Addressing low success rates of tertiary students with autism spectrum disorder
Guiding support for students with ASD in universities
The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has led to a rise in the number of young adults with autism spectrum disorder pursuing tertiary education. However, these students face challenges, including a low success rate in their studies and health-related risks. One factor contributing to the high university drop-out rate among these students may be the lack of support structures within universities.
While universities have begun offering support similar to that provided for students with other special educational needs, many students with autism spectrum disorder require a unique type of support according to the specifics of their diagnosis. Ideally, this support would aim to equip these students with the ability to protect their mental health, solve unique challenges and situations in the university setting, and improve academic outcomes.
In addition to experiencing poor academic performance due to ineffective learning strategies and difficulties with executive functions, university students with autism spectrum disorder primarily encounter challenges in the social domain. These challenges manifest as deficits in social skills, communication problems, and low social engagement. Such difficulties pose multiple obstacles to forming social relationships and often result in stress, anxiety, and other health-related issues.
A systematic review is underway to explore the impact of educational and psychological interventions on educational, social, behavioural, and mental health outcomes in students with autism spectrum disorder in tertiary education.
This systematic review will inform a new guideline on support for students with autism spectrum disorder in the tertiary education environment. The new guideline will assist university support centres and stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions about the appropriate support for students with autism spectrum disorder.
The systematic review protocol is available in the June 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis.
Kantor, Jiří; Li, Jiaoli; Du, Jian; Svobodová, Zuzana; Klugar, Miloslav; Salehi-Pourmehr, Hanieh; Hampton, David; Smolíková, Monika; Kantorová, Lucia; Marečková, Jana; Zmeškalová, Daniela; Munn, Zachary
JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(6):p 1299-1309, June 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-22-00251