Rural College/University Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Supports and Challenges

Overview: This qualitative study explored the college/university experiences of students on the autism spectrum in a rural setting prior to and during the pandemic. Through in-depth interviews, fifteen students shared their experiences and recommended strategies to remove barriers and promote accessible, inclusive learning environments. This presentation will share students’ first-hand experiences.Proposal text: Background
Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are enrolling in colleges/universities at increasing rates (Barnhill, 2016). ASD is a condition that involves persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior (American Psychological Association, 2022). Even though students with ASD frequently possess academic strengths that typically facilitate success within higher education, this population graduates at disproportionately lower rates than their peers and have a greater incidence of prematurely leaving school (Davis et al., 2021). There is a gap in the literature on the experiences of college students with ASD and supports that they find helpful. Additionally, existing university disability services are not necessarily focused on their unique needs (Davis et al., 2021), and when they do, these services may result in additional fees (Think College, 2020). Furthermore, there is limited research on the unique challenges that students with ASD face in rural colleges/universities, especially considering the Covid-19 pandemic. This qualitative study explored the experiences of fifteen university students with ASD prior to and during Covid-19 and begins to fill in some knowledge gaps by (1) explicating salient challenges affecting college students with ASD in a rural state, and (2) describing specific supports that promote their college success.
Methodology
Following the university’s IRB approval, emails were sent to key personnel in the disability support office, requesting their assistance in distributing a recruitment email to their student listserv. Fifteen students with a formal diagnosis of ASD participated in in-depth interviews for the study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke (2006). The primary investigator collaborated with a research assistant to read, and code each transcript independently. After jointly reviewing and agreeing on codes, comparative analysis was done across all transcripts, and codes clustered into overarching themes and sub-themes that captured participants’ university experience.
Findings
Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed three overarching themes and ten sub-themes. These themes include: (1) Intersecting systemic barriers, with sub-themes titled Restrictive Academic/Credit Load, Freshman On-Campus Housing Policies, and Lack of Safe Decompress Campus Spaces; (2) Inadequate Institutional Support and Lack of Knowledge/Understanding from Disability Support Services, Faculty, and Peers, with sub-themes titled Delayed Disability Accommodations, Limited Resources and Social Support, Lack of Clarity in Instructions and Expectations from Faculty, and Disconnect from Students; and (3) Individual Adaptations and Students with ASD knowledge of Accommodations with sub-themes titled Camouflaging: Masking and Compensating, Personal Identity, and Self-Disclosure Decisions.

Discussion/Conclusion
Higher education is charged to make deeper commitments to remove institutional and pedagogical barriers and promote accessible, inclusive learning environments. Challenges are magnified in rural settings and may even be more pronounced during a pandemic. Recommendations provided include: (a) raising campus awareness and acceptance by promoting/valuing neurodiversity; (b) utilizing Universal Design to shape pedagogy, and creation of campus architectural and social environment; (c) establishing a formal peer mentorship program for students with ASD; and (d) providing ongoing campus-wide training. Implication for social work education and practice include that: social work educators can help drive inclusive access initiatives by partnering with colleagues across campus to effect change.