to employment for autistic university students and recent graduates. This study has particular significance given that increasing numbers of autistic young people are entering higher education across the globe yet employability outcomes are typically some of the worst of any disabled student group. The article draws on qualitative data from twenty-one semistructured interviews with autistic students and graduates and sixteen focus groups with 58 community stakeholders, including parents, public servants, university careers advisors and disability support workers. Analysis of these data, through a mobilities paradigm, indicate four themes (1) employment (im)mobilities; (2) inaccessible recruitment processes; (3) embodied materialities and employment; and (4) resourcing employment mobilities. The article makes a significant contribution to the field in arguing that autistic graduates are at a disadvantage in terms of accessing meaningful employment and indicating the human and non-human actors and actants that influence their outcomes.

More young people with a diagnosis of autism are enrolling and successfully completing higher education courses than ever before and this is set to increase; however, while there is a burgeoning body of literature surrounding the transition into this stage of education, there is a paucity of research that investigates the transition as this population exit higher education. This exploratory qualitative study is one of the first to identify the specific experiences of young autistic adults making this transition, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 21 students and recent graduates. Findings indicate that transition out of higher education is challenging on both practical and psychological levels, manifested by feelings of anxiety and loss. However, there is also evidence that the same phenomenon can also be understood as a positive departure with important implications for identity development. Findings are discussed in relation to future research and implications for practice in higher education institutions.

Research at York St John (RaY) is an institutional repository. It supports the principles of open access by making the research outputs of the University available in digital form.