however, these programs require willingness on the part of typically developed peers. Using a survey given to students in an introductory psychology course, willingness for students to accommodate their peers with autism was measured and then compared to the students’ familiarity with autism. The knowledge gained from this study can be used to help prepare colleges and universities for developing programs aimed at supporting students with autism through their peers.
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, college students, peer mentorship, accommodating
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In recent decades there has been a growing number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental disability defined by difficulties in areas such as communication, social skills, and repetitive or restrictive behaviors. In fact, 1 in 59 children is believed to have the disorder, making ASD rather prevalent in areas such as the educational system (Autism Speaks, n.d.). Some children with ASD have milder symptoms and are considered high functioning as a result of several factors such as early diagnosis and intervention, making higher education a very real possibility (Barnhill, 2016). Though their symptoms may be mild, college students with autism face many more challenges than their typically developed peers do, as they struggle with aspects of college such as the lack of structure and routine (Kuder & Accardo, 2018). Additionally, these students struggle with maintaining study habits such as note taking and with participating in group collaborations with peers (Gillespie-Lynch, et al., 2017; Kuder & Accardo, 2018). In order for students with ASD to be successful in college, these challenges and many others must be addressed by providing these students with substantial support.
In their study, Ashbaugh et al. (2017) found that one way to better ensure the success of college students with ASD was to increase their social integration, which positively correlated with increases in the students’ grade-point averages. Increasing social integration, however, requires a general awareness of the disorder and a decreased stigma towards those with the disability. Fortunately, as autism has increased in prevalence so has awareness, even among the college community (Tipton & Blacher, 2014). Gillespie-Lynch et al., (2015) observed that
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stigma among college students towards individuals with ASD was generally low as they reported that they were “somewhat willing” to engage with a person on the autism spectrum. Furthermore, this stigma was found to decrease after the students underwent an autism training to increase their knowledge about the disorder, demonstrating an inverse relationship between autism awareness and level of stigma (Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2015). Matthews et al. (2015) also observed that more positive attitudes were reported towards an individual who displayed autistic behaviors when that individual was labeled with autism as opposed to when the individual had no label, suggesting an awareness of autism symptomatology can help to create more positive attitudes towards individuals with the disability, leading to better social integration.
Increasing awareness and decreasing stigmatization of ASD among college students clears the way to providing one of the most effective support programs for students with ASD: peer mentorship and coaching. Researchers have conducted several studies on the utilization of peer mentorships, and they have reported that it is widely accessed by students with autism and effective in providing the necessary support to succeed academically and socially (Ashbaugh et al., 2017; Barnhill, 2016; Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2017; Hafner et al., 2011; Kuder & Accardo, 2018). For instance, Ashbaugh et al. (2017) used similarly aged college students participating in a research assistantship to be peer mentors to students with ASD, providing these mentors with training in the symptoms and treatment options for ASD. When provided with the proper training and support, peer mentors are able to effectively come alongside students with autism, such as by accompanying them at campus-based activities or other social
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opportunities, teaching them appropriate social skills and providing mentees with feedback on their own behavior (Ashbaugh et al., 2017; Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2017). Peer mentors are also able to help students with ASD improve in other areas where they are challenged, such as in academic self-advocacy to equip students to ask for reasonable accommodations (Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2017).
Gillespie-Lynch et al. (2017) concluded that students on the autism spectrum who participated in a mentorship program benefited greatly from it and reported very positive experiences, particularly in the opportunities to engage in social interactions. Even without a structured peer mentorship program, however, the involvement of peers in integrating students with autism into college life is crucial. For example, in one research study students with developmental disabilities (such as autism) were able to live on campus, though it required the support of students living in the same
