A Spectrum of Student Success Identifying Factors Affecting Access, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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A Spectrum of Student Success Identifying Factors Affecting Access, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

www.CollegeAutismNetwork.org Dr. Bradley E. Cox Bailey Brogdon Amanda Roy ASHE 2016 Jeffery Edelstein Columbus, Ohio A Spectrum of Student Success Identifying Factors Affecting Access, Experiences, and Outcomes for Students on the Autism


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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

A Spectrum of Student Success

Identifying Factors Affecting Access, Experiences, and Outcomes for Students on the Autism Spectrum www.CollegeAutismNetwork.org

  • Dr. Bradley E. Cox

Bailey Brogdon Amanda Roy Jeffery Edelstein ASHE 2016 Columbus, Ohio

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ASD Identity

Personal Connections

Individual

Institutional Environment

Standard Operating Procedures

Personalized Adaptation Formal Accommodations

  • Family/Friends
  • Past experiences
  • Resource advisors
  • Knowledge
  • Acceptance
  • Salience

convergence

Sneak Peak Emerging Model of Convergence

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Recent Estimates: 16,0001 or 143,5002 or 389,5002 … but by 2020: up to 433,0003

Autism Coming to College

1 From Wei, Wagner, Hudson,

Yu, & Javitz (2015) [n=920; 13-16 year-olds from 2000 using national NLTS-2 dataset]

2 Author extrapolations from

White, Ollendick, and Bray (2011) [n=667; enrolled college students at single 4-year institution]

3 Author extrapolations from

CDC data

Enrollment Growth Relative to 20103

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Individuals

Challenges at Two Levels

Social Academic Independent Living “Co-Morbidities” Identification Coordination Individualization Resources/Efficiency Institutions

Fewer than 39% graduate

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Methods Overview

Framework ○ Astin’s I-E-O Approach ○ Multiple Case Study ○ Grounded Theory Data ○ Semi-Structured Interviews ○ 9 Students with Autism ○ Wide-ranging ages, severity, experiences, and outcomes Analyses in 3 Phases

  • Phase 1

○ Constant Comparative

  • Phase 2

○ Transcript Coding (IEO a priori) ○ Multiple-Raters & Memos

  • Phase 3

○ 9-Step Proposition Refinement ○ Model-Building

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ASD Identity

Personal Connections

Individual

Institutional Environment

Standard Operating Procedures

Personalized Adaptation Formal Accommodations

  • Family/Friends
  • Past experiences
  • Resource advisors
  • Knowledge
  • Acceptance
  • Salience

convergence

Emerging Model of Convergence

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Step 1: Autism Spectrum Disorders & Standard Operating Procedures

ASD

  • Difficulties with social communication & peer interaction
  • Literal and rigid expectations

Standard Operating Procedures

  • e.g., orientation, large lectures

Problem Realization

  • ASD-heightened & ASD-specific

○ Guidance/Support from advisors & instructors ○ Academic performance, group work

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Evidence Step 1: Autism Spectrum Disorders & Standard Operating Procedures

“I’m a linear learner. I mean, I’m autistic. And if it’s not linear I can’t learn it.” - Brian “She doesn’t have time for me. That’s the problem. I need someone to work with me more. She doesn’t have time, she doesn't have time to help me. Not with all these other students.” - Brian

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Step 2: Identity & Formal Accommodations

Identity

  • Variation in the knowledge, acceptance, and salience of autism shaped how

the students responded to their problem(s) Formal Accommodations

  • Specific disability accommodations provided by an institution

○ e.g., extended time on test, note-taker

  • Students experienced several barriers to access accommodations

Problem (Re)Defining

  • Surface-level problems can arise from students’ autistic characteristics, but…
  • Problems often had a deeper root tied to their identity, so...
  • Problem must be redefined to capture the deeper/bigger issue(s)
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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Evidence Step 2: Identity and Formal Accommodations

“We really had a heart-to-heart discussion with the disability resource center and some of the professors regarding the levels of calculus I’d have to take. I even got to look at some of their textbooks. I kind of had a bit of a panic attack... We talked it over and I just told my parents ‘I honestly don’t think I can do this. As much as I would love to be able to go here and study this realistically I don’t - I’m going to get lost.’ ... Given that I would be miles away from my parents, living on my own and taking these really difficult classes, I know that I have limits. I was very certain that that was it.” - Christopher

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Step 3: Personal Connections & Personalized Adaptation

Personal Connections

  • Typically a family member, guidance counselor, or mentor

Personalized Adaptation

  • Institutional resources, norms, accommodations, or policies seen as

malleable and adaptable to the needs of the individual student (Re)Solving the Problem

  • Self-help, enrolling in another institution
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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Getting Ahead of Predictable Problems: Orientation

Predictable Problem ○ Overwhelming high-energy activities ○ Difficult to switch attention between topics and integrate various sources of information rapidly ○ Difficulties maintaining eye contact and small talk among peers Potential Solutions ○ Printed or digital presentations available before and after ○ Hourly “self-care” or “personal rejuvenation” breaks

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Getting Ahead of Predictable Problems: Conduct

Predictable Problem ○ Difficulty recognizing, defining, and following ambiguous “social rules” or “informal policy” ○ “Social rules” of college are not explicitly laid out ■ e.g., living with a roommate, eating in a cafeteria, going to a party Potential Solution ○ Students with autism tend to recognize and implement rule-based frames ○ Adhere to clearly articulated policies ○ Explore peer-mentors to guide navigation through novel social contexts

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Getting Beyond the Disability Service Center

Disability Service Center ○ The “default” problem-solving starting place ○ Too often, the real or assumed ending place Potential Solutions:

  • A specific advisor or “case worker” for students to navigate the institution

○ Point of contact for neurodiverse students ○ Liaison between the departments and the neurodiverse students ■ e.g., help navigate a roommate agreement, find a proper tutor

  • Train their employees to better serve neurodiverse students
  • Present important procedures and information in a linear fashion
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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

Moving Forward

Autism-Related Characteristics in College STEM Students: Prevalence, Performance, and Mediation (1) determine the prevalence of autism-related characteristics among college students entering STEM fields; (2) assess the effect of autism-related characteristics on student performance in gateway STEM courses; and (3) evaluate the effect of formal disability accommodations on the classroom performance of STEM students with autism-related characteristics.

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CollegeAutismNetwork.org

College Autism Network

Training

Research Advocacy

  • Dr. Bradley E. Cox

brad.cox@fsu.edu We would like to thank the participants in this study, all contributors to the paper, and the College Autism Network! Full Paper Available at www.CollegeAutismNetwork.org