Exploring Student Diversity: College Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders

Authors

Monique N. Colclough PhD, Northern Virginia Community CollegeFollow

Author Bio(s)

Monique's scholarship examines neurodiversity in higher education, focusing on college students who have autism and their collegiate experiences.

Abstract

Higher education literature advises that college students who have autism spectrum disorders overwhelmingly attend community colleges. However the persistence and retention of college students who have autism spectrum disorders is not well documented. Absent among the existing literature are first-person narratives of college students who have autism. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of college students who have autism spectrum disorders, focusing on the social experiences that impact college persistence and retention. The following research questions guided the study: What are the social experiences of college students who have autism? What role(s) do various social experiences play in the persistence and retention of college students who have autism? This study explores implications for community colleges in concert with institutional responsibility for its diverse body of scholars.

Recommended Citation

Colclough, M. N. (2018). Exploring Student Diversity: College Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders. Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 21 (1). Retrieved from https://commons.vccs.edu/inquiry/vol21/iss1/5