Educational Experiences and Needs of Higher Education Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cai, Ru Ying; Richdale, Amanda L.

doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2535-1

Cited by 223 publications

(268 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

243

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Students in this study were predominantly enrolled in postsecondary education and, as such, it will be important to determine if these findings apply to students with ASD still facing the transition out of high school. The themes that emerged from the focus groups converged with those identified from the survey data and, collectively, these data provide a complementary perspective (primarily that of parents and school personnel), to recent research that focused on the needs as identified by postsecondary students (e.g., Cai & Richdale, 2016). These preliminary findings offer early guidance to the field with respect to what should be included in programs designed to promote successful transition to postsecondary school for students with ASD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…They found that students tended to receive considerable academic supports and accommodations, but lacked supports for social and emotional difficulties. Most recently, Cai and Richdale (2016) conducted focus groups with 23 students with ASD in postsecondary education and 15 family members. They found that students perceived receiving better educational than social supports, whereas family members reported inadequate supports in both the academic and social domains.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis

White

Elias

Salinas

et al. 2016

Research in Developmental Disabilities

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background There is a growing call for empirically based programming to support the success of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they transition to college. Aims The purpose of this study was to identify the needs and challenges faced by adolescents and young adults with ASD in postsecondary education. Methods A mixed methods approach was taken to explore the needs of college-bound and college-enrolled students with ASD. Primary stakeholders (i.e., parents, educators/support staff from secondary and postsecondary institutions, and students) participated in an online survey (n = 67) and focus groups (n = 15). Results Across the stakeholder groups, commonly identified areas of difficulty included limited interpersonal competence, managing competing demands in postsecondary education, and poor emotional regulation. There was a high degree of agreement across stakeholders in the identified needs and challenges. Implications Findings from this preliminary needs analysis will inform the development of programming to support students with ASD.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis

White

Elias

Salinas

et al. 2016

Research in Developmental Disabilities

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fortunately, there is an abundance of tools, programmes and apps that young adults may use on their personal computers, tablets or smartphones to support the acquisition of essential skills needed in secondary school, college and adulthood (for example, social skills, executive functioning, mental health; Cai & Richdale, 2016;Grogan, 2015). Fortunately, there is an abundance of tools, programmes and apps that young adults may use on their personal computers, tablets or smartphones to support the acquisition of essential skills needed in secondary school, college and adulthood (for example, social skills, executive functioning, mental health; Cai & Richdale, 2016;Grogan, 2015).…”

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Transition strategies and recommendations: perspectives of parents of young adults with disabilities

Francis¹,

Stride²,

Reed³

2018

British J Special Edu

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Effective transition planning is critical for young adults with disabilities to experience positive post-school outcomes, including employment, living in a place of their choice and engaging in social activities. However, these outcomes are often marred by barriers such as poorly constructed transition plans, low expectations and a lack of available services. While researchers have investigated transition strategies, there remains uncertainty in the field regarding the effectiveness of strategies used in high school and college. This study investigated the perspectives of parents of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they supported their young adults in transitioning from high school and college. This study reports findings from semi-structured interviews conducted with 26 parents of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who graduated from a post-secondary education programme in the US. Participants described seven primary strategies: starting earlier; maintaining high expectations; permitting choice and risk; recognising family interdependence and involvement; prioritising parent skill development and support; maximising technology; and promoting inclusion. Study findings provide numerous practical strategies that participants employed or believed to be beneficial during transition. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

show abstract

“…These difficulties include atypical sensory processing, inflexibility, executive function difficulties, challenges engaging in self-advocacy, social difficulties, depression, and anxiety (Glennon, 2001; Van Bergeijk et al, 2008; White et al, 2011; Schindler et al, 2015; Cai and Richdale, 2016). The stress that most students experience when transitioning into college may be compounded for autistic students, as difficulty in coping with change is part of the diagnostic criteria for ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They stress the importance of individualized supports, such as mentoring, to help students on the spectrum develop self-advocacy, social, and executive functioning/self-regulation skills. However, only a few studies have directly assessed the needs and experiences of more than a few college students on the spectrum (Gelbar et al, 2014; Van Hees et al, 2015; Cai and Richdale, 2016; Roberts and Birmingham, 2017). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“For a Long Time Our Voices have been Hushed”: Using Student Perspectives to Develop Supports for Neurodiverse College Students

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although the challenges that autistic students face adapting to college are often pronounced, they are similar to the challenges that students with other disabilities face (e.g., difficulties with social interaction, self-advocacy, and executive functioning). However, extant evaluations of services for autistic college students are very limited despite an emerging literature examining supports for college students with a range of other disabilities. Given that many autistic students do not self-identify as autistic in college, and consequently might avoid autism-specific services, autistic students might benefit from services that are designed to support a broad range of neurodiverse students, or services that are structured according to the principles of Universal Design. In order to develop such services, we assessed the self-reported needs of autistic college students and their peers with other disabilities. Guided by needs assessments and feedback from students, we developed and evaluated two semesters of mentor-led group programming for autistic college students and students with other disabilities. The first semester of the program focused on social skills; after receiving feedback from participants, the curriculum for the second semester focused on self-advocacy. Participation in social-skills groups was associated with decreased anxiety and autism symptoms. Participation in self-advocacy groups was associated with increased perceived social support from friends, academic self-efficacy, and more accurate definitions of self-advocacy. This research suggests that supports for neurodiverse college students should be developed with their input and should include opportunities to engage with diverse peers.

show abstract

Educational Experiences and Needs of Higher Education Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 223 publications

References 36 publications

Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis

Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis

Transition strategies and recommendations: perspectives of parents of young adults with disabilities

“For a Long Time Our Voices have been Hushed”: Using Student Perspectives to Develop Supports for Neurodiverse College Students

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About