Experiencing College on the Autism Spectrum

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Authoring Dis/ability: Meaning-Making, Lived Experience, and Discourse

Abstract

With the rise in diagnoses of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) over the last two decades, colleges and universities may begin to see more students with ASD entering college than before. Although disability service offices across college campuses offer academic supports to these students, very little is known about how these students experience college, both academically and socially. The purpose of this study is to understand the college experience of a matriculated college student with ASD. Findings indicate the utilization of support networks, the impact of diagnosis on the college experience, and the interwoven nature of academic and social experiences. To best support students with ASD, colleges and universities should consider holistic and contextual evidence regarding the college experience.

Author

• Kristen Tarantino, College of William and Mary