University of California, Los Angeles, California.
Autism Res. 2019 Jun;12(6):931-940. doi: 10.1002/aur.2099. Epub 2019 Apr 10.
There is a pressing need to better characterize the college-bound population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as prior studies have included small samples, consisting of individuals who are either recruited due to diagnosis or are treatment seeking. As postsecondary institutions look to respond to the growing need for support services for individuals with ASD, insights derived from large, population-based samples is a necessity. The current study included a sample of over 2000 incoming postsecondary students who self-identified with ASD as a part of surveys distributed by institutions nationally. The impact of heterogeneity (gender, comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and/or learning disability) on demographic characteristics, and psychosocial (psychological health, interpersonal self-confidence) and academic (self-regulated learning, intellectual self-confidence) domains critical for success in postsecondary education were compared to a matched sample of students with ADHD or no diagnoses. College-bound students with ASD broadly endorsed similar rates of ADHD, LD, and psychological disorder comorbidity to clinic-referred samples, and were more similar than different from their typically developing peers. A comorbid diagnosis of ADHD was associated with greater academic disengagement. Females with ASD and those with any comorbid disorder were more likely to self-report poorer psychological health. Findings revealed that self-reported levels of functioning in critical domains differed by self-reported comorbid disorders and gender. Findings have implications for targeted support service recommendations based on unique sources of heterogeneity (e.g., gender, presenting comorbid disorders) and are detailed in the current study. Autism Res 2019, 12: 931-940. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: College-bound students with ASD feel academically competent; however feel less confident with their peers. Students with ASD and another diagnosis (e.g., ADHD, learning disability) and girls with ASD may be particularly at risk of experiencing poorer psychological health while enrolled in postsecondary education. Using this information, postsecondary institutions can provide more targeted support services to students with ASD enrolled in postsecondary education.
目前迫切需要更好地描述患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的准大学生群体，因为先前的研究样本较小，包括因诊断而招募的或正在寻求治疗的个体。随着高等教育机构寻求满足对 ASD 患者日益增长的支持服务需求，从基于人群的大型样本中获得的见解是必要的。本研究包括全国各机构分发的调查中自我认同为 ASD 的 2000 多名准大学生样本。异质性（性别、共患注意缺陷多动障碍[ADHD]和/或学习障碍）对人口统计学特征、心理社会（心理健康、人际自信）和学术（自我调节学习、智力自信）领域的影响与 ADHD 或无诊断的匹配样本进行了比较。与诊所参考样本相比，患有 ASD 的准大学生广泛认同 ADHD、LD 和心理障碍共病的比率相似，与他们未发育的同龄人相比，他们更相似而非不同。共患 ADHD 诊断与更大的学业脱节有关。患有 ASD 的女性和任何共患疾病的患者更有可能自我报告较差的心理健康状况。研究结果表明，在关键领域自我报告的功能水平因自我报告的共病障碍和性别而异。研究结果对基于独特异质性来源（例如，性别、存在的共病障碍）的有针对性的支持服务建议具有启示意义，并在当前研究中详细说明。自闭症研究 2019 年，12：931-940。 © 2019 自闭症国际研究协会，威利期刊，公司。 要点：患有 ASD 的准大学生感到有学术能力；然而，与同龄人相比，他们的自信心较低。患有 ASD 和另一种诊断（例如，ADHD、学习障碍）以及患有 ASD 的女孩在接受高等教育时可能特别有经历较差心理健康的风险。利用这些信息，高等教育机构可以为接受高等教育的 ASD 学生提供更有针对性的支持服务。
