Advising Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Best Practices for Student Success
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26209/mj1861252Abstract
As of 2014, one in sixty-eight children in the United States received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Bednarchyk, 2014). As the prevalence of this learning disability rises within the general population, increased numbers of students with ASD enter institutions of higher education across the United States (Hansen, 2011). This data mean faculty and staff working at colleges and universities require knowledge of best practices to best serve these students. In particular, advisers are positioned well to learn how to work with students with ASD and facilitate their academic success. This article provides background information about ASD, characteristics of students with ASD in higher education, a model for advising students with ASD, and best practices for working with this student population. Readers can utilize this article as a means to spark discussion within offices and institutions about training needed to better serve students with ASD.References
Bednarchyk, K. (2014). Advising students with autism spectrum disorder. NACADA Clearinghouse Resource. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Advising-Students-with-Autism.aspx
Bridges, L. (2011). Helping students with Asperger's Syndrome navigate the college experience. Academic Advising Today, 34(2). Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-Today/View-Articles/Helping-Students-with-Aspergers-Syndrome-Navigate-the-College Experience.aspx
Clifton, D., Anderson, E., & Schreiner, L. (2006). StrengthsQuest: Discover and develop your strengths in academics, career, and beyond. Washington, D.C: Gallup.
Dillon, M. (2007). Creating supports for college students with Asperger Syndrome through collaboration. College Student Journal, 41(2), 499–504.
Farrell, E. (2004). Asperger's confounds colleges. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(7), A35–A36.
Hansen, R. (2011). The trifecta of student support services: Helping students with autism spectrum disorders succeed in postsecondary education. College and University, 86(4), 37–40.
Hughes, J. (2009, October 28). Supporting college students with Asperger Syndrome: Possible strategies for academic advisers to use. The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal. Retrieved from https://dus.psu.edu/mentor
Pillay, Y., & Bhat, C. (2012). Facilitating support for students with Asperger's Syndrome. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 26(2), 140–154.
Prince-Hughes, D. (2003). Understanding college students with autism. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(17).
Schreiner, L. (2013). Strengths-based advising. In J. Drake, P. Jordan, & M. Miller (Eds.), Academic advising approaches: Strategies that teach students to make the most of college, (p. 105–120). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Smith, C. (2007). Support services for students with Asperger's Syndrome in higher education. College Student Journal, 41(3).
Swarthmore College. (2015). Students on the autism spectrum. Retrieved from http://www.swarthmore.edu/academic-advising-support/students-autism-spectrum
Downloads
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).