Treffer: The Introduction to College Life Program: Transition Support for Autistic Students (Practice Brief)

While much support exists for autistic individuals from infancy through secondary education, better support is needed for autistic students' transition to higher education. Autistic high school students are less likely than nonautistic students to pursue postsecondary education and report experiencing various difficulties in college, such as mental health struggles and social isolation. The two-week Introduction to College Life Program (ICLP) was designed to support autistic high school students by giving them the opportunity to learn more about college and practice skills that are helpful for college success. The ICLP curriculum, which is grounded in the literature regarding supporting autistic college students, includes topics such as time management, self-advocacy, social engagement, dorm and commuter life, and self-care. The ICLP has been offered twice in person and twice online. To assess and continue to develop the program, autistic program participants completed an interview or an online survey about their experience in the program. Twenty-one participants provided feedback. All of the participants reported that the program positively improved their feelings about attending college (86%) or maintained their positive feelings about college (14%). Experiential activities, such as practicing communicating with faculty, were noted as the most helpful. Details regarding the program curriculum, participant feedback, and ways this program model may be utilized by other colleges and universities are discussed.

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