Oct 7, 2018 5 min read

INDIANA-Generation Z, the cohort that was came into the world starting in the late 1990s, is perhaps the most diverse generation in American history, so it stands to reason that they have made our college and university campuses more diverse than they have ever been.

And that includes students who are on the autism spectrum.

Odds are that there have always been students who are on the autism spectrum attending colleges and universities, but they either soldiered through their studies without being diagnosed, or did not reveal the diagnosis to classmates or instructors. And, to be sure, the number of high school students with autism who make it to college is still fairly low. Every year, 50,000 Americans with autism leave high school or an equivalent program, and about one-third of those – roughly 16,000 – go on to a college or university, according to the advocacy group Autism Speaks. Furthermore, only about 20 percent of those students graduate within five years.

Advocates emphasize, however, that autistic students can possess formidable academic gifts, even if they might lag behind their peers in social development and other areas. And with more and more young people being diagnosed with autism – the number has gone from 1 in 152 in 2002 to 1 in 68, as of 2016 – college and university administrators are more aware that autistic students are in their midst, and they are making expansive efforts to accommodate them.

They are no longer left to sink or swim, as they might once have.

The way students with autism are dealt with “has changed over a generation,” said Brad Cox, an associate professor of higher education at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Cox also leads the College Autism Network, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the outcomes and experiences of students who are on the autism spectrum.

“These are individuals with active personalities, strengths and weaknesses,” Cox added. “It’s no longer just enroll the kid and he’s got to figure it out.”

Locally, Washington & Jefferson College had three students on its campus last year who identified themselves as autistic, and California University of Pennsylvania had 17. Waynesburg University did not have figures available. All told, Cal U. had about 150 to 200 students on its campus who said they had some type of disability, according to John Massella, the director of the university’s office for students with disabilities.

Autistic students were once “pretty underidentified,” Massella said.

Moving from the cossetted world of home and high school to a college or university campus can be challenging for students of all varieties. It can be particularly difficult for students with autism, who confront a number of social and academic challenges. Individuals with autism can rigidly adhere to routines, and college life can disrupt those. They can have trouble picking up social cues, have difficulty developing rigorous study habits and be overstimulated by the everyday sights and sounds of campus life. Dating, getting along with roommates and making new friends can be much more of an uphill climb for a student who is on the autism spectrum.

Massella pointed out there are a number of ways that campuses can assist students who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. They can be offered extended test time, reduced distractions, and instructors can adjust their teaching styles for students who might not be able to fully recognize, say, the use of irony or sarcasm. Many campuses also deploy mentors to help students with school work and personal concerns.

“The spectrum is so wide,” said Tyler Kowcheck, director of residence life at Washington & Jefferson College. “It has to be very individualized.”

Students who are on the autism spectrum can be “off the chart intelligent,” he explained, but have different ways of learning. For example, he said they might feel swamped by a wide-reaching project that would determine a large portion of their grade. In that instance, instructors could break it down into more sub-assignments, “so they don’t get overwhelmed by the final goal, but divide it up into different pieces,” Kowcheck explained.

A handful of the colleges and universities affiliated with the College Autism Network have programs dedicated specifically to helping autistic students, and that includes the Labyrinth Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Now in its third year, the program allows the students who have signed up for it to take credit-bearing courses specifically tailored to their needs, such as developing study skills or sharpening their social or job-interviewing abilities.

And, as Becky Knickelbein, the co-coordinator of the Labyrinth Center noted, sometimes students on the autism spectrum also simply appreciate the opportunity to be with peers who have to leap over the same hurdles.

“They have to feel a sense of belonging in order to be successful,” she said. “The goal is independence, and they get to experience college the same way everyone else does.”

Once students who are part of the program complete classes that help them with college life, “then it transitions into vocational skills,” Knickelbein explained. Job placement for students with autism is not good – in fact, “the statistics are awful,” said Joann Migyanka, the program’s other co-coordinator. But one of the ways the Labyrinth Center helps is trying to direct students into degree programs that have a greater chance of landing employment once they get their diplomas in hand.

“These are really bright students who have so much to offer,” Migyanka said. “They could look like students who are lazy or irresponsible, but they are none of these things.”

She also said students who are registered with the Labyrinth Center like the fact that it is not operated out of Indiana University’s disability services program.

“They want to drop the ‘special ed’ label. They want to be like any other college kid. They don’t want to be different in any way.”