Table 1_Evaluating autism support programs in higher education through the perspectives of students, parents, counselors and staff.docx

Introduction<p>Some postsecondary institutions have established Autism Support Programs (ASP) that provide specialized support for autistic college students.</p>Methods<p>This work investigates the structure and experience of these programs through thirty-four semi-structured interviews with participants from four stakeholder groups: ASP staff, autistic college students, parents of autistic college students, and high school staff who have worked with college-bound autistic students.</p>Results<p>Participants reported ASPs offering an array of academic, social and environmental support.

Parents and students indicated that participating in an ASP was helpful in multiple facets of the college experience, including academic planning, social integration, and independent living. All groups reported high levels of satisfaction with ASP offerings; however, ASP staff reported little to no use of quantitative measures of academic or post-graduation outcomes.</p>Discussion<p>Significant barriers to access remain.