Understanding the Needs of Autistic Post-Secondary Students
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| Title: | Understanding the Needs of Autistic Post-Secondary Students |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2024 54(7):2636-2650. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Education Level: | Postsecondary Education Higher Education |
| Descriptors: | Postsecondary Education, College Students, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Student Needs, Student Attitudes, Barriers |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-023-06010-w |
| ISSN: | 0162-3257 1573-3432 |
| Abstract: | Autistic students are a growing subgroup within post-secondary schooling; however, little is known about barriers to their success in that context. Research suggests autistic students face more challenges to completing post-secondary education than neurotypical students, but findings often rely on expert opinion and fail to incorporate first-hand perspectives. To address this gap, a qualitative inquiry into barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students was conducted. Thematic Analysis yielded 10 themes in three categories, while two separate cross-cutting themes emerged; themes interact with one another, intensifying concerns of autistic students. Findings can support post-secondary institutions to reflect on the extent to which these barriers are present for their autistic students and modify support services accordingly. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1433046 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwFufi5n0rkw0NkSTlTXrBVlAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDBuJuanpPPXJlULHzQIBEICBmzUNotKVbBYBOVAOnFcqwVzhXndF2yVn_yVmAJRERrzH2RLA6RZcZoHSgrW_qGLiE4ATJ3a3yiLL2kDADLWd29jhp1QszJjwP7H7v55m7e3BhkuRmcqOzbeBRMSvYRSmZgyw9S-_dZYeWuXPmPlF0Px-Fs_o2VW53sYu0QIAu9ygZhg6I1uTbDCDB77mZ4PQKmCH9Fo9ni6C9GFO Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0178677531;aut01jul.24;2024Jul31.05:05;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0178677531-1">Understanding the Needs of Autistic Post-Secondary Students </title> <p>Autistic students are a growing subgroup within post-secondary schooling; however, little is known about barriers to their success in that context. Research suggests autistic students face more challenges to completing post-secondary education than neurotypical students, but findings often rely on expert opinion and fail to incorporate first-hand perspectives. To address this gap, a qualitative inquiry into barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students was conducted. Thematic Analysis yielded 10 themes in three categories, while two separate cross-cutting themes emerged; themes interact with one another, intensifying concerns of autistic students. Findings can support post-secondary institutions to reflect on the extent to which these barriers are present for their autistic students and modify support services accordingly.</p> <p>Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Post-secondary students; University; Barriers; Support</p> <p>Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.</p> <p>Many autistic[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>] individuals seek a post-secondary education (VanBergeijk et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref2">41</reflink>]; Volkmar et al., [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref3">42</reflink>]) and can attain post-secondary degrees (Roberts, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref4">36</reflink>]) as they possess academic and intellectual ability that, when combined with specific interests, support their educational success (Dillon, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref5">17</reflink>]; Morrison et al., [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref6">34</reflink>]). However, available research indicates that participation rates in post-secondary education are significantly lower for autistic individuals compared to the general population and than peers with speech/language impairments, learning disabilities, and/or cognitive disabilities (Shattuck et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref7">39</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref8">40</reflink>]). In recent years, early intervention combined with improved supports and accommodations during the school years has enabled greater numbers of transition-aged autistic students to attend post-secondary (Cullen, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref9">16</reflink>]; Gelbar et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref10">23</reflink>]). Yet, prior research on autistic post-secondary students and relevant supports is limited and few studies have investigated outcomes for autistic post-secondary students (Alcorn MacKay, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref11">2</reflink>]; Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref12">5</reflink>]). Authors have called for more research to understand transition planning for autistic young adults and post-secondary students as the evidence for autistic adult services was sparse and inadequate (e.g., Getzel, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref13">25</reflink>]; Shattuck et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref14">39</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref15">40</reflink>]). A subsequent review (Gelbar et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref16">23</reflink>]) found 20 articles that investigated autistic post-secondary students, all of which had small sample sizes and only two of which were experimental. Gelbar et al. found these results underwhelming and highlighted a need to move past theoretical accounts towards evidence-based research that would allow autistic students to communicate their personal experiences in post-secondary institutions.</p> <p>While previous research regarding the first-hand experiences of autistic post-secondary students has been limited (e.g., Cai &amp; Richdale, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref17">12</reflink>]; Cullen, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref18">16</reflink>]; Knott &amp; Taylor, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref19">30</reflink>]) there has been a promising rise in this research (e.g., Anderson et al. [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref20">4</reflink>]; Jackson et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref21">28</reflink>]). However, Jackson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref22">28</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref23">29</reflink>]) still note that "the dearth of literature on this topic significantly limits both our understanding of the challenges impacting the ability of many students with ASD from achieving their full potential in post-secondary academic settings" (p. 639). Further, much research regarding autistic students still emphasizes perspectives of program providers and family members (e.g., Anderson &amp; Butt, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref24">6</reflink>]; Cox et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref25">15</reflink>]; Dymond et al., [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref26">18</reflink>]; Elias &amp; White, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref27">21</reflink>]; Elias et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref28">20</reflink>]; Ward &amp; Webster, [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref29">43</reflink>]) rather than firsthand accounts of autistic students.</p> <p>Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref30">5</reflink>]) extended Gelbar et al.'s review and conducted a systematic literature review examining the experiences of autistic post-secondary students. They found 29 articles that identified 18 studies not included in Gelbar et al.'s review. Anderson et al. found an array of supports available to autistic students, suggesting increased awareness regarding the difficulties autistic post-secondary students experience. The authors concluded that autistic students were concerned with both academic and non-academic concerns, and that many students did not receive adequate support. They also found that autistic students were often unsuccessful in their self-advocacy efforts and/or were reluctant to disclose their diagnosis, which impeded access to available supports (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref31">5</reflink>]). Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref32">4</reflink>]) surveyed autistic post-secondary students regarding their experiences and reported that students experienced a variety of academic and non-academic concerns while attending school. Yet, they reported that many available supports were not utilized by autistic students. Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref33">4</reflink>]) argued for the need to improve the quality and appropriateness of available supports, and at the same time suggested that supports should be highly individualized due to the heterogeneity in autism presentation. Jackson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref34">28</reflink>]) also surveyed autistic students regarding their post-secondary experiences and found that students felt comfortable with their academic workload but desired more social support, career, housing, and counselling services. Further, these authors noted that many of their participants reported feeling lonely, left out, isolated, or lacking companionship. The authors stated that the needs of autistic students are often not met in post-secondary environments because most environments mainly offer traditional academic supports that may or may not apply to autistic students. Sarrett ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref35">38</reflink>]) conducted surveys and focus groups with autistic students and found that responses were mixed regarding satisfaction with the level of support students received, but that many students noted that their sensory and social needs were not met. Bolourian et al. ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref36">9</reflink>]) conducted semi-structured interviews with current and previous students who were either autistic or had a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Participants reported social and emotional challenges as more concerning than academic challenges. The authors further found similarities in the populations regarding diagnostic disclosure and self-awareness but noted that autistic students had more concerns with negative peer interactions and independent living. In summary, most studies suggest that the needs of autistic students are diverse and largely unmet.</p> <p>Previous research has identified that autistic students have a lower likelihood of completing their degree compared the general student population (Dillon, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref37">17</reflink>]; Newman et al. [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref38">35</reflink>]). However, this may be because most post-secondary institutions may be considered 'ableist' and are generally set up to serve the needs of neurotypical students via neurotypical learning standards and expectations. Most post-secondary community members (e.g., faculty, support staff, fellow students) have more experience and comfortability with neurotypical students. In addition to traditional academic supports, autistic students need more intensive supports (Roberts, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref39">36</reflink>]) that are specific to their individual needs (VanBergeijk et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref40">41</reflink>]) and that enable greater inclusivity and acceptance. Even when they can complete their studies, autistic students face significant obstacles in multiple domains while trying to navigate the demands of post-secondary involvement, work, community participation, and independent living (Hendricks &amp; Wehman, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref41">27</reflink>]). Although little information is available on how to respond to these concerns, safe spaces, supportive relationships, mentoring programs (see Bebko et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref42">8</reflink>]), parental involvement, and transition planning are beneficial (Gelbar et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref43">23</reflink>]; Glennon, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref44">26</reflink>]).</p> <p>Inquiries on first-hand experiences of barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students can facilitate the development of appropriate support plans for this population (Glennon, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref45">26</reflink>]; Ross et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref46">37</reflink>]; Wright, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref47">44</reflink>]) and inform service provision for autistic post-secondary students. The current study used qualitative investigation of autistic post-secondary students' experiences to determine barriers to their success.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-2">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0178677531-3">Participants</hd> <p>Once ethics approval was received, a sample of 14 autistic post-secondary students (9 males, 5 females) aged 18–50 (<emph>M</emph> = 25.67, <emph>Mdn</emph> = 23) was recruited from local institutions and autism agencies in Canada. Participants were enrolled in either a university or college institution. Two did not indicate their date of birth, so their age could not be calculated. Participants had to be a current post-secondary student, have a diagnosis of autism or other related diagnosis (i.e., Asperger's disorder), and be fluent in English. Within the sample, six (43%) reported an Asperger's disorder diagnosis, four (29%) an ASD diagnosis, and one (7%) a PDD-NOS diagnosis. One participant was unsure if their diagnosis was for Asperger's or ASD (7%), while two noted they had been diagnosed with both diagnoses (14%). Two additional individuals expressed interest in the study but were not included in the sample as they did not have a formal diagnosis. As the purpose of the investigation was to capture a broad range of experiences for autistic post-secondary students, cognitive requirements were not established. Eleven participants were Caucasian, one was African American, one was Asian, and one was Hispanic. Many co-occurring conditions were reported (see Table 1).</p> <p>Table 1 Co-Morbid Conditions (lifetime)</p> <p> <ephtml> &lt;table frame="hsides" rules="groups"&gt;&lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Condition&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Number (N = 14)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Percent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Generalized anxiety disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;50&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Social anxiety disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;36&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;ADHD&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;36&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Social (pragmatic) communication disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Expressive language disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bipolar disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Major depressive disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Persistent depressive disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Addictions&lt;sup&gt;a&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learning disorders&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;2&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Speech Articulation Disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Adjustment disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;PTSD&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Psychosis&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dissociative mental disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Body dysmorphic disorder&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Phobia&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;1&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;7&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Total with at least one co-morbid condition&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;11&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;79&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Total with two or more co-morbid conditions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;9&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;64&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Total with no co-morbid conditions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;3&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;21&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <p>a Addictions refers to alcohol, drugs, and gambling</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-4">Procedure</hd> <p>Upon obtaining informed consent, the interviewer conducted and audio-recorded the in-person semi-structured interviews in private and fully-accessible offices at two post-secondary institutions. The interview process was flexible to meet the needs of each participant. Many participants required support to respond, expand upon, or clarify initial responses. To allow participants to engage to their fullest abilities, the interviewer often re-phrased questions pertaining to the barriers to success by asking, "<emph>What is harder than it needs to be?"</emph> or "<emph>What is more difficult for you compared to other students on campus?"</emph> One participant also stated: "<emph>I feel like it helps if you give me examples,</emph>" so the interviewer provided participants with broad categories of barriers that had been identified in previous literature and interviews. Participants could then indicate if that barrier was a concern for them and elaborate on the reasons for their response. The interviewer also asked, "<emph>Is there anything else that you think is important to share with me?</emph>" to allow participants to share their experiences in an open-ended manner. Interviews ranged from 20 to 50 min (<emph>M</emph> = 28 min) in length; the interview is included as Appendix. Following the interview, each participant completed a demographic information form and was given a resource sheet.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-5">Data Analysis</hd> <p>Interview audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy. All utterances (e.g., 'um' or 'yeah') and non-verbal communication (i.e., laughter) were included. Words emphasized by the participant were italicized. To help ensure anonymity, participants selected a pseudonym. Third party names and identifying information were removed.</p> <p>Data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (TA) because it is flexible and can utilize rich and detailed accounts of data (Braun &amp; Clarke, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref48">11</reflink>]). Flexibility was important for this study as the needs of this population are highly diverse (VanBergeijk et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref49">41</reflink>]). Data analysis strictly followed Braun and Clarke's ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref50">11</reflink>]) six-step method that identifies themes in individual cases and then focuses on the connection between cases. Given the exploratory nature of the present study, the data were analyzed inductively (bottom-up). However, given the researchers' previous experience with autism and the extensive literature review conducted prior to data analysis, the researcher's previous knowledge played a role in data interpretation. Still, coding was not theoretically driven and data were not organized into pre-conceived themes.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-6">Credibility Checks</hd> <p>To enhance trustworthiness of the analysis, several credibility checks outlined by Mays and Pope ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref51">32</reflink>]) were used. Expert opinion via conversations with clinicians informed the initial interview and refined research procedures. This approach ensured the interview questions were in line with and would elicit responses needed to answer the primary research question. Prior to designing the study, the primary author met with an autistic post-secondary student to receive feedback and input from a member of the research population. To enhance the trustworthiness of findings, theme and category definitions with 53 key exemplars were provided to a colleague not associated with the study, but familiar with qualitative research. Initial agreement upon the themes' definitions and exemplars was 94%; following discussion and clarification, agreement reached 100%. Thematic saturation was reached upon analysis of the ninth interview.</p> <p>According to Mays and Pope ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref52">32</reflink>]), reflexivity is an internal process of being sensitive to the ways the researcher and research process shape the data, which includes the role of prior assumptions and experience. In this case, the researchers identified their assumptions and made clear their previous experience regarding autism populations. The researchers are not autistic; however, they have knowledge of the population due to their previous reading, research, and experiences. As such, they acknowledge their interpretations have been influenced by exposure to autistic individuals, their supporters, and autism literature.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-7">Results</hd> <p>Twelve total themes emerged from the data (see Table 2). The primary themes fell into two larger overarching themes (<emph>compounded concerns</emph> and <emph>achieving independence</emph>) and three categories which broke down into 10 sub-themes: (a) Intrapersonal Barriers (<emph>flexibility</emph>, <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph>, <emph>sensory processing</emph>, and <emph>attention</emph>), (b) Interpersonal Barriers (<emph>personal relationships</emph>, <emph>working relationships</emph>, and <emph>mental health awareness</emph>), and (c) Systems Concerns (<emph>administrative issues</emph>, <emph>absence or mismatch of service provisions</emph>, and <emph>late diagnosis</emph>). Themes were organized into a nested hierarchical structure so the relation between them would be more evident (see Fig. 1). The three categories interacted with and contributed to the theme <emph>compounded concerns</emph>, which has further influence on the final thematic overlay of <emph>achieving independence</emph>. Intrapersonal Barriers, Interpersonal Barriers, and Systems Concerns are often related to or can account for the emergence of other barriers. As such, an Intrapersonal Barrier like <emph>flexibility</emph> can lead to System Concerns, as typical administrative procedures (e.g., choosing course schedules), may create barriers for autistic students, which would make it a <emph>compounded concern</emph>. Each category will be described, with selected excerpts provided as evidence to support the themes. While each participant contributed data for the analysis only those exemplars that best supported each theme are reported here. As such, exemplars were used from eight participants (represented by their selected pseudonyms Grace, Batman, Russwest, Pansage, 421,714, 7, 3317, and 34,715).</p> <p>Table 2 Themes for Barriers for Autistic Post-Secondary Students</p> <p> <ephtml> &lt;table frame="hsides" rules="groups"&gt;&lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Theme&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Category&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sources&lt;sup&gt;a&lt;/sup&gt; (n)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Coded excerpts&lt;sup&gt;b&lt;/sup&gt; (n)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" rowspan="4"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Intrapersonal&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;11&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;38&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Inferences and abstractions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;8&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;21&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sensory processing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;10&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Attention&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;8&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Personal relationships&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" rowspan="3"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Interpersonal&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;10&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;23&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Working relationships&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;13&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;29&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mental health awareness&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;3&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;9&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Administrative issues&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" rowspan="3"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Systems Concerns&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;8&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;17&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Absence or mismatch of service provisions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;12&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;28&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Late diagnosis&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;5&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;8&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Compounded concerns&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;N/A&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;12&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;29&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Achieving independence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;N/A&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;14&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;33&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <p>a Sources refers to the number of participants who noted a particular concern b Coded excerpts refers to the number of times a particular theme manifested across exemplars</p> <p>Graph: Fig. 1 Hierarchical structure of the relationship between themes</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-8">Intrapersonal Barriers</hd> <p>This category represents internal barriers that may or may not be related to features of autism. This category includes <emph>flexibility</emph>, <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph>, <emph>sensory processing</emph>, and <emph>attention.</emph></p> <hd id="AN0178677531-9">Flexibility</hd> <p>This theme refers to barriers related to the need for structure often experienced by autistic students. This includes a desire for routines and consistency, difficulty applying skills in different situations (generalization), and challenges dealing with uncertainty. Below is an example of a student struggling to cope with change.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> GraceYep. Yeah, all, everything is routine in my life, like everything. I schedule free time [laughing], like I have scheduled times when [I'm] allowed to do nothing or do whatever I want, but it still scheduled. So everything is very routine in my life; everything is the same per [sic] day, so.</item> <p></p> <item> InterviewerYeah and what happens if there's been an unexpected change to that schedule?</item> <p></p> <item> GraceThen it's frustrating. Like I have to stop whatever I'm doing and redo my schedule, and figure it out; and, like, the world has to stop, and then... until I figure it out. And once I figure it out, and then I'm, I'm totally fine; I'm calm again. But in that moment, it's very, like it, it needs to be figured out now.</item> </ulist> <p>Another participant conveyed the stress he experiences at the start of each semester due to the challenge of starting new classes.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerAnything else that might be difficult for you or that you think is important to share with me about having autism and going to school?</item> <p></p> <item> BatmanIt would be having to get used to every new class, as it comes up where first day of classes I go through the list of stresses where it's a new situation: "Oh God, what am I doing? I don't understand the subjects that are already being placed down in front of me; oh God, I'm in the wrong program: I don't understand the full connotations of the professor and what they're trying to convey; oh God, what am I doing? I should drop out." And it's just like this long list that gets progressively worse and worse. Class ends [and] my mind starts compartmentalizing things and then I can get a new better look at it.</item> </ulist> <p>The following example illustrates the difficulties autistic students may experience when dealing with the uncertainty of planning for their future or making decisions without support and structure.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 421714Just the fact that there is, like, no real structure because, like, in a lot of cases you kind of have to choose your own class. And because I know that's one barrier with being on the spectrum, is that you have to try to figure [out] classes. They tell you that these are your elective options, and, and they give you all the options, but the problem is that that is still too open; it's too general; there's not enough structure for that....And because I know in my, um, we actually had a science fair and they said: "You can, you can, build a project." I didn't build anything because I didn't know what to build.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-10">Inferences and Abstractions</hd> <p>This theme refers to difficulties participants described with drawing inferences, reading between the lines, and/or understanding things apart from concreate realities. This includes challenges using pragmatic language and/or understanding language whose meaning is not directly available. Students shared examples of difficulties they had in different contexts, including course content, exam questions, and verbal and non-verbal communication.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerYeah what about understanding what professors want from you on like papers or assignments or things like that?</item> <p></p> <item> BatmanThat usually requires me sitting down after class and being like "What is exactly expected, how much is supposed to be done?" Thankfully, in a science program it's a lot easier to get that done because what is expected is very much just like data tables: understanding and explaining data tables. So what I write is usually very succinct, which I think they hate, but I have taken a few like Anthropology as well as English courses and that has become exceedingly difficult to deal with, to do. Thankfully I no longer have to do them, but when I did, it would be situations like from high-school: read a poem, translate the poem [sigh and pause]. There's nothing there for me to translate because I don't understand anything about it.</item> </ulist> <p>The following examples demonstrate how difficulties with inferences and abstractions can result in barriers related to verbal and non-verbal communication.</p> <p>Example 1:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> BatmanPfft, I have a <emph>very</emph> difficult time of reading facial expressions and understanding people's facial, facial features at all.</item> </ulist> <p>Example 2:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> BatmanI'm always, have been direct with people and asked for people to be direct with me because otherwise I have no way to tell if someone's being sarcastic.</item> </ulist> <p>The next example is also an example of a <emph>compounded concern</emph>, as a participant discusses how his difficulty with <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph> affects his <emph>personal relationships</emph>.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerYes, so what do you think is the most difficult part about social relationships?</item> <p></p> <item> 7Uh, [10 second pause] trying uh, kind of figuring out, figuring out what other people, what other people [11 second pause], that kind of, like kind of like reading other people's, reading other people's body language and I guess you could say, demeanour. And uh, like, with that uh, with that, like, kind of reading, reading what makes, what makes them not, uh what's the word, [8 second pause] makes them uncomfortable or, [3 second pause] not welcoming, I guess.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-11">Sensory processing</hd> <p>This theme highlights barriers occurring due to difficulties with sensory processing. Many concerns with sensory processing can also be considered Compounded Concerns as in some instances there is an <emph>absence of or mismatch of service provisions</emph> for sensory concerns on post-secondary campuses.</p> <p>Example 1:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 421,714I eventually realized it was because the lights are too bright and I was getting overstimulated from that, so I went out and I got uh prescription safety glasses that have tinting on it. And so when I was talking to the accessibility services they also give me some earplugs and noise dampening headphones to help with that.</item> </ulist> <p>Example 2:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> BatmanWith large class sizes it's easy to feel like you're getting lost in the noise around you, because I am sensitive to auditory and visual stimulation as well as motions. Where it's hard to keep focused and, as a result, I start losing focus to small things, trying to absorb in everything that's going on around me at once, and then it starts building up, and up, and up.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-12">Attention</hd> <p>This theme refers to difficulties with attention that make it hard to focus. In the example, the participant describes issues that lead him to choose not to attend class.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> RusswestUm, like yeah, also um, this is more class related, like um, I don't know, I don't really know if its related, but pretty much, um, pretty much, sometimes I don't go to my class because I feel like I don't um, I feel like I don't get anything out of it. Like I said, my attention span has been pretty bad throughout university, so I feel like I just can't focus in class so I just end up doing it on my own. So I feel, like, that the attention span has been a barrier to my success.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-13">Interpersonal Barriers</hd> <p>This category includes barriers in working or interacting with others; the themes are <emph>personal relationships, working relationships,</emph> and <emph>mental health awareness</emph>. These issues often arise from, or are exacerbated by, Intrapersonal Barriers and/or System Concerns.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-14">Personal Relationships</hd> <p>This theme refers to difficulties autistic students experience when establishing close, meaningful, or genuine relationships with others. Below, a participant demonstrated a desire for, and difficulty establishing, romantic and companion-type relationships.</p> <p>Example 1:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 3317I find it's kind of difficult to make friends.</item> <p></p> <item> InterviewerMmmhm, hmm, what's difficult about that?</item> <p></p> <item> 3317Um I don't know, I've always been a bit introverted, and it's kind of difficult to, for me to put myself out there, even if, and I guess the same could apply to some, to some, of the some of the people that I knew from years back. It's not so much that, I know they want to talk to me or what not, it's just actually saying: "Hey do you want to do something?"</item> </ulist> <p>Example 2:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 3317I don't know, I guess there, I guess I felt, I kind of feel a bit of pressure to kind of start dating. I mean my, my parents aren't pushing it, but a lot of my, a lot of my old friends are in relationships, and I know, I know people who are introverted and have, also have AD/HD or other things like that, and they're also in relationships. It kind of, it kind of sucks.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-15">Working Relationships</hd> <p>This theme refers to problems that emerge when interacting with others. This category is distinct from <emph>personal relationships</emph> because, with <emph>working relationships</emph>, the emphasis is on required interactions and not necessarily on developing a close, meaningful relationship. This can present as a barrier when autistic students need to communicate and work with others. This could include, but is not limited to working relationships with professors, classmates, and other post-secondary staff (e.g., librarians, administrative staff).</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerYeah, okay so you get into a group and then what happens?</item> <p></p> <item> 7And then, and then, and then, I like uh like I said there um I have a like, um like I've, I get in, I get into one, I've, I've, I've [sigh], we uh study, we study together for a while, and then and then it just invitab-inevitably I get uh I get, I get, I get some kind of text or message that says, that says, that uh actually says ["No, we're not studying together"], uh or I just kind of stop hearing from them.</item> <p></p> <item> InterviewerOkay so either they say "No, were not doing the study group anymore" or they just kind of fade off?</item> <p></p> <item> 7Yeah well for me at least. But like, and um in uh in one, in one particular example, I um I know it, um I know it was the fact that they uh, that they uh continued but I just wasn't there.</item> </ulist> <p>Next, a participant noted requiring things to be a certain way, which makes working in groups difficult. This demonstrates how <emph>flexibility</emph> can impact <emph>working relationships</emph>.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> GraceI think it's just like my classmates are one of them. Like sometimes I need to be organized and it needs to be my way, and sometimes my classmates will be like "Oh well, we'll just do it this way," and my brain like has a little aneurism because I'm like: "That's not, that's not the right way, like you can't do it that way," so I have to like really let it go.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-16">Mental Health Awareness</hd> <p>This theme refers to difficulties arising from others' lack of knowledge about autism, mental health, or disabilities in general.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 34715I guess we are academically graded but we are also sort of graded in clinical subjectively by your instructor and so, like, if they don't really, I guess if they never really had an autistic student before, they might misconstrue like some of the stuff that I do as unprofessionalism. But really like, I don't know, like I'm just, I'm just learning like how to talk to people and like, I don't know. I'm just um, if I do make a mistake, it's unintentional and I do learn and I do take their feedback, um but they might have that perception like "Oh this person's unprofessional," like "Should this person be a [health practitioner]?"</item> </ulist> <p>Another participant shared how she was reluctant to disclose her diagnosis because people overlook the fact that many autistic people do not have a co-occurring intellectual disability.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> GraceUm I think, I think [it] really just has to do with awareness, like it, like even when I told a lot of the people in my program, they know I've been diagnosed, but they don't know with what. And I've told maybe two of them and even they're like "What?" Like they're like "It makes sense, like it does make sense, but I would've never pinned that on you, I never would have thought..." So it's just creating a social awareness about the spectrum and not just autistic, like I think that's the biggest barrier and the thing that I would want most people to know is that like, people like me do have ASD and it's, it's a real thing but it's not like as detrimental as they're thinking it is.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-17">Systems Concerns</hd> <p>This category refers to barriers arising from the organization or structure of educational systems. Barriers in this category include <emph>administrative issues</emph>, an <emph>absence of or mismatch of service provisions</emph>, and a <emph>late diagnosis</emph>.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-18">Administrative Issues</hd> <p>This theme refers to barriers that arise due to administrative issues such as concerns with scheduling, policies, and general difficulty accessing services. Below, a student tries to navigate the procedures to arrange for accommodations. This excerpt is another example of a <emph>compounded concern</emph>, as the student experienced a <emph>systems concern</emph> that made it difficult to engage in <emph>working relationships</emph> with school administrators.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerIs there anything else that you can think of that's difficult while attending school?</item> <p></p> <item> 421714I find, I find my biggest problem is dealing with the academic procedures because I find postsecondary institutions are very black-and-white and "This is the rules you have to follow." But I think black-and-white, and I have trouble going through it; it's just so hard to negotiate and that's one of my biggest problems. It's like, even right now student loans has delayed my funding and trying to get through the right department at [name of institution] to talk to who I have to, in order to let them know, it's a headache, and it just gets me so frustrated, that I start, and I actually become more direct and blunt and start lashing out verbally, and of course then they get upset. It's just, it's just too frustrating and I can't find a way through. It's almost like I need an advocate to help me, because even going online and trying to find [information] or it's just too hard.</item> </ulist> <p>Another student noted that it can take a while to book appointments to seek services, which is amplified if the student needs accommodations and supports to engage in their educational pursuits.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> BatmanThere is an issue on campus, but it's kind of more of a general issue for everyone, where there are counsellors on campus, but they're booked like six months in advance and they're filled like 6 months in advance, so if you're trying to go in with an issue you have now, too bad.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-19">Absence or Mismatch of Service Provisions</hd> <p>This barrier refers to unmet student needs that occur due to lack of accommodation in response to their specific concern, or when a student is provided with an accommodation that is problematic. In the following example, a participant states that he opted to cancel his exam accommodations because it is important for him to be able to interact with the professor to clarify what a particular exam question is asking. This example demonstrates how an intrapersonal barrier (i.e., <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph>) can lead to System Concerns, making it another example of a <emph>compounded concern</emph>. In this case, the student must decide whether he wants to use the accommodation and risk misinterpreting questions, or whether he prefers to receive professorial support and risk running out of time during the exam.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> BatmanYeah and I have to attend the class even during the testing period. And so I have to, like I have to cancel my own accommodations because then I can't understand what the exam is.</item> </ulist> <p>Another participant stated that he has accommodations for exams, but does not receive accommodations for quizzes, which results in him running out of time.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 7Hmmm, well actually I haven't really, I haven't really noticed too, too much. Like, I mean sometimes my professors could have been a little more accessible. I mean they're usually, they're usually, they're usually okay with, with me submitting my accommodations and stuff like that, but I don't know. Sometimes, sometimes quizzes, quizzes can sometimes go left field and I end up running out of time–and that actually happened recently, so I guess there's that.</item> </ulist> <p>Another participant noted that he has arranged double time for in-class quizzes. However, this results in him missing a portion of the class since by the time he is finished writing the quiz and rejoins the class, the professor has already started the lecture and moved on without him.</p> <p>Notably, many concerns about a lack of service provisions were related to courses with a lab component. Many students noted that they could not get accommodations for these classes, despite attempting to make such arrangements.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 421714The lab courses, I'm having a lot of problems with. Part of that problem, though, is there is no real accommodations that I can get for the lab. There is lots with the theory classes and not for the labs, and I'm actually fighting with [name of institution] to actually get those accommodations.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-20">Late Diagnosis</hd> <p>This theme refers to instances in which recently diagnosed participants (i.e., those who completed diagnostic assessment and received an autism diagnosis while attending their current post-secondary institution) indicated that remaining undiagnosed for a long period of time was detrimental. This barrier is considered a Systems Concern as these individuals could have been identified by previous educational institutions. Essentially, these individuals were overlooked as children or youth, which prevented them from receiving beneficial supports. Below, a student provides a description of growing up not knowing of his diagnosis.</p> <p>Batman: It sucks, it absolutely sucks. Like, every day of your life knowing that there was something wrong, or growing up and not being able to have a name to it, but knowing that something was wrong, and never being able to name what was wrong with you. It was awful.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> InterviewerYes, so going undiagnosed for so long was especially awful?</item> <p></p> <item> BatmanYeah. And it would lead to like many different, like, awful thoughts about yourself.</item> <p></p> <item> InterviewerSo sometimes negative thinking and negative thoughts towards yourself can be...</item> <p></p> <item> BatmanUm, from the first, from the ages of five till thirteen, I didn't believe I was human. Like, the way I was treated in classes, and like my own understanding of how, like, my self-perception was. I knew there was something wrong with me. I could never name what was wrong with me because there is nothing that I could see as different to the other people, so like, the only conclusion I could ever come up with was, "I'm not one of these people, I'm something...just a freak."</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-21">Compounded Concerns</hd> <p>This theme focusses on the interaction of multiple barriers in previously identified categories. <emph>Compounded concerns</emph> occur when a barrier or challenge in one area leads to or exacerbates barriers and concerns in other areas. Multiple examples of these concerns have been identified in previous excerpts; however, others are provided here for thematic clarity.</p> <p>The following participant shares how difficulties with <emph>flexibility</emph> can lead to Systems Concerns when selecting courses.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 421714Another part I find is [name of school], it's really bad at releasing its next semester schedule until like the beginning of December. I like to know what my schedule is going to be like ahead of time, this is the, it's part of the uncertainty, and so if I can kind of plan out where I'm going to go, what, what class, what room, what building, stuff like that.</item> </ulist> <p>In another example, a participant shared his difficulty with initiating and establishing close personal relationships. He noted that he feels depressed, stays in bed, and misses his classes, which in turn adversely affects his grades, demonstrating how difficulties with <emph>personal relationships</emph> can compound into other concerns.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-22">Achieving Independence</hd> <p>The final theme refers to difficulties managing and doing activities that are generally expected in adulthood, such as housework, laundry, cooking transportation, working, and establishing financial independence that may or may not be directly related to participants' autism. This theme overarches the other themes, as the complexity of the <emph>compounded concerns</emph> makes it difficult for the participants to <emph>achieve independence</emph>. In most examples in the present study, parents assumed responsibility for many of the tasks participants would be expected to carry out. With the example below, a student stated that her father covers the cost of her tuition and organizes his work schedule so that he can drive her to and from school.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> PansageI am sort of concerned about the high cost of university, but my dad always says not to worry about it, that he'll take care of it; yet, I also qualify for a few scholarships, so that I guess helps.</item> <p></p> <item> PansageSo my dad works at the university, so usually I get a ride in with him, and he's - again this is the helicopter parent thing – he is pretty flexible, so he just works at the University based [on] my schedule. He often drops me in time for my first classes, and he types something up in his office, and then I come up and get him when I'm done.</item> </ulist> <p>Next, a participant noted difficulties with daily living. In this instance, the students' parents manage these concerns for him. Yet, it is anticipated that if this student was responsible for these tasks, the demand on his resources would leave him less able to focus on education.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> 3317Uh, well for now I'm living with my parents. It's just, it just happens to be convenient, and it's a bit cheaper than living on residence. Yeah, I find that I, I find that, I'm usually able to take care of myself decently but I, but I still don't know some, some things like doing, doing laundry, or I can kind of cook, but not really.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-23">Discussion</hd> <p>The current study investigated the barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students. Many themes aligned with the existing literature, but some themes were less prevalent. Each theme is discussed in relation to current literature, followed by limitations and implications.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-24">Intrapersonal Barriers</hd> <p>As a broad category, Intrapersonal Barriers appear to contribute to many concerns for autistic post-secondary students. This finding suggests that Intrapersonal Barriers are aligned with features of autism and can provide a perspective from which to understand the other themes/barriers. While this category of barriers plays a role in autistic students' success in post-secondary environments, we should continue to be mindful of the interaction between Intrapersonal Barriers, Interpersonal Barriers, and Systems Concerns that result in c<emph>ompounded concerns.</emph></p> <p>The theme of <emph>flexibility</emph> aligns with existing diagnostic criteria (e.g., APA, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref53">3</reflink>]). Further, Knott and Taylor ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref54">30</reflink>]) referred to ways that perfectionism and an over-focus on detail can affect academic concerns while Cai and Richdale ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref55">12</reflink>]) and Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref56">4</reflink>]) concluded that a lack of structure could be overwhelming. The theme of <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph> is somewhat lacking in the current literature, with most information pertaining to this theme focusing on communication difficulties (e.g., Cullen, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref57">16</reflink>]). While communication is integral to this theme, the underlying element driving the communication concern is difficulties with inferences and abstractions. Autistic individuals may interpret and use language literally, and may not always pick up on implied meanings or abstractions. These difficulties translate into challenges noticing and deriving meaning from aspects of communication that may not be obvious from the lexical content (e.g., facial expressions, tone of voice, body language). This theme was evident in Cai and Richdale's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref58">12</reflink>]) findings, which identified ways in which social-communication difficulties may lead to misinterpretations that adversely affect relationships and student learning outcomes.</p> <p>The <emph>sensory processing</emph> theme aligns with much of the existing literature with autistic students indicating that sensory concerns were problematic for both academic and day-to-day functioning (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref59">5</reflink>]; Knott &amp; Taylor, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref60">30</reflink>]) and participants in Sarret's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref61">37</reflink>]) study expressing a desire for sensory friendly spaces on campus. The theme of <emph>attention</emph> is also important as, prior to <emph>DSM-5,</emph> individuals could not formally be diagnosed with autism and AD/HD (Gargaro et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref62">22</reflink>]). However, research suggests AD/HD is prevalent in autistic populations (Leitner, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref63">31</reflink>]) and participants in our study communicated attention concerns impeded their success. Further exploration of how executive functioning impacts the ability of those on the autism spectrum to participate in post-secondary setting would be valuable. Elias and White ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref64">21</reflink>]) and Bolourian et al. ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref65">9</reflink>]) investigated needs of autistic students and those with AD/HD, but further investigation regarding the attentional concerns of autistic students is warranted.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-25">Interpersonal Barriers</hd> <p>Interpersonal Barriers occur when autistic students must interact with others. This category is comprised of three themes: <emph>personal relationships, working relationships,</emph> and <emph>mental health awareness</emph>, each of which is often exacerbated by existing intrapersonal barriers and/or system concerns.</p> <p>Within the theme of <emph>personal relationships,</emph> participants indicated difficulties making and maintaining close personal relationships. This theme is prevalent in majority of the existing literature, with Knott and Taylor ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref66">30</reflink>]) concluding that autistic students often desire personal relationships but struggle to attain them. Both Cullen's ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref67">16</reflink>]) and Cai and Richdale's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref68">12</reflink>]) results mirrored these findings. Further, other studies have concluded that non-academic concerns (i.e., social concerns) can be more problematic than academic concerns for autistic students (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref69">5</reflink>]; Camarena &amp; Sarigiani, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref70">13</reflink>]). Jackson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref71">28</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref72">29</reflink>]) found that 75% of their sample reported "feeling left out, isolated, or lacking companionship 'some of the time' or 'often'" (p. 646). The theme of <emph>working relationships</emph> is also in line with available research (e.g., Cai &amp; Richdale, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref73">12</reflink>]; Cullen, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref74">16</reflink>]; Knott &amp; Taylor, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref75">30</reflink>]) indicating that autistic students struggle significantly with group work. Additionally, participants in Sarrett's ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref76">38</reflink>]) study indicated they had faced negative attitudes on campus and wanted others on campus to be more accepting of differences. The present study's results broaden the domain of relationships to include all interactions with others that do not occur out of a desire for personal closeness. The findings also illustrate how difficulties in <emph>inferences and abstractions</emph> can contribute to communication concerns, which then affect aspects of interpersonal interactions. The present results indicate that <emph>mental health awareness</emph>, or a lack thereof, was detrimental to autistic students. This theme finds support in the literature, as Knott and Taylor ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref77">30</reflink>]) noted that most post-secondary employees thought it pertinent for autistic students to disclose their diagnosis so that others would be better informed on how to interpret and react to autistic students. However, as in the present research, students in Knott and Taylor's sample were wary of sharing their diagnosis for fear of discrimination. The issue of diagnostic disclosure has also been discussed in more recent research with Anderson et al.'s ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref78">5</reflink>]) systematic review concluding that many autistic individuals choose not to disclose their autism due to a variety of different reasons (e.g., stigma, wanting to succeed on their own, beliefs that supports would not help, and not wanting to accept support). Further, Cai and Richdale ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref79">12</reflink>]) indicated some autistic students had negative experiences with accessibility staff, stating the staff had limited knowledge of autism and its related concerns.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-26">Systems Concerns</hd> <p>Much of the literature to date focuses on personal barriers and fails to consider how post-secondary institutions can contribute to autistic concerns. Currently, the onus appears to be on the student to fit into the post-secondary model, with little to no emphasis on institutions adapting to meet student needs. This may be because the literature pertaining to autistic students has primarily relied on support providers' perspectives rather than those of individuals utilizing these services.</p> <p>For the theme of <emph>administrative issues,</emph> much of the current literature is referenced in suggestions for post-secondary institutions. Both participants in the current study and Cai and Richdale's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref80">12</reflink>]) research noted difficulties with arranging support, long wait times for services, and that assistance was contingent on proof of a diagnosis. Further, Dymond et al. ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref81">18</reflink>]) found that autistic students and their families were often unaware of the supports provided or found that the supports provided were offered during limited hours. While literature suggesting the need for service provisions for autistic students is prevalent (e.g., Hendricks &amp; Wehman, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref82">27</reflink>]; Roberts, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref83">36</reflink>]), this study highlights that accommodations can create additional barriers. Other research has focused on the <emph>absence or mismatch of service provisions</emph>. For example, Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref84">5</reflink>]) found that supports offered were often incongruent with the needs of autistic students and that academic supports were often offered when non-academic supports were desired. Other studies also found that formal supports or accommodations could not be granted unless students disclosed their autism (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref85">5</reflink>]; Cox et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref86">15</reflink>]); which as previously noted, not all autistic students feel comfortable doing. In addition, participants in Cai and Richdale's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref87">12</reflink>]) research indicated that even though their academic needs were being addressed, their social needs were not. These students concluded that the supports they received were insufficient and that they needed different, more personalized supports, suggesting a need to shift from the current academic service provisions to a more inclusive model offering broader forms of support. This desire for and recommendation that post-secondary institutions offer individualized services for autistic students has since been echoed multiple times (e.g., Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref88">5</reflink>]). The theme of a <emph>late diagnosis</emph> and its specific impact on educational barriers has not been widely discussed in the literature; however, McCrimmon et al. ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref89">33</reflink>]) reported a need for enhanced school screening practices for those without cognitive impairment, arguing teachers should be educated on features of autism to facilitate referrals. This could reduce the barriers undiagnosed students experience and improve long-term outcomes by facilitating earlier access to support services.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-27">Interactive Nature of Barriers</hd> <p>While each theme uncovered in the research is important, it is essential to discuss the relation among them. Deeper analysis suggests that the themes interact in a hierarchical manner. The interaction between themes helps to conceptualize an interactive and holistic view of the difficulties experienced by autistic students. Previous research has identified that autistic individuals struggle with education, independence, relationships, and employment relative to their peers (e.g., Eaves &amp; Ho, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref90">19</reflink>]; Shattuck et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref91">39</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref92">40</reflink>]). More recent research indicates that autistic adults have improved outcomes, but still require support, especially with transition related events (Anderson, Sosnowy, et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref93">4</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref94">7</reflink>]; Volkmar et al., [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref95">42</reflink>]). The current research extends the literature by shedding light on the interactions between each barrier and the potential impacts that living with <emph>compounded concerns</emph> can create, along with their impact on <emph>achieving independence</emph>. Research thus far has somewhat overlooked the interactions that occur based on the multiple types of barriers that autistic post-secondary students experience. However, Anderson et al. ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref96">7</reflink>]) reported a barrier of poor person-environment fit, that refers to a mismatch between a person's developmental needs and the opportunities offered in their environment. In their scoping review the authors found that the unique needs of autistic students were often not met in post-secondary environments and that autistic individuals struggled to gain independence and adopt adult roles.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-28">Limitations and Future Research Directions</hd> <p>First, although the research sample is small (a limitation of most qualitative studies), thematic saturation was reached, which strengthens the confidence in the transferability of the findings. Second, some of the barriers were not communicated directly by participants but became apparent through the researchers' analysis and interpretation. Although TA requires inference on behalf of the researchers, which risks misinterpretation, this reflection was essential as not all participants articulated barriers to their success with the same degree of clarity. In alignment with this, it should be noted that the study may have benefitted from collaboration with autistic researcher(s) during the data analysis phase as an additional measure to address reflexivity and to promote trustworthiness. Similarly, member checking with the participants regarding the thematic structure and findings may have enhanced the interpretation and trustworthiness. Future research could include these components to enhance strength of work in this field.</p> <p>Third, the interview style utilized in this study (i.e., providing participants with categories of barriers that may or may not impact their ability to participate in post-secondary), while intended to elicit rich and detailed data as required for thematic analysis, may have influenced the results. Caution should be taken when utilizing this approach as it can be considered leading/prompting the participant to respond in a specific way. In alignment with this limitation, participants in this study completed the interview verbally and so the results may not reflect the experiences and perspectives of those who are non-speaking, less verbal, or who may have benefitted from the opportunity to respond via written response or asynchronous means. Fourth, the sample was drawn from an urban centre, which could limit utility of findings to rural settings and institutions.</p> <p>Additionally, given its emphasis on barriers, the present study adds little to our understanding of facilitative factors for autistic post-secondary students. As noted by a participant, it can be difficult for autistic students to reflect upon and communicate their wants and needs. As such, this study investigated how best to support this population by asking them what they perceive to be harder for them compared to other students on campus. The resulting focus on identifying barriers/a deficit model may have restricted the elucidation of potentially constructive interventions. Strengths based/solution focused research may help overcome this limitation by uncovering facilitative factors for autistic post-secondary students. Investing in this type of research will allow service providers to gain a better understanding of the needs of their own autistic students and inform service provision.</p> <p>Another limitation of the study is that beyond the role of immediate family support, prospective cultural influences were not targeted or considered. Future research should aim to replicate or elaborate the investigative process with additional participants from diverse samples so that findings can demonstrate fair dealing and better transferability to the broader autistic population. It would also be beneficial to conduct additional comparative analysis regarding the barriers to success for this population when interviewing those working with autistic individuals. This would allow researchers to understand what those with autism want/need and what those who provide services to them think they want/need. This could potentially shed light on why there is a mismatch between services requested by autistic students and those provided. Finally, post-secondary education is often used as a precursor to employment. However, autistic individuals are historically underemployed (Shattuck et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref97">39</reflink>]) and further research should investigate both the purpose of post-secondary education and the link between post-secondary education and employment success for autistic individuals.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-29">Implications for Post-Secondary Institutions</hd> <p>As the theme <emph>mental health awareness</emph> implies, many individuals in post-secondary settings lack sufficient knowledge of autism. It is therefore indicated that ongoing psychoeducation regarding autism be made available to service providers (e.g., accessibility service advisors, counsellors, instructors, administrative staff), while broader mental health education be provided to the student body, perhaps in student orientations alongside information regarding safe campus communities. These suggestions will help post-secondary staff and students better understand and respond to the needs of autistic students. Cox et al. ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref98">15</reflink>]) made a similar recommendation when they highlighted the tension that autistic students can feel when trying to pass as 'normal' in post secondary environments while also trying to embrace their autistic identities. As such, the authors recommended that post-secondary institutions focus on promoting safer environments that may allow students to feel more comfortable with disclosing their differences.</p> <p>VanBergeijk et al. ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref99">41</reflink>]) noted that students are often expected to use individualized education plans developed in high school as a blueprint for university services. However, this is challenging for students diagnosed as adults, those whose plans need to be updated, or those who were never on individualized plans. To help institutions support autistic students, Roberts ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref100">36</reflink>]) recommended that schools provide transition planning, including career exploration, academic goal setting, learning style identification, self-advocacy skills, accommodations, academic supports, interagency collaboration, and time management skills. This suggestion has also been made by numerous other research investigations (Adreon &amp; Durocher, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref101">1</reflink>]; Cai &amp; Richdale, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref102">12</reflink>]; Dymond et al., [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref103">18</reflink>]; McCrimmon et al., [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref104">33</reflink>]), yet few students in the present study indicated receiving transition planning. Thus, it is again recommended that high schools and post-secondary institutions collaborate to increase the potential for successful transitions. However, Cox et al. ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref105">15</reflink>]) noted that post-secondary institutions should not assume that autistic students will be supported by previous educational programing to assist with transitioning.</p> <p>In addition, VanBergeijk et al. ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref106">41</reflink>]) recommended students take one or two courses at a time and that courses are chosen to match student strengths. Although potentially helpful, this may create challenges as most institutions require a minimum of three courses to be considered a full-time student. VanBergeijk and colleagues further suggested that autistic high-school students should have a transition year where they take university courses while still attending high-school so that they can receive support services from their high-school during the transition to becoming a post-secondary student. This may be effective if the two institutions are geographically close, which is not always the case. Further, for exam accommodations (i.e., exams taken in a quiet workspace), it is suggested that either the instructor or someone competent in the course material (e.g., a teaching assistant) be available during the testing so that students may ask clarifying questions. Lastly, it is suggested that accommodations be available for lab-based courses (e.g., extended time, semi-private labs with the teaching assistant, sensory modifications). Many participants in the present research indicated they were enrolled in science-based programs requiring lab courses, with no available accommodations.</p> <p>VanBergeijk et al. ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref107">41</reflink>]) also noted that post-secondary institutions are often unprepared to offer non-academic supports (e.g., social supports) to students, a finding reiterated by other more current studies as well (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref108">5</reflink>]). Importantly, Camarena and Sarigiani ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref109">13</reflink>]) found that both autistic youth and their caregivers identified social concerns as being more problematic than academic ones, while Dillon ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref110">17</reflink>]) noted that non-academic concerns can prevent students from optimizing academic outcomes. Previous research has also shown that all post-secondary students (not just autistic ones) need assistance with making friends, managing their own time, coping with increased academic demands, and adjusting to having less parental guidance (Glennon, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref111">26</reflink>]). It is therefore recommended that post-secondary institutions offer supports beyond the realm of academics by providing non-academic supports (i.e., peer groups, coaching, counselling services) to those who want them. This suggestion is echoed in much of the current literature.</p> <p>In regard to non-academic supports, it has been found that peer training/support models are effective for college-aged students and that role-playing allows autistic students to break down and practice specific behaviours (VanBergeijk et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref112">41</reflink>]). Thus, it is recommended that post-secondary institutions facilitate access to support systems aimed at enhancing social and communication skills to those who identify this as a concern. Within this model, it would be useful to assist students using these services in making inferences and abstractions to aid in the perception and understanding of non-literal communication. This could be enhanced through role playing scenarios with counsellors or advisors where students could practice using real life examples. However, the provision of social skills programming should not detract from the importance of embracing autistic identity and reducing self-stigma (Corrigan et al., [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref113">14</reflink>]). Bottema-Beutel et al. ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref114">10</reflink>]) offer a critical review of the use of social skills programs and emphasise the importance of allowing autistic individuals to be authentic in their interactions instead of forcing them to adhere to social norms. As such, these authors recommend that if these programs are utilized, they should be offered to a wide array of individuals and not specifically targeted to autistic people. Dymond et al. ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref115">18</reflink>]) also recommend that services be offered to all students to reduce stigma and promote greater service use for autistic students.</p> <p>It is also suggested that accessibility and/or counselling services engage in more outreaching support. Students are often unaware of the accommodations and/or services that their institution offer and, as such, a larger effort should be made to connect to and inform students about available services and how to access them. Having drop-in times where all students can meet with an advisor or counsellor would also be beneficial. Many participants in the current and previous research noted wait times for services can be lengthy and additionally stressful to students who are unsure how to proceed in the interim. With this outreaching support it would also be beneficial to offer or make known the supports that can assist students with other non-academic concerns such as housing and finances.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-30">Conclusion</hd> <p>The purpose of this research was to develop an understanding of the barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students as communicated by members of the population. Ten themes emerged in three categories, while two separate themes extended across the three categories. Each category/theme interacted with others to create a nested hierarchical structure that demonstrated the complexity of the barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students. The findings revealed diverse themes that aligned with the current literature, in addition to some that have been less explored. Currently, little is known about the interaction of multiple barriers for autistic students and how these interactions further impede success. Future research should aim to investigate each barrier and the interaction among them more thoroughly so that appropriate supports can be offered to autistic students.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-31">Author contribution</hd> <p>Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch and Michael L. Zwiers contributed to the study design. Material preparation and data collection was performed by Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch. Data analysis was performed by Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch and Michael L. Zwiers. The first draft of the manuscript, all previous versions of the manuscript, and the final draft were was written, edited, and approved by Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch and Adam W. McCrimmon.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-32">Funding</hd> <p>This work was funded by SSHRC.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-33">Declarations</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0178677531-34">Conflict of interest</hd> <p>All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.</p> <hd id="AN0178677531-35">Appendix 1: Interview Questions</hd> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Some people chose not to go to university/college. Why did you choose to attend a post-secondary institution?</item> <p></p> <item> Have you thought about what you would like to be doing in 5–10 years?</item> <p></p> <item> What do you hope to be doing? Do you have any specific goals?</item> <p></p> <item> How does attending a post-secondary institution help you in reaching these goals?</item> <p></p> <item> Most people are unsure as to what university/college will be like, but some have ideas or expectations about their experiences. Have your expectations been met while attending university/college?</item> <p></p> <item> What are some of the barriers to success both on and off campus that you have experienced while attending post-secondary school?</item> <p></p> <item> Have there been any other barriers or do you have any other concerns that you have not told me about?</item> <p></p> <item> Do you currently feel your university/college is equipped to support ASD students, like yourself, with their concerns and needs?</item> <p></p> <item> Do you think the university as an organization understands you and your needs?</item> <p></p> <item> What could the university do to better assist you?</item> <p></p> <item> Would anything prevent you from using services that the university provides?</item> <p></p> <item> Have you accessed other community or family supports to assist you with your needs and/or concerns?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178677531-36">Publisher's Note</hd> <p>Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.</p> <ref id="AN0178677531-37"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Adreon D, Durocher JS. 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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Understanding the Needs of Autistic Post-Secondary Students – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Taylor+M%2E+Schembri-Mutch%22">Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1718-0186">0000-0003-1718-0186</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Adam+W%2E+McCrimmon%22">Adam W. McCrimmon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+L%2E+Zwiers%22">Michael L. Zwiers</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Autism+and+Developmental+Disorders%22"><i>Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders</i></searchLink>. 2024 54(7):2636-2650. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 15 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2024 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research<br />Tests/Questionnaires – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism+Spectrum+Disorders%22">Autism Spectrum Disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Needs%22">Student Needs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1007/s10803-023-06010-w – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0162-3257<br />1573-3432 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Autistic students are a growing subgroup within post-secondary schooling; however, little is known about barriers to their success in that context. Research suggests autistic students face more challenges to completing post-secondary education than neurotypical students, but findings often rely on expert opinion and fail to incorporate first-hand perspectives. To address this gap, a qualitative inquiry into barriers to success for autistic post-secondary students was conducted. Thematic Analysis yielded 10 themes in three categories, while two separate cross-cutting themes emerged; themes interact with one another, intensifying concerns of autistic students. Findings can support post-secondary institutions to reflect on the extent to which these barriers are present for their autistic students and modify support services accordingly. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2024 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1433046 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10803-023-06010-w Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 2636 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Postsecondary Education Type: general – SubjectFull: College Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Autism Spectrum Disorders Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Needs Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Barriers Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Understanding the Needs of Autistic Post-Secondary Students Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Taylor M. Schembri-Mutch – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Adam W. McCrimmon – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Michael L. Zwiers IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Type: published Y: 2024 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0162-3257 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1573-3432 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 54 – Type: issue Value: 7 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Type: main |
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