Autistic Spectrum Conditions in Higher Education During COVID-19: Recommendations and Support Strategies

Introduction

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by difficulties in communication and social interaction, with the presence of restrictive, repetitive behaviours and interests (World Health Organisation, 2021). Additionally, as autistic people process sensory information differently, many experience sensory overload and/or self-stimulatory behaviours, known as “stimming (Kapp et al., 2019). ASC is heterogeneous, meaning each person is affected differently (Happé & Frith, 2020). Kenny et al. (2016) suggests most autistic people endorse identity-first language (i.e., “autistic”), which will be utilised throughout this chapter. Approximately 1.1% of the population of England have a diagnosis of ASC (Brugha et al., 2012). Rates of ASC in UK schools have increased over recent years (McConkey, 2020), possibly due to improved awareness of ASC, and changes to the diagnostic criteria (Matson & Kozlowski, 2011). Furthermore, diagnosis of ASC in adulthood is increasingly common, particularly for individuals not aligning with the white-male stereotype (Bargiela et al., 2016; Mandell et al., 2009).

With a preference for sameness being a key characteristic of ASC, it is necessary to consider the impact of the recent Covid-19 pandemic on autistic individuals (Cassidy et al., 2020). Physical disabilities are more common within the autistic population (Weir et al., 2021), suggesting these individuals may be at increased risk for Covid-19 complications. With health inequalities frequently being identified as an area of concern for autistic people (Mason et al., 2019), it makes sense Covid-19 seems to have had a disproportionate impact on the autistic population (Oomen et al., 2021). Reflecting these findings, diagnosis disparities and the need for increased ASC awareness, the UK Government released an ‘Autism Strategy’ (Department of Education & Department of Health & Social Care, 2021). The strategy aims to improve support services, employment, education and daily life for autistic people and their families. Current issues faced by autistic students in schools and Further Education (FE) settings are outlined within the strategy, including poor understanding of ASC by staff, overwhelming environments, stigma, judgement from peers and a lack of early support. The UK Government pledge to improve autistic people’s education and discusses how some autistic students have benefited from the flexibility of remote learning and pledges to continue offering this.

Despite proposing promising advances for schools and FE institutions, the strategy fails to discuss Higher Education (HE). This is problematic considering evidence suggesting the need for an intervention (Clouder et al., 2020; Gurbuz et al., 2019). Increasing numbers of autistic students are enrolling in HE, yet there is a discrepancy in the proportion transitioning to HE compared with non-autistic students (Karola et al., 2016). It is unclear how Covid-19 has impacted these discrepancies. Statistics on completion and drop-out rates of autistic students in HE are relatively unknown. However, it is believed autistic students are at increased risk of non-completion (Anderson et al., 2018). Cage et al. (2020) revealed numerous factors predicting non-completion for autistic students, including poor academic, sensory and social support, and poor staff awareness. Considering the UK Government have failed to address barriers within HE for autistic students, universities must take responsibility for addressing such issues.