Experiences of Autistic College Students in Higher Education and Their Relations with Faculty
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| Title: | Experiences of Autistic College Students in Higher Education and Their Relations with Faculty |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jessica Johnson, Robin L. Dodds (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2024 54(8):2902-2916. |
| 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: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Students, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Student Experience, Teacher Student Relationship, Self Concept, Interaction, Student Motivation, Family Influence, Values, Academic Achievement, Student Attitudes, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Majors (Students), Course Selection (Students) |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-023-06017-3 |
| ISSN: | 0162-3257 1573-3432 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors that may contribute to the academic self-concept of autistic college students, including the potential influence of academic success. Methods: A sample of autistic participants (n = 12) were interviewed regarding autistic college students' experiences. Transcripts were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Most students had a positive academic self-concept due to factors like major selection based on passion and interest, following family values, personal motivation to do well, proving someone wrong, and striving for high academic achievement. Although accommodations were not the main focus of the study, they were found to affect student academic self-concept as well. Conclusion: Post-secondary institutions should consider incorporating intervention and support programs that assist in improving neurodiverse students' self motivation and self regulation skills to encourage these students to be academically successful while maintaining their well-being. They should also provide professional development initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of faculty and staff to address the unique needs of autistic students and ensure the successful implementation of accommodations. This approach will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for autistic college students, promoting their academic success and well-being. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1434155 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwEZ419aBpjx96vx4YZUUZF5AAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDDX8HvquanOxuzPXhQIBEICBmzpoqQSyKh1OOSiDy6G_Y32ecMQjWE7TvAjXeZwoBDP_K2NML1jWj3iASuTxf3V46dAZKWpZY7AGwzO77Y8I8euwPSY7dJjixXcjNelCH-yOBO7WUDhvf_MMol5Hi6DfobxHe84hR5Qz0EDuQGQo2E-zTVAZA6sWMMU3t-WckRuHADvDErGhfpMYPCbE0_3UsTpUZwWYt1n7U8mt Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0178836260;aut01aug.24;2024Aug09.07:59;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0178836260-1">Experiences of Autistic College Students in Higher Education and Their Relations with Faculty </title> <p>Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors that may contribute to the academic self-concept of autistic college students, including the potential influence of academic success. Methods: A sample of autistic participants (n = 12) were interviewed regarding autistic college students' experiences. Transcripts were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Most students had a positive academic self-concept due to factors like major selection based on passion and interest, following family values, personal motivation to do well, proving someone wrong, and striving for high academic achievement. Although accommodations were not the main focus of the study, they were found to affect student academic self-concept as well. Conclusion: Post-secondary institutions should consider incorporating intervention and support programs that assist in improving neurodiverse students' self motivation and self regulation skills to encourage these students to be academically successful while maintaining their well-being. They should also provide professional development initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of faculty and staff to address the unique needs of autistic students and ensure the successful implementation of accommodations. This approach will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for autistic college students, promoting their academic success and well-being.</p> <p>Keywords: Autism; Higher education; Faculty relationships; Students with disabilities; Academic 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> <hd id="AN0178836260-2">Understanding Autistic Students' Academic Self-Concept and Key Contributors in the College/Un...</hd> <p>In the United States, approximately 49,000 autistic students graduated high school in 2015, with many finding an interest in attending a post-secondary institution (Sarrett, [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref1">35</reflink>]). Increased understanding of developmental disabilities at all stages of growth, improved diagnostic procedures, more effective individualized learning strategies, successful special education practices, and increased opportunities for general education inclusion have all contributed to higher rates of autistic students completing secondary education and enrolling in colleges and universities (Bakker et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref2">4</reflink>]).</p> <p>A key component of the university experience for autistic college students is academic self-concept. Self-concept is defined as the view one has of themselves (Bong &amp; Skaalvik, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref3">8</reflink>]). Self-concept can stem from social comparison where others can serve as a standard in which to judge one's own traits and accomplishments (Bong &amp; Skaalvik, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref4">8</reflink>]). This frame of reference can play a strong role when one develops their academic self-concept (Marsh, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref5">24</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref6">25</reflink>]). Academic self-concept is defined as an individuals' knowledge and perceptions about themselves in academic situations (Byrne, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref7">9</reflink>]; Shavelson and Bolus, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref8">36</reflink>]; Wigfield &amp; Karpathian, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref9">40</reflink>]). Wei and Marder ([<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref10">39</reflink>]) examined a longitudinal data set of self-concept in the populations of students with disabilities in the United States comprising each disability category from early elementary to high school. These included 12 categories from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: learning disabilities, speech impairments, visual impairments, orthopedic impairments, hearing impairments, other health impairments, emotional disturbance, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, autism, deaf-blindness, and multiple disabilities. This study found that there were relatively low levels of self-confidence in autistic students in social and overall domains. Furthermore, academic self-concept had dropped for disabled students from the ages of 8 to 17 which could have suggested their frustration with lack of school success and as a result, low academic self-confidence. Another study by Pijl and Frostad ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref11">32</reflink>]) found that disabled students in middle school tended to have low self-concept due to not being accepted by peers in regular classrooms.</p> <p>Several studies have indicated a positive relationship between academic self-concept and academic success in typically developing students (Huang, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref12">20</reflink>]; Valentine et al., [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref13">38</reflink>]). Students with higher academic self-concept tend to perform better academically, as they are more likely to be confident in their abilities, set higher goals for themselves, and demonstrate resilience when faced with obstacles (Bandura, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref14">5</reflink>]). Conversely, students with lower academic self-concept may display reduced motivation and engagement, which can adversely affect their academic outcomes. Building on these findings, our investigation shifts its focus to autistic students in a college or university environment, aiming to delve into their academic self-perceptions and pinpoint the key factors that affect their academic self-concept. By investigating these factors, we hoped to provide valuable insights into how colleges and universities can foster a positive academic self-concept in autistic students, ultimately contributing to their academic success and overall well-being.</p> <p>Although academic self-concept has been studied in various populations and age groups, there have been no studies that have focused on academic self-concept in autistic college students. Given the lack of literature in this area, this qualitative study aimed to investigate the beliefs that undergraduate and graduate students have about their academic abilities. The following research questions guided our inquiry:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> How do autistic students view themselves academically in a college/university setting?</item> <p></p> <item> What are the main factors that contribute to this?</item> </ulist> <p>We expected that our findings would be a valuable addition to the limited research on academic self-concept in autistic college students. We hypothesized that academic self-concept would be a significant factor impacting academic success. Several studies confirm this hypothesis. According to research by Marsh and Martin from [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref15">26</reflink>], students who performed better academically and were more motivated often had a more positive academic self-concept. Moreover, Huang ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref16">20</reflink>]) found a link between academic performance and academic self-concept, suggesting that strong academic self-concept is supported by high academic achievement. According to Guay, Marsh, and Boivin's ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref17">19</reflink>]) research, students who succeeded academically had higher academic self-concepts, indicating that their performance is a predictor of their confidence. Bong and Skaalvik ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref18">8</reflink>]) also highlighted the reciprocal relationship between academic self-concept and academic success, wherein students with high self-concept were more likely to achieve academic success, which in turn further reinforced their self-concept. Overall, these studies support the idea that academic self-concept is influenced by academic success, suggesting that as students achieve more in their academic pursuits, their self-confidence in their capabilities also grows. In our research, we seek to investigate if the connection between academic success and self-concept is consistent within the autistic student population and to uncover any additional factors that might be involved. With our research, we hope to shape the design of tactics and support systems that encourage academic success and well-being for autistic college students.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-3">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0178836260-4">Recruitment</hd> <p>Inclusion criteria for study participation were the following: (a) a self-reported diagnosis of autism (b) current enrollment in a US college or university to ensure that there were similar school policies and regulations regarding students with disabilities (c) undergraduate and graduate students to encompass the varying experiences of all autistic college students, and (d) a stable internet connection, microphone, and speaker suitable for video conferencing. Given that college students may not have access to diagnostic documentation for autism, formal diagnostic procedures were not used to identify participants with autism. This type of diagnostic documentation is usually maintained by the parents of these students, and we did not want required documentation to limit recruitment of participants. The College Autism Network (CAN) was chosen for recruitment because it is designed to connect Autistics with researchers. This study excluded any participants on leave of absence. To be eligible for inclusion in the study, participants had to be fully enrolled students to embody a more representative sample of autistic college students and increase generalizability of the results. For recruitment, the first author joined a listserv (CAN) developed for autism researchers and self-advocates to communicate and collaborate. Detailed information about the study with links to the online screening survey and study information sheet were posted to the listserv. Seven participants were recruited from this source. Snowball sampling was then utilized so that a participant enrolled in the study helped to recruit additional participants by reaching out to their social network and sharing a flier and overview of the study.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-5">Participants</hd> <p>A total of 17 participants completed the screening form and 12 agreed to be interviewed. The final participant pool included six females, three males, and three non-binary/gender queer individuals. The sample included both undergraduate (N = 6) and graduate students (N = 6). Ten participants identified as White, one as Hispanic or Latin American, and one as Black or African American. Additionally, one participant identified as non-speaking. Pseudonyms were used for the purpose of maintaining anonymity. Additional demographic information such as current occupation are included in Table 1 below.</p> <p>Table 1 Demographics of Twelve Autistic College 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;Participant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gender&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Race&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Class Standing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Major&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Current Occupation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jenny&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (PhD)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Educational Leadership&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Teacher&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sheryl&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (PhD)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Higher education&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research assistant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ben&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Male&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Junior&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Construction Science and Management&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" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Becca&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (EdD)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Education&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Faculty development facilitator, DEI SME&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Vanessa&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Junior&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Psychology, Mathematics&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Substitute teacher/classroom aide (during university breaks)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stacy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (Masters)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Neuroscience&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" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kelly&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gender Queer&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (PhD)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Disability Studies&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Teaching Assistant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="1" /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lizzy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Female&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Junior&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Physics and Earth Science&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not working/Student&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nick&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Male&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hispanic or Latin American&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Freshman&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Political science&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Student&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Josh&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Male&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Black or African American&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sophomore&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nursing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Part Time Store Attendant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Molly&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Non-binary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Senior&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;German and EEB (Evolution, Ecology, &amp; Biodiversity)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Undergraduate Research Assistant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mia &lt;sup&gt;a&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Non-binary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;White&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graduate School (Masters)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Geology&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Teaching Assistant&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <p> <emph>Note</emph>: <sups><emph>a</emph></sups><emph>denotes participant is non-speaking</emph></p> <hd id="AN0178836260-6">Interview Protocol</hd> <p>The interview protocol was designed to explore how autistic college students view themselves academically. The development of the interview protocol was a comprehensive process that involved a thorough review of relevant literature on interview methods and techniques. We examined the Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) survey, administered by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). The DLE survey was formed in order to obtain student perceptions of institutional climate; student learning outcomes (e.g., sense of belonging); and campus practices as experienced with faculty and staff (McLennan, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref19">27</reflink>]). Based on the survey, we developed a set of interview questions and an outline of the overall structure of the interviews. Some factors from the DLE survey that utilized factors from Critical Consciousness and Action (CIRP) (Fregoso, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref20">18</reflink>]) were used to inform our potential interview questions. We chose these factors based on related areas to our study (i.e., student academic self-concept). To ensure a clear and coherent structure, we organized the questions into logical sections and presented them in a specific order. We also included probes and follow-up questions to help elicit more detailed and nuanced responses from the participants. While the order of our questions was sequential, the interview process was semi-structured to provide interviewees the flexibility to stray from the pre-planned questions and add interesting details that would further elaborate on their experiences. As a result of this approach, questions about accommodations were incorporated into the protocol after the initial interview. The first participant surfaced the importance of accommodations in their college experience, and it became evident that accommodations were a central theme in all the following interviews. Additional questions that sought to understand general academic experiences were also incorporated to gain a broader understanding. See the appendix for full interview protocol.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-7">Data Collection</hd> <p>Interviews were conducted between early February and mid-March 2022. All participants completed the interviews without the presence of a parent or caretaker. The length of the interviews varied between 30 and 60 min. A second interview was conducted with one participant to further explore questions from the interview protocol due to the brevity of initial responses. The interviews were all conducted via the Zoom video conferencing platform and recorded with permission from the participants. Interviewees received a $25 e-gift card for participating.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-8">Data Analysis</hd> <p>All procedures described below were approved through the Institutional Research Board prior to study initiation.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-9">Coding</hd> <p>The first author began by listening to recordings and re-reading transcripts and post-interview notes to get a comprehensive view of the data. This process took place during the continuation of data collection. "Pre-coding" (Saldaña, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref21">34</reflink>]) was also done by highlighting, bolding, and commenting on participant remarks and quotes that seemed particularly pertinent, informative, or insightful. After reading and managing the data, detailed descriptions were formed to provide a comprehensive account of what was observed throughout the interviews. Then a short list of tentative codes also known as lean coding were generated (Creswell &amp; Poth, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref22">12</reflink>]). This method was utilized to identify and label key themes in the data and then organize the data into categories or codes that could be analyzed and interpreted. We developed a short list of initial codes, expanding it as necessary during the review and re-review of the data. This process involved beginning with five or six categories, each with a shorthand label or code, and adding additional codes as needed to accurately reflect the themes and patterns in the data. This helped the research team identify patterns and trends through an iterative process of continually reviewing and revising the coding as we learned more. A modified grounded theory approach which consisted of two phases: initial and focused coding was employed at this stage (Charmaz, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref23">10</reflink>]). Initial line-by-line coding allowed the first author to make judgments about the data and focused coding followed afterwards. A graduate student researcher trained in qualitative methodology and the first author completed focused coding to elevate the most significant and/or frequent earlier codes (Charmaz, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref24">10</reflink>]). All coding was done by hand via the Otter.ai platform where text was highlighted and commented on. The graduate researcher and the first author then developed a codebook containing definitions and text segments assigned to each code. They then independently applied the codebook to additional transcripts and compared coding regularly to maintain consistency of application. To standardize the coding procedure, all raters participated in a training on the coding manual and procedures to be used. The first author implemented a quality control process to check for consistency in coding. This involved having a sample of the data coded by multiple raters and comparing the results to ensure that they were in agreement. Any discrepancies were addressed with additional training or clarification of the procedures in coding. Table 2 provides an example of an excerpt with initial and focused codes.</p> <p>Table 2 Transcript Excerpt with Initial and Focused Coding</p> <p> <ephtml> &lt;table frame="hsides" rules="groups"&gt;&lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;italic&gt;Initial coding of a transcript excerpt&lt;/italic&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;bold&gt;Coded Notes&lt;/bold&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;bold&gt;Transcription&lt;/bold&gt;&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;Professor in a prior semester&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Uncertainty in completion of project&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stress of project&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Professor willing to be flexible&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Adjustment of project requirements&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Change resulted in positive experience&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ability to complete assignment&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Formal accommodations not always needed&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Implementing changes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Positive experiences with professors&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had a professor last semester, and I went to her and I was like, 'Hey, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this specific project like it's stressing me out way too much.' And we ended up having a conversation, she actually explained, 'I'm going to change the project and this way and this way, do you think you'll be able to do it now?' and it worked out fine. You know, I got a good grade on it, I was able to get through it. So sometimes professors even without, like, needing the official accommodations, will sometimes just make sure to implement certain changes. So, I've definitely had positive experiences in that sense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;italic&gt;Focused coding of the same transcript excerpt&lt;/italic&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;bold&gt;Coded Notes&lt;/bold&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;bold&gt;Transcription&lt;/bold&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Necessity of accommodations for assignment&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discussion with professor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flexibility in adjusting requirements&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Informal accommodations&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Positive professor experiences&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had a professor last semester, and I went to her and I was like, 'Hey, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this specific project like it's stressing me out way too much.' And we ended up having a conversation, she actually explained, 'I'm going to change the project and this way and this way, do you think you'll be able to do it now?' and it worked out fine. You know, I got a good grade on it, I was able to get through it. So sometimes professors even without, like, needing the official accommodations, will sometimes just make sure to implement certain changes. So, I've definitely had positive experiences in that sense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0178836260-10">Trustworthiness &amp; Credibility</hd> <p>Interrater reliability was calculated for 25% of the coded transcripts utilizing the Miles and Huberman ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref25">29</reflink>]) equation. There was an 85% of interrater reliability for the selected transcripts.</p> <p>To ensure trustworthiness and credibility of the findings, we applied different methods of validation. Patton ([<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref26">31</reflink>]) describes maximum variation sampling in which, including participants with varied experiences, can more thoroughly describe the variation in the group and allow the researcher to understand the wide array of experiences whilst looking at key elements and shared outcomes. The same was employed for this study where the sample included a heterogenous group of students that differed in (gender, race, class standing, major and occupation) to capture the various experiences of autistic college students. To ensure that the results appropriately reflected the participants' perspectives, we intentionally included quotes from participants throughout the manuscript to avoid misinterpretations. Neutrality was also applied by writing memos about reflexivity throughout data collection and analysis to process and explore personal biases (Noble &amp; Smith, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref27">30</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-11">Results</hd> <p>The findings from this study are presented below in two sections. In the first section we present how participants viewed themselves academically. The second section discusses factors that contribute to students' positive academic self-perceptions. To further illustrate the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the data analysis, we have included a table (Table 3) that summarizes the main findings and presents them in a visual format.</p> <p>Table 3 Thematic Organization</p> <p> <ephtml> &lt;table frame="hsides" rules="groups"&gt;&lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research Questions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Themes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/th&gt;&lt;th align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sub Themes&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;How do autistic students view themselves academically in a college/university setting?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Autistic College Students' Academic Self-Concept&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Positive academic self-concept with openness to improve&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Higher GPAs&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;What are the main factors that contribute to this?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Factors that contribute to positive academic self-concept&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Walking in family's footsteps/following family values&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Personal motivation to do well&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Proving someone wrong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Striving for high academic achievement&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Accommodations Impacting Student Academic Perceptions and Success&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Necessity based disclosure&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Challenges with inadequate accommodations&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left" /&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Community college supports for students&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0178836260-12">Autistic College Students' Academic Self-Concept</hd> <p>The initial research inquiry aimed at gaining insights into the academic self-perception of autistic college students, with an emphasis on examining the potential link between academic self-concept and scholastic performance. The goal was to understand how students assess their academic achievements and see the connection it may have with their self-image. To collect this data, we not only questioned the students directly about their opinions on their educational progress by asking, "Can you share your thoughts on your academic performance in school?" but we also incorporated inquiries about their grades and how they perceived their current grade point average (GPA). Furthermore, we delved into students' motivation for academic accomplishments to create a holistic understanding of autistic college students' opinions on their academic capabilities and the potential ties to their self-concept. Although prior research has hinted at a possible link between self-concept and academic achievement, our investigation aimed to explicitly examine this relationship within the context of autistic college students.</p> <p> <bold>Positive Academic Self-Concept with Openness to Improve</bold>: A common theme among participants was the perception that they are academically successful. Some participants expressed pride in their high marks, while others demonstrated a willingness to work towards improving their grades despite already performing well academically. Most participants used positive language to describe their overall feelings about their academics. When asked about their academic performance, some reported that they were doing exceptionally well. For example, Jenny, a graduate student, reported that she was "knocking out of the park" and that her professors were telling her she was the best student in the class. Several other participants also expressed their confidence in performing strongly in their courses. In contrast, other participants indicated that their grades were not up to their desired level, but they demonstrated a willingness to work towards improvement. Josh, an undergraduate student, explained this sentiment by stating: "For me, right now, I can't say I'm doing really great. But in the future, I will do better. So, for now I'm...trying. I'm...struggling a bit, but I know, I have invested a lot." It is worth noting that while this participant had grades in the low-grade range, some other participants were doing fairly well and still felt a desire to improve. Respondents discussed the challenges of transitioning into college and the effect it can have on their grades and their self-perception of their academic performance. Ben, an undergraduate student, described experiencing phases of doing well academically and not doing as well, depending on his motivation. He mentioned that the first few semesters of college were a process of learning how to navigate the academic and social aspects of university. Despite this, he believed he was generally doing well academically. Motivation was identified as a key factor in academic success.</p> <p> <bold>Academic Success</bold>: The majority of participants had a grade point average between 3.0 and 4.0, with a few participants performing slightly lower. Participants in graduate school had generally higher marks than undergraduate students. Some students consistently demonstrated high levels of academic performance. Becca explained "I probably have a 3.9. But I've always been like that. I've always been a very good student. I'm good at school because I follow directions very well." Another participant, Jenny, indicated that adhering to instructions and striving for excellence contributed to their academic achievements. For these students, following directions contributed to their academic success and self-perception of academic performance. In contrast, Ben's experience illustrates the importance of continuous improvement in academic performance. After improving his grades, Ben expressed a cautious satisfaction with his current academic standing, stating: "The thing is, I don't want to get too happy to where I start not caring. I don't want to remain complacent. Essentially, I want to keep pushing myself to do better because I know I can do better." This perspective demonstrates that while Ben's GPA had improved, he remained focused on striving for even greater academic success, ensuring he did not become complacent in his achievements. Ben was not the only participant who had confidence in his ability to improve. Despite having grades in the D range and feeling like he could perform better, another participant, Josh, remained optimistic and had a clear understanding of his goals and the steps needed to achieve them. He expressed this positive mindset by stating: "I'm still optimistic. And soon I'm sure I will make it because I want to be a great musician or maybe performer. I want to be great and I will." Participants displayed a strong drive to excel academically, fueled by their determination and optimistic efforts to constantly improve and do better. Even though some participants may not have achieved their desired grades, they demonstrated unwavering perseverance in working hard and seeking out opportunities for growth and achievement. Furthermore, all participants were aware of their academic performance as they were capable of promptly providing their GPAs when asked.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-13">Factors that Contribute to Positive Academic Self-Concept</hd> <p>There were various external factors that had a positive effect on academic performance, which subsequently influenced academic self-concept. Some of these external factors included choosing a major based on passion and interest, walking in the family's footsteps/following family values and proving someone wrong. Older female participants identified internal factors such as a commitment to excelling academically as the primary driver of their academic motivation. Personal motivation to do well was another internal factor. Both internal and external factors contributed to positive academic self-concept for some participants. Our findings suggest that while external factors can contribute to academic success, much of the motivation to perform well academically comes from within, with students exhibiting an intrinsic drive to succeed in their courses.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-14">Major Selection Based on Passion and Interest</hd> <p>The choice of major and students' passion for their field of study played a significant role in shaping their academic success and self-concept. The majority of graduate students reported selecting a field of study that they were deeply passionate about and interested in, which contributed to their motivation and helped them succeed in their courses. For example, Becca stated "I also really like what I'm studying. So, I think that that also makes a difference." Interest in the field of study also influenced students' perceptions of their academic performance.</p> <p>In some cases, realizing that their initial choice of major was not suitable and making proactive adjustments had a significant impact on academic success. For instance, Ben initially struggled academically in his first major, which resulted in a lower grade point average. However, after switching to a new major that better aligned with his interests and abilities, he was able to improve his grade point average to the B range. These results suggest a relationship between selecting a major that aligns with students' passions and the potential impact on their academic success and self-concept.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-15">Walking in Family's Footsteps/Following Family Values</hd> <p>For a subset of participants, their family's values or the way their family achieved success, motivated them to do well. Ben shared.</p> <p>My parents have a nice standard of living and I want to try and do the exact same...I also think that's very important because my parents are self-made. I want to be self-made. That's a very important thing to me: to not just be handed success on a silver platter. So that kind of drives me to succeed.</p> <p>Ben also mentioned that his family valued higher education and would support him if he pursued further studies. These factors motivated him to work towards his academic goals. For another student, Lizzy, parent involvement seemed to play a role in her doing well academically. She discussed encouragement from her mother contributing to her own strive to do well: "My mom's pretty academic. So, she would always encourage me to get higher grades...and that eventually turned into me wanting to get higher grades." In Lizzy's case she did not only attribute her drive to her mother but also to herself. The interviews revealed that family influences may play a role in academic motivation, but ultimately it is the student who takes actions that drive their own academic success.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-16">Personal Motivation to do Well</hd> <p>Another theme that emerged from the findings was that most participants identified internal factors as the primary drivers of their academic motivation. Some participants reported having a strong intrinsic desire to succeed academically, and when asked about the source of this drive, some attributed it to an inherent need to perform well. Nick stated that he had an internal drive to achieve academically because he wanted to feel competent and satisfied with his good grades. He also had knowledge of systems and understood that doing well academically would mean more opportunities to possibly go to graduate school, receive scholarship money, and obtain financial aid. Furthermore, he recognized that good marks would mean that he wouldn't have to worry about getting dropped out of school and dealing with any penalties as a result. Another participant, Molly, also expressed their strong drive to achieve academically; "I think the majority of my interest is just wanting to learn the material and learn all of it and learn it well. And then the grades kind of come with that, I guess." This ambition to do well academically came from within but was also fueled by their personal interest in the course material they were learning.</p> <p> <bold>Proving Someone Wrong</bold>: There were instances where some participants described the need to "prove someone wrong." In these cases, respondents described negative past experiences that influenced their decisions about pursuing a degree or navigating the academic environment. For Sheryl, she described how an occurrence like this happened in early elementary and how it had an impact on the way she dealt with such situations moving forward; "I was told in...third or fourth grade that I wouldn't graduate high school. And so, there was kind of a big push to prove that teacher wrong, like 'yes, I can!'" Sheryl explained that in her current master's program her drive had stemmed from wanting to answer a research question that "kept [her] up at night" and for being more competitive in the job market. However, in earlier years [elementary through undergraduate], proving someone wrong was a contributing factor in her motivation to do well in school. Another participant, Kelly, expressed somewhat similar sentiments, but these experiences had a negative effect on their mental health. Kelly reflected: "In K through 12, I was kind of put in the circumstances where I was compared sometimes to the higher achieving students, the gifted students, because I didn't learn that I was autistic until I was 16." They described the consequences of being compared to students who could work at a much quicker pace than they were capable of doing.I was constantly in this like, 'you're smart, but you're slow', like 'you're not quite there.' And...that's why... I have a lot of anxiety about academics and that's what sometimes might drive me but it's not quite healthy in a mental health aspect.</p> <p>During the study interviews, Kelly mentioned how their experiences with comparison and a late diagnosis may have affected how others evaluated their academic performance and the expectations that others held for them. Kelly described feeling anxious about their academic performance as a result. These challenging experiences were one of the contributing factors in Kelly's motivation to academically perform well.</p> <p> <bold>Striving for High Academic Achievement</bold>: Two female participants, who were both diagnosed at an older age, emphasized the importance of achieving high marks during their interviews. Becca stated, "I'm a big nerd and a perfectionist, and so I'd make very high marks." Jenny had similar values when it came to her academics. She explained: "I have this weird thing...I don't just have to make an A; I have to make the highest grade. And I don't know where that messaging comes from, but it's in my head really strong." Both of these students expressed a strong desire to achieve high grades during their interviews.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-17">Accommodations Impacting Student Academic Perceptions and Success</hd> <p>During the interviews, it became apparent that accommodations could also play an important role in shaping the academic self-concept of autistic college students, as well as impacting their academic success. To thoroughly investigate this theme, we divided the findings on accommodations into three sections: necessity-based disclosure, challenges with inadequate accommodations, and community college support for students. These sections offer an in-depth examination of how accommodations influenced the experiences and perceptions of the students in our study, particularly in relation to their academic self-concept.</p> <p> <bold>Necessity Based Disclosure</bold>: Some participants explained that certain situations caused them to consider whether disclosing their disability was necessary, describing feelings of hesitation due to fear of being treated differently. When asked if Lizzy disclosed her disability in her courses, she explained: "I preferably don't. I don't like disclosing it...due to misconceptions that might happen. So, unless I know a person very well, I won't." Another participant, Nick, brought up his awareness that there are stigmatized attitudes towards disabled individuals. When asked about experiences with faculty regarding accommodations, he explained that he does not disclose to faculty unless the context requires him to do so. He described wanting "to be treated normally to at least live a normal life." Further, he shared his fear that, "if word gets out, then let's just say I am not prepared to deal with the consequences.... best to cover up." To safeguard himself from any negative repercussions that can come as a result of others knowing about his disability, he tended to disclose only when needed. Vanessa reported observing material about autistic people being taught in her lectures in a way that was inconsiderate. For instance, in one of her courses, a video stating that autistic people can have empathy was played, and the students seemed surprised by this. She stated that this was discouraging for her, even though she understood that the professor may not have intended to teach in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. As a result, this kept her from disclosing her autism to the professor. She stated:If I told them, they might assume those things about me. And it kind of puts you in this awkward situation of 'well, maybe I'll be able to do something really cool like for a project and have a really cool conversation with them'. But I don't want to risk them putting these assumptions on me.</p> <p>The manner in which the material was being taught in the course led Vanessa to realize that the professor may make certain assumptions about her that she did not feel were accurate. Rather than participating in a project for the course, she chose not to disclose her disability to avoid the potential risk of feeling uncomfortable or having her professor view her differently.</p> <p>Other situations included avoiding conflicts with mistrust from peers/professors upon disclosing. Becca stated that it seemed more desirable to blend in as much as possible without disclosing her disability rather than facing doubt from others about her diagnosis.I think it's [disclosing] something that a lot of us don't do. Especially those of us who can pass. We'd much rather just pass than deal with people saying, 'Oh, you don't seem autistic?'...and I want to answer like, 'Well, do I smell autistic?'</p> <p>During interviews, Becca mentioned that she was diagnosed with autism at the age of 46. Becca pointed out that her ability to mask her autism in the past may have contributed to doubts that others had about her diagnosis. Reluctance to disclose was not limited to classmates or professors. However, most participants disclosed to the Disability Services Office (DSO) primarily because it allowed them to receive formal accommodations through this campus resource. When formal accommodations were insufficient to meet the needs of participants, they considered disclosing to professors to obtain informal accommodations that could fill in those gaps. This section highlights the complexities and challenges that autistic students face when considering whether to disclose their disability in academic settings. These experiences of hesitation, fear, and the desire to avoid negative assumptions or treatment are important factors that may influence autistic students' academic self-concept in a college or university setting. Balancing the need for accommodations and support with the desire for acceptance and understanding can shape how these students view themselves academically and navigate their educational environment. These factors, combined with the previously discussed elements of high academic self-concept, such as academic achievements, high marks, proving someone wrong, and following family values, provide a nuanced understanding of the various influences on autistic students' academic self-concept in higher education settings.</p> <p> <bold>Challenges with Inadequate Accommodations</bold>: From participant responses it was apparent that the DSO was more accommodating to undergraduate students than graduate students, although some cases indicated that undergraduate students also had difficulties communicating with the DSO. Sheryl, a doctoral student, explained that for her preliminary exam, her professors and the DSO had difficulty reaching an agreement on whether she should be granted accommodations for this exam. It took a full year before she was granted the accommodations. Sheryl stated: "Disability Services had no idea about what a prelim was or what it might look like...I was told I was the first person with a disability to ask for accommodations...for prelims ...which doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy." She said disability services were unfamiliar with what a preliminary exam was and that she had to be persistent in securing the accommodations she needed. She mentioned that one positive outcome of this situation was that an autistic friend who also required accommodations for her preliminary exam did not have to go through a similar struggle. Stacy described hardships with the DSO understanding how to provide her accommodations as a graduate student in what she called "nontraditional environments." As a student in the hard sciences, she conducted her research in lab settings and felt that her needs were not understood by the DSO because they were not familiar with accommodating this type of setting. She stated, "Because it's more specialized...they just don't know how to evaluate the needs of these students. And I think that's a big roadblock." Further, Stacy explained how the DSO may classify certain accommodations as "unreasonable" causing difficulties in getting the supports that she needs. Consequently, Stacy relied on informal accommodations to compensate for what the DSO would not provide.</p> <p>Another participant, Kelly reported that their undergraduate DSO sometimes did not make adjustments to accommodations in certain situations. For example, during a hurricane that resulted in the loss of two days of classes and a shift in due dates on the academic calendar, their extended time accommodations did not adjust accordingly. This meant that they had to manually update everything in the accommodations program and email their professor, which caused them high levels of stress and anxiety. They conveyed their feelings by stating: "Why are they making...students with anxiety have to go through all this, and why couldn't they...have just emailed the instructor?" When seeking accommodations, challenges and struggles that autistic students might face, impacts the timeline of completing assignments and milestones like the preliminary exam for Sheryl. These delays may affect academic performance which in turn can shape academic self-concept. Navigating accommodations is an additional barrier that autistic college students must tackle when striving for academic achievement.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-18">Community College Support for Students</hd> <p>Some participants reported that in many cases the community college they attended had a wide range of disability resources that were beneficial. Their DSO had innovative solutions to various accommodations and understood how to effectively support students' needs. On the other hand, universities did not always have the same level of supports. In Lizzy's case, she attended community college before attending her university and expressed that her current university had the wrong perception of what autistic students were really like.</p> <p>[The university] is in a place that...doesn't really understand disabilities or understand that autistic kids like me can have a drive for academics. I think they're having a hard time understanding that, as well as misconceptions about what autistic people really are and what they act like...like we should be treated like children and softly with kids' gloves. I don't enjoy that.</p> <p>But when reflecting on her time at community college, Lizzy used more positive language to describe her experience in obtaining accommodations: "The extra time they gave me as well as extended time for work and attendance really helped me out a lot...to focus more on my work and taking care of myself as well." Although her current university also provided accommodations, she explained that her community college had a deeper understanding of autistic college students due to their more proactive approach in reaching out to her. Another participant, Molly, had comparable experiences where they attended a community college and transferred to their current university. They also shared similar sentiments, describing the understanding their community college had about their disability in contrast to the lack of direction their university had.My community college was very flexible and easy to work with. And they were helpful in saying 'Other students that have had similar diagnoses or expressed similar struggles... have benefited from these. Do you think this would work for you?'... At my current school, it's been a lot harder. When I first showed up, they matched me with a specialist; they actually matched me with two because they said I was 'complicated.'</p> <p>Molly's experience in this case also overlaps with Becca where they received some reservations about the truthfulness of their diagnosis. Molly and Becca both reported feelings of doubt from others about the veracity of their diagnoses and experiencing dismissive comments when seeking accommodations. Molly, in particular, felt that their grades did not accurately reflect the effort and difficulties she encountered in achieving them. Their specialist's comments, such as "But you're so smart" and "But your grades are so high, how can you be struggling?" seemed to undermine the validity of their experiences and challenges. Due to the 'invisible' nature of autism and the phenomenon of masking, they explained that it can often be difficult for others to believe in the diagnosis or challenges they may encounter. Molly and Becca's experiences illustrate how these types of interactions can cause frustration and have negative consequences. While not all participants had attended a community college before attending a university, those who had, reported that the DSO at their community college was of higher quality compared to the DSO at their university. Given the prior sections discussing hardships with disclosure and obtaining accommodations, university/college context is a key component in influencing potential differences in these experiences. The different levels of understanding coming from these institutions highlights the importance of considering these institutional contexts and support systems when analyzing academic self-concept.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-19">Discussion</hd> <p>The current study aimed to evaluate autistic college students' experiences at the university and how it tied to their academic self-concept. While the number of research papers on autistic college students is growing, there is still a lack of studies in this domain. Furthermore, past studies have looked at academic self-concept for typically developing (TD) students (Bjorklund et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref28">6</reflink>]; Komarraju et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref29">23</reflink>]; Kim &amp; Sax, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref30">22</reflink>]), however few to none have looked at academic self-concept for autistic college students. The research questions set forth in this study were broad and exploratory in nature to encapsulate the deeper lived experiences of autistic college students.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-20">Academic Self-Concept and Accommodation Differences Between Graduate and Undergraduate Studen...</hd> <p>The results of this study show that, in comparison to undergraduate students, graduate students generally demonstrated higher levels of academic self-concept. Several undergraduate students demonstrated lower academic self-concept and expressed a need for improvement. This difference may be explained by the fact that graduate students frequently have a keen interest in their field of study and are driven to learn as much as they can due to this interest, whereas undergraduate students might enroll in a wider variety of required and elective courses that may not be relevant to their major interests (Fischer &amp; Zigmond, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref31">16</reflink>]). Additionally, the findings indicated that undergraduate students received better service from the DSO than graduate students. While other instances revealed that undergraduate students had similar communication issues with the DSO. When analyzing the academic self-concept of autistic students in graduate and undergraduate settings, the appropriateness of accommodations and communication with the DSO may be important considerations.</p> <p>Our study also found that academic self-concept can be affected by academic major (Kim &amp; Sax, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref32">22</reflink>]). Graduate students tend to take more courses in their major, while undergraduate students may have lower engagement with and grades in courses outside of their major. Participants who were passionate about their subject area or believed they could succeed in it reported higher motivation to do well.</p> <p>GPA appeared to be a factor influencing academic self-concept. Participants who were passionate about their subject area or believed they could succeed in it reported higher motivation to do well. When asked about their overall GPA, most interview participants reported grades in the B to A range. This is higher than the GPAs reported by autistic college students in a previous study by McLeod et al. ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref33">28</reflink>]), who found that autistic students had lower GPAs, more remedial courses, and more academic difficulties than typically developing (TD) students. It is worth noting that our sample included both undergraduate and graduate students, while the sample in the study by McLeod et al. was solely graduate students. Although our study did find that undergraduate students generally had lower GPAs than graduate students, most were still in the B to A range. All participants answered the question about their GPA promptly, suggesting awareness of their academic performance and its potential impact on their academic self-perceptions.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-21">Factors that Contribute to Academic Self-Concept/ Drive to Achieve</hd> <p>Our study examined the various factors that influenced the way students viewed themselves academically, with a focus on autistic college students. Our findings showed that most participants had high academic self-concept, but we also explored whether this came at a cost in terms of potential social or health ramifications, as previously noted by McLeod et al. ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref34">28</reflink>]). We found that there were several factors that needed to be considered when examining the experiences of autistic college students and how these may impact their academics and perception of their own abilities. These factors included both external and internal factors.</p> <p>One group of factors that we identified were external factors, such as following in the footsteps of one's family or adhering to family values. These beliefs and expectations that students hold before starting college can have a significant impact on their overall experiences. Our findings support previous research by Accardo ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref35">1</reflink>]a) which found that parent expectations and successes may be a factor in students' motivation to continue with their education. Dallas et al. ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref36">13</reflink>]) conducted a review which found that while some studies have highlighted the importance of family engagement, there is still a lack of clarity in terms of the roles and involvement of family members, and how this impacts students' autonomy. In our study, while we did not find family involvement to be a major theme, we did find that family values were important to some participants, and this influenced their academic practices, habits, and views.</p> <p>While some students' approach to their academics was influenced by family factors, we primarily found that the drive to do well came from within. Accardo ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref37">1</reflink>]a) analyzed open-ended responses from college-bound autistic students and found that these students used self-efficacy as a way to assess their academic success. While this is distinct from drive to achieve, it highlights the importance of considering the personal values and motivations that students bring to their academics. Our findings suggest that many factors contribute to academic self-concept, but self-motivation from the students themselves is also a key factor to consider.</p> <p>Another factor that emerged from our findings was the desire to prove others wrong, which often stemmed from negative past experiences that affected how students approached their academics. Previous research, such as the study by Francis et al. ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref38">17</reflink>]), has found that disabled college students often face recurring cycles of disempowerment. They found that negative experiences, such as experiencing low expectations from peers, can impact the way disabled students feel in the college setting. Our findings suggest that in some cases, experiences like these may motivate students to work harder to achieve a specific goal or to prove others wrong, but this may also have negative impacts on their mental health.</p> <p>In terms of academic performance, we found that a few students had a mindset of perfectionism and the expectation of consistently receiving high marks. It was notable that these students were all older females who received a diagnosis at a later age. This finding aligns with previous research which has shown that females are often diagnosed later than males and tend to have higher IQs (Rutherford et al., [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref39">33</reflink>]; Duvekot et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref40">15</reflink>]). However, the specific manifestation of perfectionism in older autistic female college students has not been well-examined in the literature and may be an area for further study.</p> <p>While our findings did support our initial expectation that academic self-concept would be an important factor influencing academic success, we also discovered a wide range of additional factors that we had not anticipated or previously seen in the literature. For example, we found that some students were motivated to succeed academically in order to prove others wrong or to follow in their family's footsteps, while others were driven by intrinsic factors such as self-motivation or self-efficacy. Additionally, we observed a higher prevalence of a perfectionist mindset among older female students who were diagnosed at a later age, which may be a topic worth exploring further in future research.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-22">Accommodations Impacting Student Academic Perceptions and Success</hd> <p>Accommodations and experiences with the DSO also appeared to play a role in shaping academic self-concept. Most students in this study disclosed their autism based on necessity, often because they wanted to fit in with their peers or avoid complications with professors or peers who might doubt or disbelieve their diagnosis. This fear of stigma and discrimination is common among autistic individuals and can prevent them from disclosing their condition, which can, in turn, impact their academic self-concept (Huang et al., [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref41">21</reflink>]). Previous research has also found that autistic college students may face skepticism from faculty about their diagnosis, leading to frustration when seeking help and potentially affecting how they view themselves academically (Zeedyk et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref42">41</reflink>]; Bolourian et al., [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref43">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>One issue that arose in this study was the difficulty that some students faced with their DSO. While the DSO is meant to provide academic accommodations for students with disabilities (US Department of Education, [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref44">37</reflink>]), this study revealed some challenges in the DSO's ability to accommodate autistic students, which could negatively impact these students' beliefs about their academic abilities and performance. For example, some students reported that the DSO struggled to understand how to accommodate graduate students with disabilities, as these situations may not come up as frequently in graduate studies. Other students experienced difficulties with the DSO's lack of proactive approach in adjusting accommodations when unforeseen circumstances arose, such as natural disasters that altered the academic calendar. This highlights the need for autistic students to be self-advocates and ensure they are receiving the necessary supports for their success. Rather than reducing anxiety for students, the DSO may sometimes exacerbate it, and this added stress could impact their attitudes towards academic achievement.</p> <p>On the other hand, this study also found that students often received better support from the DSO at community colleges, possibly due to the smaller size of these institutions (Cox et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref45">11</reflink>]). This improved support could positively influence their academic self-concept. However, this is not always the case, as Cox et al. ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref46">11</reflink>]) found that some students at community colleges still encounter difficulties with accommodations. Institution type may be a factor in student experiences with accommodations, but it is important to note that each institution is unique in how it supports autistic students. In this study, the differences in DSO treatment at community colleges versus universities may have impacted the academic progress of students as they transitioned to universities, and consequently, their academic self-perceptions.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-23">Limitations, Implications and Future Directions</hd> <p>The findings in this study may not be applicable to all autistic college students due to the heterogeneous nature in autism. One example of this is the different levels of communication (i.e., a non-speaking participant) which could have affected whether our findings were generalizable. Our sample was also limited in diversity with respect to race. The portion of white students surpassed other race groups. Additionally, this sample included both graduate and undergraduate students. These groups brought forth various levels of experience as graduate students are at an older age and may have more diverse educational and work experiences. Regardless of these drawbacks, including graduate and undergraduate students allowed us to obtain broader perspectives and more representation in the sample which let us have a more diverse and multifaceted understanding of our research inquiries in this study. Another limitation may have been self-selection bias. Since the title of our study indicated that students would need to reflect on their own academic perceptions, his may have led to a particular group of students who were more willing to participate (i.e., students who were satisfied with their grades and academic experiences). Furthermore, we did not use formal diagnostic assessments to determine eligibility for participation. Rather, we included autistic students in our sample based on self-reported diagnosis information. Lastly, another limitation may have been selection bias which could have stemmed from the use of snowball sampling where subjects may have shown more similarities to one another than to members of the entire population as a whole.</p> <p>While literature around neurodiverse students in higher education continues to expand, our study fills in the gap of understanding academic self-concept in autistic college students and investigating the potential influence of academic success as found in TD college students. Our findings support the idea that autistic college students have positive academic self-concept which is influenced by their academic success and achievements. This is shaped by various factors (i.e., major selection based on passion and interest, walking in family's footsteps/following family values, personal motivation to do well, proving someone wrong, striving for high academic achievement, and receiving appropriate accommodations). These findings have theoretical implications in understanding the various factors that may contribute to the academic success of autistic college students, and the ways in which these students navigate their education.</p> <p>To build upon the theoretical implications of our findings, we can reflect on the ways in which our results contribute to the encompassing view of the experiences of neurodiverse students in higher education. For example, we found that academic self-concept and striving for high academic achievement influenced academic success in autistic college students. This aligns with the self-determination theory as discussed by Deci and Ryan ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref47">14</reflink>]) in which people with high levels of motivation internally are more likely to use these intrinsic motivators to improve their educational progress. These results may inform the importance of intervention and support programs assisting neurodiverse college students on improving their self-motivation and self-regulation skills to foster academic success and well-being amongst these students.</p> <p>Neurodiverse student enrollment continues to grow in higher education institutions. Therefore, it is critical to focus on developing more accessible and universally designed post-secondary experiences. With respect to practical implications, our study sheds light on the importance of a positive learning environment in which students feel comfortable seeking formal and/or informal accommodations without any additional barriers. This can be achieved by educating the DSO about various student disabilities and how they can be supportive and flexible with helping students manage their accommodations. Furthermore, faculty can receive training and professional development programs that allow them to better understand how to support neurodiverse students in informal accommodations when needed. Accardo et al. ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref48">2</reflink>]) addressed the value of prioritization of support programs/services that focus on positive identity formation and self-advocacy for autistic students. While this study did not delve into students' requests for supports in the university, it was still evident in their replies that services like these may be beneficial.</p> <p>A prior study by Austin and Peña ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref49">3</reflink>]) found that faculty either reached out to the DSO on their own or connected with other experienced faculty members to understand how they could better support autistic students. Given that not all faculty may pro-actively seek guidance, post-secondary institutions should consider how they can provide faculty training and professional development about supporting autistic students and managing accommodations. Moreover, institutions should invest time and money in ensuring that the DSO is providing appropriate supports for students regardless of classroom environment or class standing. Furthermore, although there are laws and policies in place such as the ADA and Sect. 504, students still have more responsibility in their postsecondary education to request for accommodations. While self-advocacy skills are vital, not every student may seek to do so because they would "much rather just pass" and hide their diagnosis. To support the self-advocacy skills of autistic college students, institutions may consider providing resources and guidance on how students can advocate for themselves and understand their rights. This is especially important given the increased responsibility that students have in postsecondary education to request accommodations. Future research could explore the effectiveness of such self-advocacy resources in supporting the academic success of neurodiverse students.</p> <p>Future research can extend the findings from this study by looking at post-college outcomes for autistic students to see how academic self-concept might shift or stay the same. Academic self-concept for post-college outcomes may need to be defined accordingly with the job market instead of academics in a school environment. Future studies may also seek to expand upon how faculty and the DSO may work together to ensure students have ease with communication in receiving accommodations. It is also worth noting that, although prior studies (e.g., Pijl &amp; Frostad [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref50">32</reflink>]) suggested peer acceptance as a potential factor influencing academic self-concept; this finding did not emerge as a key theme during our interviews. This does not necessarily imply that peer acceptance is not an influencing factor; rather, it may not have been prominent among this specific set of participants. Further large-scale investigations are required to gain a deeper understanding of this relationship.</p> <p>Our study also highlights the importance of exploring the experiences of older female autistic students who were diagnosed at a later age. The current study included two older female college students that had overlapping traits such as academic success with higher GPAs and striving for high academic achievement. Prior studies have shown that autistic females tend to have higher IQs than autistic males (Duvekot et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref51">15</reflink>]). However, it may be worth further investigation to understand why these students have a strong drive for academic achievement with high marks. Future studies should examine what factors contribute to this motivation and drive. It is also worth mentioning that since we had only one non-speaking participant in our study, future research should target a larger number of non-speaking students to incorporate their unique experiences and perspectives.</p> <p>Lastly, our study suggests that there may be differences in the experiences of autistic college students with the DSO in community colleges versus universities. Future research could further explore these differences and identify best practices for supporting autistic students.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-24">Declarations</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0178836260-25">Conflict of Interest</hd> <p>The authors have no known conflicts of interest to declare.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-26">Appendix 1. Interview Protocol</hd> <p>Thank you very much for joining me. For the interview today, we'll be discussing your experiences at your university/college as well as your own academic beliefs about yourself. There is no right or wrong answer- I just want your honest opinion. The good and the bad are equally important so please tell me everything you would like to share. If you need a break at any point or would like to withdraw from the interview, then please let me know.</p> <p>Just to give you some background about myself [Discuss experience with autism and why conducting this study].</p> <p>To remember what I discussed with you today, I'll be taking notes and video recording the session. Videos will only be shared with myself and the people who are directly involved with this study. Do I have your consent to record the interview? [ Turn on recording]. If there is anything you do not want me to record, just let me know, that's perfectly fine. Do you have any questions before we begin? Great, let's get started.</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-27">Intro</hd> <p>To start off, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Tell me about what you like to do in your free time?</item> <p></p> <item> Tell me about what you study in school right now?</item> <p></p> <item> How has your experience been in school with this area of study?</item> <p></p> <item> How long have you been in college/university for? (Year in school)</item> <p></p> <item> Public or private school?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178836260-28">Academics</hd> <p>I'm going to start off by asking you a few questions about your academics.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Can you tell me about how you feel you are doing academically in school?</item> <p></p> <item> If you had to approximate your GPA as an overall grade, which category would your current GPA fall under?</item> <p></p> <item> C or less B/B- A/A-/A+.</item> <p></p> <item> How do you feel about your current grade?</item> <p></p> <item> Are you happy with it?</item> </ulist> <p> <bold>[if happy]</bold> Can you tell me about how you got to this current point with your grades? What has your experience in school been with this? What has your experience been with any resources that have supported you in school?</p> <hd id="AN0178836260-29">[if not Happy</hd> <p>What are your thoughts about being able to improve your grade?</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Has your GPA improved from the past?</item> <p></p> <item> What do you think contributed to that?</item> <p></p> <item> Can you tell me about what your drive is to achieve academically?</item> <p></p> <item> What has your experience been with any resources that have made you feel this way?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178836260-30">Accommodations</hd> <p>Tell me about your experience with any accommodations that you have received (if any)?</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> I'd like to know about your experience with faculty in relation to accommodations.</item> <p></p> <item> Any communication?</item> <p></p> <item> Positive and/or negative experiences?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178836260-31">Course Attendance</hd> <p>Tell me about your overall attendance for your courses?</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Do you attend all of your classes?</item> <p></p> <item> Have you missed any classes?</item> <p></p> <item> What were the reasons for missing the classes?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0178836260-32">Publisher's Note</hd> <p>Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.</p> <ref id="AN0178836260-33"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref35" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Accardo AL, Bean K, Cook B, Gillies A, Edgington R, Kuder SJ, Bomgardner EM. 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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Experiences of Autistic College Students in Higher Education and Their Relations with Faculty – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jessica+Johnson%22">Jessica Johnson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Robin+L%2E+Dodds%22">Robin L. Dodds</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7748-0426">0000-0001-7748-0426</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeffrey+Wood%22">Jeffrey Wood</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(8):2902-2916. – 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="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <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+Experience%22">Student Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interaction%22">Interaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Motivation%22">Student Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Influence%22">Family Influence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Values%22">Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Accommodations+%28Disabilities%29%22">Academic Accommodations (Disabilities)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Majors+%28Students%29%22">Majors (Students)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Course+Selection+%28Students%29%22">Course Selection (Students)</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1007/s10803-023-06017-3 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0162-3257<br />1573-3432 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the various factors that may contribute to the academic self-concept of autistic college students, including the potential influence of academic success. Methods: A sample of autistic participants (n = 12) were interviewed regarding autistic college students' experiences. Transcripts were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Most students had a positive academic self-concept due to factors like major selection based on passion and interest, following family values, personal motivation to do well, proving someone wrong, and striving for high academic achievement. Although accommodations were not the main focus of the study, they were found to affect student academic self-concept as well. Conclusion: Post-secondary institutions should consider incorporating intervention and support programs that assist in improving neurodiverse students' self motivation and self regulation skills to encourage these students to be academically successful while maintaining their well-being. They should also provide professional development initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of faculty and staff to address the unique needs of autistic students and ensure the successful implementation of accommodations. This approach will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for autistic college students, promoting their academic success and well-being. – 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: EJ1434155 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10803-023-06017-3 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 2902 Subjects: – SubjectFull: College Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Autism Spectrum Disorders Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Experience Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Student Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Self Concept Type: general – SubjectFull: Interaction Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Motivation Type: general – SubjectFull: Family Influence Type: general – SubjectFull: Values Type: general – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Academic Accommodations (Disabilities) Type: general – SubjectFull: Majors (Students) Type: general – SubjectFull: Course Selection (Students) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Experiences of Autistic College Students in Higher Education and Their Relations with Faculty Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jessica Johnson – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Robin L. Dodds – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jeffrey Wood IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 08 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: 8 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Type: main |
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