How an Autism-Specific College Support Program Addresses Ableism and Acceptance

• In Event: Autism and Intersectionality: Varying Perspectives in Research

Abstract

Autism-Specific College Support Programs (ASPs) are emerging around the country to create more equitable transitions into higher education for autistic students. Such programming is necessary to guide autistic students’ journeys as they handle academic, professional, and social processes with greater agency. This case study, drawing on the Social Justice Model of
Disability, draws on interviews, observations, and documents to determine how an ASP works to dismantle ableism. The ASP, however, has operated with limited resources and combatted institutional resistance to such supports. Findings suggest how the ASP gained legitimacy, surmounted challenges, and promoted autism acceptance in its quest to disrupt institutional
ableism and, consequently, to offer accessible pathways for autistic college students.

Author

• Brett Ranon Nachman, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville