Supporting university students with autism spectrum disorder

Increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder are entering higher education. Their success can be jeopardized by organizational, social/emotional, and academic challenges if appropriate supports are not in place. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group model...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Autism : the international journal of research and practice Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 20 - 28
Main Authors:	Hillier, Ashleigh, Goldstein, Jody, Murphy, Deirdra, Trietsch, Rhoda, Keeves, Jacqueline, Mendes, Eva, Queenan, Alexa
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	London, England SAGE Publications 01-01-2018 SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:	Academic Achievement Academic staff Anxiety Autism College Students Cooperative Learning Coping Cost analysis Counseling Services Curricula Depression (Psychology) Efficacy Executive function Focus Groups Functional impairment Goal Orientation Goal setting Group psychotherapy Group work Higher education Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Competence Intervention Loneliness Mental depression Occupational stress Outcomes of Treatment Pervasive Developmental Disorders Psychological Patterns Qualitative Research School Holding Power Self Concept Measures Self Esteem Self report Social anxiety Social Isolation Social skills Social Support Groups Statistical Analysis Stress Management Time Management University students Massachusetts autism spectrum disorders education services qualitative research adults interventions—psychosocial/behavioral
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Summary:	Increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder are entering higher education. Their success can be jeopardized by organizational, social/emotional, and academic challenges if appropriate supports are not in place. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group model for university students with autism spectrum disorder in improving psychological and functional outcomes. A curriculum guided the weekly discussions and consisted of topics such as time and stress management, managing group work, and social communication. Efficacy was assessed through pre- and post self-report measures focused on self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Functional changes in academic and social skills were examined through qualitative analysis of focus groups. Findings from the self-report measures indicated significant reductions in feelings of loneliness and general anxiety, and a significant increase in self-esteem at the end of the program compared to the beginning. Five prominent themes were identified in the focus-group analysis and reflected how the program had positively impacted participants’ skills and coping: executive functioning; goal setting; academics and resources; stress and anxiety; and social. Given the cost effectiveness of “in-house” interventions and the potential for improving academic outcomes and retention of students with autism spectrum disorder, further research examining similar program models is warranted.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1362-3613 1461-7005
DOI:	10.1177/1362361317699584