Supporting university students with autism spectrum disorder.
A simple weekly on-campus peer group quickly lowers loneliness and anxiety while raising self-esteem in university students with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hillier et al. (2018) ran a weekly peer-support group for university students with autism.
They met every week on campus. No control group.
Before and after the term students filled out surveys on mood, self-esteem, and coping.
What they found
Students felt less lonely and less anxious after the group.
They also rated their self-esteem higher.
In interviews they said they planned better, handled stress smoother, and made more friends.
How this fits with other research
Van Hanegem et al. (2014) got the same kind of small gains with a short problem-solving class.
Trimmer et al. (2017) looks like a clash: their autistic students only improved after long, generic counseling. The difference is service type — a tailored peer group works faster than one-size-fits-all talk therapy.
Scott et al. (2023) tracked students for a full year and saw flat symptoms, hinting that brief groups may need boosters to keep the early glow.
Why it matters
You can copy this model tomorrow. Reserve a quiet room, pick a set day, and open the door. Keep sessions short, student-led, and focused on real campus problems like roommates and deadlines. One quarter of steady meetings can cut loneliness and give students tools they will actually use.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder are entering higher education. Their success can be jeopardized by organizational, social/emotional, and academic challenges if appropriate supports are not in place. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group model for university students with autism spectrum disorder in improving psychological and functional outcomes. A curriculum guided the weekly discussions and consisted of topics such as time and stress management, managing group work, and social communication. Efficacy was assessed through pre- and post self-report measures focused on self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Functional changes in academic and social skills were examined through qualitative analysis of focus groups. Findings from the self-report measures indicated significant reductions in feelings of loneliness and general anxiety, and a significant increase in self-esteem at the end of the program compared to the beginning. Five prominent themes were identified in the focus-group analysis and reflected how the program had positively impacted participants' skills and coping: executive functioning; goal setting; academics and resources; stress and anxiety; and social. Given the cost effectiveness of "in-house" interventions and the potential for improving academic outcomes and retention of students with autism spectrum disorder, further research examining similar program models is warranted.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2018 · doi:10.1177/1362361317699584