Brief Report: Autism-Specific College Support Programs: Differences Across Geography and Institutional Type

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Disability Studies
• Autism Support Services

Background:

• Increasing enrollment of autistic students in postsecondary institutions.
• Limited understanding of existing Autism-Specific College Support Programs (ASPs).
• Need for structured support to ensure success for autistic college students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and catalogue all Autism-Specific College Support Programs (ASPs) in the United States.
• To analyze the distribution and accessibility of these programs across different institutional types and geographic regions.
• To highlight potential inequities in access to college support for autistic students.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an exhaustive, year-long search of all U.S. postsecondary institutions.
• Identified and documented all existing Autism-Specific College Support Programs (ASPs).
• Analyzed program distribution by institution type, sector (public/private), and geographic location.

Main Results:

• Identified a total of 74 ASPs across 29 states.
• Found significant geographic disparities, with large areas of the U.S. lacking any ASPs.
• Observed disproportionate program availability at 4-year institutions, public institutions, and in the Mid-East region.

Conclusions:

• Current availability of ASPs is insufficient to meet the needs of autistic students nationwide.
• Significant inequities exist in access to college support programs based on institutional type and geographic location.
• The study provides a comprehensive list of ASPs and underscores the need for expanded and equitable access to these vital services.