While the number of autistic students attending college has increased, research in this area has only recently gained momentum. Research on faculty interactions and relationships with autistic students is particularly limited. In this qualitative study, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 faculty to explore how they interacted with and…

Every student deserves a college education that provides a welcoming environment regardless of demographics. For adult students and students with autism, academic environments may not contain the needed protective support interventions for these populations to be successful. This study seeks to address the gap in literature that exists regarding…

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors which are influencing the low number of students living with autism spectrum disorders who graduate from four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities within six years of enrollment. This instrumental case study investigated the higher education experience for 13 students who…

Recent high school graduates enter a period of postsecondary transition where they are expected to obtain employment, enter college, or enroll in a training program. Postsecondary outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are notably lower than their neurotypical peers. Forty-two percent of students with ASD present with normal…

The purpose of this research was to gain a greater understanding of the transition experiences of students on the autism spectrum. Because the transition phenomenon itself was the focus of the study, information was sought not only from the primary perspective of students on the autism spectrum, but also from family members who participated in…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the transitional process and support systems for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) matriculating at institutions of higher education without formalized ASD-support programs. Students with ASD experience increased transitional challenges as they begin their college careers due to their…

An increasing number of autistic students attend U.S. universities, and higher education must meet their support needs. Existing literature frames research using a medical model of autism and is limited surrounding how autistic students form academic and social bonds during their first-year transition. This qualitative study examines 13 autistic…

The neurodiversity paradigm arose from the autistic community as a part of a selfdefinition process and in direct opposition to medical models of disability which continue to dominate education policy, practice, and research. Drawing heavily from fields such as disability studies, critical (dis)ability, and feminist scholarship, neurodiversity…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a packaged workplace social skills intervention comprised of behavior skills training, video modeling, and task analyses on the percentage of workplace social skills steps accurately demonstrated during a role-play for transition-age individuals with autism without intellectual disability. Results…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex and multifaceted, and individuals diagnosed with ASD benefit from an interprofessional approach to treatment (American Psychiatric Association , 2022; Cox, 2012; LaFrance, 2019). Unfortunately, however, many individuals who provide services to individuals with ASD report feeling ill-equipped to provide…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore how students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tell stories about experiences transitioning into the collegiate environment in Nebraska. The problem addressed in this study was that students with ASD often do not have the available needed resources needed to successfully transition…

This dissertation explores the intersection of disability studies and special education, focusing on the integration of disability-affirming practices within special education teacher preparation programs. The overarching goal is to enhance the preparation of preservice special education teachers by incorporating disability studies content,…

As the rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increase, so does the need to provide high-quality and empirically validated supports across the lifespan. Despite most of an individual's life taking place in adulthood, it is well-documented that the supports and services for adults with ASD are severely lacking. This is evidenced by outcomes…

The number of autistic students pursuing postsecondary education continues to increase, but they do not persist, graduate, or maintain post-graduate employment at the same rate as their allistic (non-autistic) peers. Using a critical theoretical lens and exploring persistence from Schlossberg's transition theory (1981,) this narrative inquiry…

Twenty-three college students participated in two studies evaluating an application designed to measure stimulus overselectivity in pictures depicting facial affect. We analyzed whether this application worked as designed by evaluating whether it could provide a robust analysis of the types of errors users make (e.g., by matching by the top…