Higher education experiences of students with autism spectrum disorder: challenges, benefits and support needs.

Van Hees et al. (2015) talked with university students who have autism.

They asked open questions about classes, friends, daily life, and what help they need.

The goal was to map every challenge and benefit these students named.

The biggest barrier is juggling three things at once: sudden schedule changes, social demands, and deciding whether to tell others they are autistic.

Students also said clear routines, quiet spaces, and peer mentors help them stay in school.

Neuhaus et al. (2014) showed that one good, planned chat with an autistic classmate makes volunteers sign up more. Valérie’s students say those same chats feel hard, so quality contact needs careful setup.

Roberts et al. (2017) built a mentee-led mentor program after seeing these stress points. Their model lets the student set the goals, just as Valérie’s students requested.

Kasari et al. (2011) found most autistic children sit on the edge of playground networks. The university students still feel left out, but some now find friends through shared majors and clubs, showing social success can grow with age and setting.

You can’t fix just one area. A last-minute room change, a group project, and a disclosure question can all hit on the same day. Build scripts for each. Offer alternate quiet rooms, give project roles early, and let the student control who knows. Small moves like these keep talented autistic students enrolled and graduating.