How Involved Should They Be? Students with ASD in Postsecondary Settings and Their Family Members

Abstract

We investigated the need for family member involvement for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in postsecondary settings. We also looked at the perceived needed and fulfilled roles of family members and if family member involvement resulted in positive outcomes for postsecondary students with ASD. We surveyed 211 postsecondary Disability Support Professionals (DSPs) through the AHEAD organization. Using a mixed methods approach including inductive content analysis, results primarily indicated that there is a need for family members to be involved non-academically with students with ASD. We discuss roles that DSPs think family members should fulfill versus roles that DSPs think that family members are actually fulfilling. It is apparent that DSPs think family member involvement is important but must be balanced with increasing the independence of students with ASD while enrolled in school.