A multi-method assessment of study strategies in higher education students with an autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Recent research shows that the number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending higher education (HE) is increasing. However, their academic success rates and chances of graduating are lower than reported for typically developing peers. Combining a self-report study- attitude and -strategies inventory and empirical think-aloud protocols, this study is the first to use a multi-method design to try and explain these differences in first-year undergraduates with and without ASD.It was investigated whether, compared to typical controls, HE students with ASD find it more difficult to glean relevant information from their study material, have poorer academic-planning and purposeful-acting skills and are metacognitively less proficient.No group differences were found for motivation, fear of failure or time management. The undergraduates with ASD did have more problems selecting relevant information from study materials than their typical peers and knew and used fewer relevant study strategies.The results presented relate to the three dominant explanatory models of ASD. They contribute to the available evidence and to a profile of HE students with ASD detailing their academic strengths and weaknesses, allowing student guidance protocols to be tailored to their specific needs. Recommendations for such protocols are given.