Systematic review of articles describing experience and supports of individuals with autism enrolled in college and university programs.
College support for autistic students is still a blank slate—two tiny pilots and a handful of stories are all we have.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Murphy et al. (2014) hunted for solid studies about college students with autism.
They found only 20 papers that described real students. Just two of those tested an actual program.
What they found
The evidence cupboard is almost bare. Only 69 students appear in detailed reports.
No one knows which supports truly help autistic learners graduate.
How this fits with other research
Titlestad et al. (2019) asked students what they need. Students say planning before arrival and social help matter most. Their voices fill the gap W et al. exposed.
Hedley et al. (2017) repeated the same hunt for employment programs. They found 50 weak studies. The pattern is clear: both college and work supports lack strong proof.
Vazquez et al. (2019) widened the lens. They show most job programs try to fix the person, not the workplace. This echoes W et al.’s warning that we must study the setting, not just the student.
Why it matters
You can’t pick an evidence-based college plan because almost none exist. Use the student-driven tips from L et al. while you push for data. Track what you try and share it—our field needs those numbers.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The increase in the number of higher-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is likely to lead to an increased interest in postsecondary opportunities including degree-granting college and university programs. To provide an understanding of the current evidence-base for supporting individuals with ASD in higher education, this article reports the results of a systematic review of the literature concerning college students with ASD. Overall, 20 articles describing 69 individuals met the inclusion criteria. This small number of articles and participants indicates the scarcity of research on this topic and only two of these studies were experimental in nature. These studies described a video-self modeling intervention and a counseling intervention respectively. Eighteen "case studies" were also present in the literature that described difficulties ranging from anxiety to housing concerns. This review deliniates the limitation of our understanding of effective college programming for individuals with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2014 · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2135-5