High School Experiences and Support Recommendations of Autistic Youth

Abstract

We used an online survey to gather perspectives of autistic youth (n = 248) on the impacts of autism, school professionals, family members, and peers on their high school experiences; what each stakeholder group could have done better; and what future high school professionals and autistic youth should know. Two-thirds of participants viewed autism as negatively impacting their school experience, and this was more prevalent in women. The majority viewed impacts of school professionals, family, and peers as positive. Women were more likely to view school professional contributions as positive than men, and LGBT youth were more likely to view school professional and peer contributions as negative than non-LGBT youth. Suggestions for stakeholders included providing more help, care, and quality time.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Families; High school; Peers; Perspectives; School-based supports.