Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2013 Jul;43(7):1539-46.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1700-z.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation among college students with an autism spectrum disorder

Xin Wei  1 , Jennifer W Yu, Paul Shattuck, Mary McCracken, Jose Blackorby
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation among college students with an autism spectrum disorder

Xin Wei et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2013 Jul.

Abstract

Little research has examined the popular belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely than the general population to gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, a nationally representative sample of students with an ASD in special education. Findings suggest that students with an ASD had the highest STEM participation rates although their college enrollment rate was the third lowest among 11 disability categories and students in the general population. Disproportionate postsecondary enrollment and STEM participation by gender, family income, and mental functioning skills were found for young adults with an ASD. Educational policy implications are discussed.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Banda DR, Kubina RM. Increasing academic compliance to math tasks using the high-preference strategy in a student with autism. Preventing School Failure. 2010;54:81–85.
    1. Banda DR, Neisworth JT, Lee DL. High probability request sequences and young children: Enhancing compliance. Child & Family Behavior Therapy. 2003;25:17–29.
    1. Baron-Cohen S. Autism: The Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) Theory. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 2009;1156:68–80. - PubMed
    1. Baron-Cohen S. The hyper-systemizing, assortative mating theory of autism. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. 2006;30(5):865–872. - PubMed
    1. Baron-Cohen S, Bolton P, Wheelwright S, Scahill V, Short L, Mead G, Smith A. Does autism occur more often in families of physicists, engineers, and mathematicians? Autism. 1998;2(3):296–301.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources