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Characteristics of Two-Year College Students on the Autism Spectrum and Their Support Services Experiences
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Characteristics of Two-Year College Students on the Autism Spectrum and Their Support Services Experiences

Anne M. Roux, Paul T. Shattuck, Jessica E. Rast, Julianna A. Rava, Amy D. Edwards, Xin Wei, Mary McCracken and Jennifer W. Yu
Autism Research and Treatment, v 2015(2015), pp 1-10
01 Jan 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/391693
PMID: 26649197
url
https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/391693View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Approximately 80% of college-going youth with autism in the US attend a 2-year college at some point. These community-based, universally accessible institutions offer both academic and vocational courses and have experience in teaching diverse learners. This study used nationally representative survey data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 to describe the characteristics and services experiences of adults with autism who attended postsecondary education after high school, focusing on those who attended a 2-year college. Over 60% of those who attended 2-year colleges had little to no trouble conversing or performing functional skills like counting change during high school, and extracurricular participation was common (93.8%). Most 2-year college attenders (85.7%) were able to navigate to places outside the home versus 43.9% of those with no postsecondary education. Over half took vocational courses at 2-year colleges, while one-quarter pursued academic study. Less than half (48.6%) of those who disclosed their disability to the school reported receiving services, accommodations, or other help. Most (87.3%) felt they received enough help, but fewer (68.0%) felt the services they received were useful. Future research should delineate specific needs of students with autism in 2-year college settings and identify what supports are needed to improve persistence and completion rates.

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