Abstract
With an increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in the United States, many of whom have higher intellectual ability, there is a predicted increase in the number of college-bound students. Affected young adults face a “Services Cliff” as they transition into adulthood. Our study examined a nationally represented sample of freshman students and found that academic achievements in autistic students are comparable to their peers when they first enter college. The students however have more mental health and physical health problems compared to their non-autistic peers. Poor health maybe a major contributing factor to the lower graduation rates among autistic students. College-bound autistic students may continue to require services through college for them to be successful and graduate.
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Notes
The term “autistic person” has been used throughout this manuscript more often than “person with autism” in order to respect the preferences of self-advocates.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Kashia Rosenau and Emily Hotez for their kind review and insights while editing the manuscript.
Funding
This project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under UJ2MC31073: Autism Transitions Research Project. The information, content and/or conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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Fernandes, P., Haley, M., Eagan, K. et al. Health Needs and College Readiness in Autistic Students: The Freshman Survey Results. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 3506–3513 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04814-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04814-8