Investigating the Outcomes and Quality of Support Programs for Autistic Young Adults in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background:

Participation rates for autistic young adults in higher education are increasing. However, academic outcomes and retention are lower than for neurotypical peers, and mental health and well-being concerns exist for these young people. Universities and colleges must provide inclusive supports that consider the needs of autistic young people and reflect neurodiverse affirming approaches. Our systematic review examined empirical studies of support initiatives for autistic young adults in higher education. We considered initiatives’ impact in enhancing psychological well-being, academic achievement and retention, and the extent to which programs were coproduced and informed by an understanding of autistic culture and individual experiences.

Methods:

Our review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis standards of systematic review. Studies conducted between 2013 and 2023 that investigated programs for autistic young adults in university and examined psychological well-being, academic achievement, or retention were eligible for inclusion. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. We critically appraised those studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool and assessed the support initiatives for quality following the Australasian Society for Autism Research criteria.

Results:

The most prevalent support programs for autistic young adults in higher education were mentoring initiatives. Multimodal interventions adopted a psychosocial focus, with primary aims of developing social, organizational, and empathic listening skills. Participants in mentoring programs demonstrated increases in well-being and academic outcomes, including participants’ feelings of connection, belonging, and academic self-efficacy. Multimodal interventions showed reductions in areas such as anxiety and loneliness, and improvements in self-esteem.

Conclusion:

The support programs we identified in this review demonstrated positive effects for autistic young people’s well-being, academic achievement, and retention. Mentoring interventions were beneficial and focused on individual strengths, interests, and challenges of autistic individuals. Our recommendation for future research and support initiatives is to tailor programs to the individual needs of autistic university students, using codesign principles and focusing on environmental and systemic changes to enhance their full participation in higher education.

Community Brief

Why was this review done?

More autistic young adults are going to university. However, they often face learning and social difficulties while there. They also report decreased well-being and may be at risk of dropping out of their studies. We wanted to identify which university support programs enhance the well-being and academic success of autistic individuals and which do not.

What was the purpose of the review?

Our review aimed to systematically gather and assess studies that describe support programs offered to autistic students. We wanted to see how much these programs help students and whether current support programs genuinely enhance students’ well-being and academic success.

What did the researchers do?

We looked for studies that evaluated support programs for young adults aged 18–25 who were either currently at university or had recently graduated. We sought to understand how those programs enhanced students’ well-being, academic success, and retention. We also evaluated the different types of programs available, looking at how much autistic individuals were involved in designing those programs and how well those programs addressed the unique needs and experiences of autistic young people. We summarized the findings of the different studies in narrative form.

What were the results of the review?

Many support programs continue to focus on changing the behavior of autistic individuals. These practices try to “fix” the person rather than the place. However, support programs informed by the neurodiversity paradigm are starting to appear and are helping to push for positive change. Most of the multimodal support methods we investigated used the same approach for everyone, focusing on what autistic people couldn’t do well. Right now, the evidence suggests that the best way for universities to provide personalized support, which builds on the strengths and needs of autistic young adults, is with mentoring programs.

What do the findings add to what was already known?

Our systematic review brings together the results of several recent studies that seek to show how young autistic people can be best supported at university. The support programs we reviewed looked at improving wellbeing, grades, and retention. Our review suggests that there is a growing change in how people approach this topic. Instead of focusing on what autistic students cannot do, newer methods are starting to respect and support autistic strengths and differences. Autistic people are helping to create these new approaches. We found mentoring programs had the biggest impact on wellbeing and academic success, with autistic students reporting feelings of connection and increased confidence in their academic abilities.

What are the potential weaknesses of this review?

We examined different types of studies which made it difficult to combine the results. These studies did not include a range of different autistic experiences such as those from different cultural and gender groups or those with additional disabilities. We could not fully explore larger issues such as educational policies and higher education funding.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

Our research will help universities create more suitable support programs for autistic young adults. We suggest ways to assess these programs, making sure they are codeveloped with the autistic community, and consider the unique needs and experiences of autistic students.