Health Needs and College Readiness in Autistic Students: The Freshman Survey Results.
Equal grades do not equal college readiness—autistic freshmen need ongoing mental and physical health supports to stay enrolled.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fernandes et al. (2021) asked autistic college freshmen about their health and college prep. They used a survey to compare these students to their non-autistic peers.
The team looked at grades, test scores, and health records. They wanted to see why autistic students graduate less often.
What they found
Autistic freshmen entered college with the same grades and test scores as other students. But they had more mental health needs and physical health problems.
These health gaps may explain why they finish college at lower rates despite equal academic skills.
How this fits with other research
Fedoroff et al. (2016) showed services drop sharply after high school. This helps explain why the freshmen arrived with unmet health needs.
Titlestad et al. (2019) interviewed autistic students who said social-emotional supports matter more than academic help. Priyanka's numbers back this up.
Murphy et al. (2014) found only 20 weak studies on college supports. The new health data adds urgency to build better programs.
Why it matters
You can't assume good grades mean a student is ready. Screen for anxiety, sleep issues, and chronic pain at intake. Build weekly check-ins with campus counseling and disability services. These health supports may keep autistic students in school when academics are not the problem.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
With an increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in the United States, many of whom have higher intellectual ability, there is a predicted increase in the number of college-bound students. Affected young adults face a "Services Cliff" as they transition into adulthood. Our study examined a nationally represented sample of freshman students and found that academic achievements in autistic students are comparable to their peers when they first enter college. The students however have more mental health and physical health problems compared to their non-autistic peers. Poor health maybe a major contributing factor to the lower graduation rates among autistic students. College-bound autistic students may continue to require services through college for them to be successful and graduate.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2021 · doi:10.1542/peds.2013-0763