Post-Secondary Education and Autism

Introduction

Man laying on a mat The term post-secondary education refers to any intervention which is aimed at adolescents and adults and which is delivered in a further or higher education setting (such as a college or university).

There is a wide range of post-secondary education interventions for autistic students including mentoring programmes and support groups.

There is a considerable overlap between some of these interventions. For example, some mentoring programmes may include the use of support groups.

There is a also considerable overlap between some forms of post-secondary education and other types of intervention, especially behavioural and developmental interventions, and many forms of post-secondary education use one or more behavioural or developmental techniques.

Evidence

Very little high-quality research evidence supports the effectiveness of most post-secondary education interventions for autistic people.

Risks and safety

No risks are known for most post-secondary education interventions.

Specific post-secondary education interventions

Mentoring

Mentoring is a process of supporting and encouraging someone else to maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be. Mentoring is not the same as befriending which is when someone volunteers to become a friend for a while. Post-secondary education mentoring programmes are aimed at students in further or higher education.

More information

Please see publications on Mentoring

Post-secondary education support groups

Post-secondary education support groups are groups of students who provide a variety of help and other forms of support to each other. Some support groups are facilitated by professionals while others are run entirely by the group members. Some groups meet face to face while others meet online. Some support groups for autistic students may have a formal curriculum, which includes regular discussions and guidance on issues such as time and stress management, academic skills, managing group work and social communication.