“Change Isn't Exactly Easy”: Autistic University Students' Lived Learning Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background:

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic-related isolation measures caused significant unexpected changes in learning experiences for all university students, including autistic students. So far, there has been a lack of information on autistic university students' lived learning experiences caused by the changes in the teaching delivery formats from face-to-face to online during this time. Our study addressed this gap by investigating eight autistic students' reported learning experiences during the rapid changes caused by the pandemic and discussing student-advocated learning supports.

Methods:

The participants in this qualitative study were eight formally or self-diagnosed, English-speaking, autistic undergraduate and graduate university students from a mid-sized Canadian university. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews that focused on their learning experiences and preferences before and during the pandemic, including what supports they found helpful. To analyze and interpret the data, autistic and nonautistic researchers used reflexive thematic analysis and a consultative participatory approach.

Results:

Our findings suggest that individual (i.e., organizational skills; mental health), interactional (i.e., prior experiences interacting with instructors and teaching assistants), and environmental (i.e., sensory environments, class sizes, virtual learning environments) factors, which were interrelated, determined the nature and quality of these autistic students' learning experiences and their academic preferences during the pandemic. We also found that each autistic student reported unique learning experiences and needed individualized supports for their learning.

Conclusions:

Several interrelated factors (individual, interactional, and environmental) affected the nature and quality of autistic university students' experiences during the pandemic. Each student had unique experiences and needed individualized supports.

Community brief

What was the purpose of this study?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all university students experienced rapid unexpected changes in teaching and learning formats when they had to switch from face-to-face learning to online platforms. There is almost no published information on autistic students' learning experiences during the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to understand eight autistic university students' reported lived learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and to discover potential academic supports that the students identified.

What did the researchers do?

We interviewed eight Canadian autistic university students (five undergraduates and three graduates) about their lived academic experiences before and during the pandemic, focusing on their experiences with changes from face-to-face to online learning. We also asked them about effective academic supports that universities could provide. Autistic and nonautistic researchers worked together to analyze the participants' responses.

What were the findings of the study?

The study found that individual, interactional, and environmental factors combined to affect these university autistic students' lived learning experiences and their preferences for either online or in-person learning. Specifically, first, we found that each student's ability to study independently in an organized way and their personal mental health concerns such as anxiety management were key in deciding their learning preferences. Second, each student's prior success in socially interacting with instructors and teaching assistants was important in their preferences for online or in-person learning. Third, each student's sensory experiences on campus and at home including factors such as having to attend large noisy classes or the availability of quiet home-based learning environments were important. We also found that each autistic student experienced learning uniquely and required individualized supports. In this study, the three graduate students reported wanting to return to in-person learning as soon as possible, whereas most undergraduate students preferred online learning.

What are the potential weaknesses in the study?

We were not able to recruit as many or as diverse a group of students as we would have liked. Additionally, although autistic co-researchers took part in the coding, analysis, and writing of this study, they did not contribute to the earlier design or data collection. In the future, we plan to fully involve autistic co-researchers from the start to ensure we produce research that addresses the expressed needs of autistic people.

How do these findings help autistic adults?

This study provided evidence of eight autistic university students' lived learning experiences and preferences during the pandemic and described supports that the students indicated were important in helping them learn effectively at university.

How do these findings advance the literature?

This small-scale study provided early evidence about these autistic university students' preferences for online or in-person learning and the reasons for these preferences. These findings can be used to expand this study to include a greater number and diversity of students to investigate how other factors such as race, economic status, presence of co-occurring conditions (e.g., learning disabilities), and others may also influence autistic university students' learning preferences.