“Listening with Your Heart”: Autism Support Program Faculty Experiences in Teaching Autistic College Students

Abstract

Background:

As more autistic college students enroll in higher education, the need for capable faculty to support their learning experiences rises. Although well intentioned, many educators are not always the most adept in supporting their autistic learners. This descriptive phenomenological reflective lifeworld research seeks to understand the essence of autism-specific college support program faculty experiences in teaching autistic college students.

Methods:

This study entailed conducting interviews with four full-time faculty, two staff who teach part-time, and eight other administrators or staff at a community college boasting an autism-specific college support program. Additionally, the author drew on observing a classroom session, program information session, and the campus via a tour, as well as course syllabi, to provide a fuller picture. Dahlberg and colleagues’ data analysis methods provided a mechanism for interpreting the information.

Results:

Four themes helped describe the essence of faculty experiences in teaching their autistic learners: unfamiliarity, flexibility, disruption, and optimism. Whereas faculty may, at first, lack familiarity with autism, they draw on that desire for further knowledge to directly learn from their students, creating opportunities for trust building. They also welcome feedback from students and fellow staff alike to engage in flexible teaching techniques. Adaptability and willingness to learn help them navigate difficult course experiences. These experiences ultimately enhance faculty members’ confidence to teach autistic learners and translate inclusive teaching measures to their courses writ large.

Conclusion:

This study unveils the many aspects of faculty members’ experiences in interacting with autistic students, particularly within the unique landscape of a college with an autism-specific college support program that highlights neurodiversity. Importantly, this study contributes new knowledge about how faculty draw on their resources, knowledge, and past teaching experiences to shape their iterative approaches to working with autistic students.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

Autistic college students are increasingly enrolling in higher education institutions, yet many of the faculty and staff who work with them are unaware of, and unprepared to, support their classroom experiences. This issue contributes to faculty sometimes misunderstanding autistic students and missing opportunities to build more inclusive classrooms.

What was the purpose of the study?

My aim was to find out what faculty experience in working with autistic learners, and how they adapt their teaching approaches.

What did the researcher do?

This study was set in a community college, with an autism-specific college support program that works toward college and career skills for its neurodivergent learners. I conducted interviews with four full-time faculty teaching in this program, two additional part-time faculty who are college staff, and two additional staff members. I also observed a class session and program information session, toured the campus, and reviewed all current course syllabi to understand faculty members’ evolving experiences in supporting autistic learners.

What were the results of the study?

I found that faculty felt a mix of emotions and adopted various teaching approaches, when working with autistic college students. For instance, faculty often entered from a place of unfamiliarity, though they sought knowledge from colleagues and additional resources to enhance their understanding of, and comfort to teach, autistic learners. This context helped them in navigating moments when students acted in a disruptive manner. Many faculty relied on past course experiences, and interactions with autistic learners, to inform their feelings of optimism in teaching future students.

What do these findings add to what was already known?

To date, while there have been a handful of studies focused on faculty members’ engagement with autistic learners, few have concentrated on settings within an autism-specific college support program. Study findings show how faculty working in these environments committed to neurodiversity, incorporated inclusive and transferable teaching techniques, while also growing in their comfort and confidence to work with autistic learners.

What are the potential weaknesses of the study?

As I engaged only with faculty members teaching in, and staff familiar with, the autism-specific college support program, I did not necessarily gather perspective from individuals with less context on neurodiversity. In the end, the campus and participants selected for this study may not be representative of most college campuses without such autism acceptance.

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

Study findings will give perspective into how faculty members can more inclusively serve autistic learners, ultimately benefitting the academic experiences of future generations of autistic students entering college.