Transition from upper secondary to university in students who identify as autistic: A systematic review

Abstract

The transition from high school to university is usually complex for every student, but especially for minority groups. This is mainly due to the need to create more inclusive universities. The objective of this study was to determine the variables that influence the transition from post‐compulsory education to university for students identifying as autistic. A systematic review was performed of scientific articles about the transition from high school to university for these students. The databases used in the review were: EBSCOhost, SCOPUS and Web of Science. The final sample comprised 38 studies published between 2007 and 2023. The analysis followed an inductive process, in which the selected studies were subject to content analysis. The data were coded qualitatively. The extracted results were summarized in two tables based on their content, which fell into two categories: (1) non‐academic and academic variables that pose a problem for proper transition and (2) academic and non‐academic variables that can benefit the transition process. A wide variety of different variables influence the transition process, and it is important to know each person's life history in order to give them the most suitable educational response possible.