Support for Higher Education Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Yuko Furuhashi

doi:10.4236/psych.2021.124035

Abstract

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly attending postsecondary education. However, the graduation rate and academic performance of tertiary-level students with ASD are significantly poorer than that of neurotypical students. In addition, postsecondary students with ASD struggle with loneliness, anxiety, high level of stress, depression, and suicidal behaviors. This review focuses on the current psychological support systems for students with ASD enrolled in higher education. A range of interventions are available, many of which are feasible and show high satisfaction rates among students with ASD. This review shows the need for institutions of higher education to provide psychological supports for students with ASD.

Highlights

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant impairment in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication deficits, and restricted and repetitive interests and behavior (APA, 2013)
This review focuses on the current psychological support systems for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enrolled in higher education
The database search identified 466 papers, the abstracts of which were manually reviewed to ensure that the studies investigated postsecondary students with ASD

Summary

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant impairment in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication deficits, and restricted and repetitive interests and behavior (APA, 2013). These symptoms range in severity from mild to severe and usually persist throughout the lifespan. While many individuals with ASD have intact or high intellectual ability, non-social neurocognitive impairment has been observed in domains such as aspects of working memory (Williams, 2006), planning (Hughes et al, 1994), and executive functioning (Ozonoff et al, 1994). There is a need for the development of effective intervention in this population (Accardo et al, 2019; Anderson et al, 2018; Van Hees et al, 2015)

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