Exploring Educational Transition Experiences and Strengths in Autistic Women

Introduction: Autistic students are increasingly accessing Higher Education (HE). The experiences of autistic women are currently under-researched and poorly understood, especially in HE. Existing literature focuses heavily on the barriers facing autistic students in HE, with strengths being under-researched. Additionally, there is an absence of participatory research in the field of autism. The current study aimed to address these gaps and explore the experiences of autistic women as they transition to HE, with a focus on the strengths that help them to be successful.
Method: A consultation phase comprised of three semi-structured interviews with autistic women with experience of attending HE took place to shape the second phase of the research. This considered the area of interest and methodological approaches. In phase B, six autistic women shared their experience of attending HE via semi-structured interview, email, or survey. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data.
Results: Findings from phase A highlighted the importance of research into the area of starting university for autistic women. There was mixed feedback about the female only approach and strengths-based perspective. The importance of individual choice regarding how to take part in research, the information required beforehand, and creating an enabling environment for each individual was highlighted. In phase B, areas of interest included, decision making and preparations for starting university, the experience of transitioning to university, relationships with others, autism as being both a barrier and advantageous in university, the importance of diagnosis, mental health difficulties, and individual relationships to strengths.
Discussion: The results are discussed in relation to existing literature around the experiences of autistic students as they transition to HE, the social experiences autistic women may have, and the complex relationship with the concept of strengths. The strengths and limitations of this study are considered, alongside implications and suggestions for future research, before concluding.