Baker-Ericzén Mary J, Schuck Rachel, Herrera Justice, Gutierrez Miller Isabel, MacDonald-Caldwell Reilly
Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Post-Secondary Education, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.
Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC), San Diego, California, USA.
Autism Adulthood. 2025 Aug 11;7(4):517-534. doi: 10.1089/aut.2024.0104. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Autistic college students report that they experience difficulties in executive functioning (EF) and social interactions, which can impact their academic success and postcollege outcomes. Few programs exist that focus on both cognitive and social strategies, especially those developed with autistic partners. This study presents a community pilot of a curriculum designed to fill this gap: College SUCCESS. Autistic college students ( = 21) enrolled in College SUCCESS at their university/college through disability services. College SUCCESS is a 26-week group-based curriculum that autistic partners codeveloped; the first half focuses on EF, and the second half focuses on social cognition and communication, all within the context of succeeding at college. Thirteen students completed the curriculum. Students filled out questionnaires and completed task-based assessments before and after the program. Parents and group instructors also filled out questionnaires. Several areas of self-reported EF showed significant improvements from pre- to post-SUCCESS. Self-reported social communication and motivation also increased after the program. Students additionally demonstrated significant changes in social interaction in the context of role-play scenarios. Overall, students and their parents rated the program highly and commented that it had a positive impact. College SUCCESS represents one of the first programs for autistic college students that targets both cognitive and social cognitive skills and community partners codeveloped it. The curriculum could lead to better postsecondary and employment outcomes for autistic individuals. Researchers need more studies, particularly with larger samples, to understand how the College SUCCESS curriculum impacts autistic college students' long-term functioning and life outcomes.
患有自闭症的大学生报告称，他们在执行功能（EF）和社交互动方面存在困难，这可能会影响他们的学业成绩和大学毕业后的发展。很少有项目同时关注认知和社交策略，尤其是那些与自闭症患者共同开发的项目。本研究展示了一个旨在填补这一空白的课程社区试点项目：大学成功计划（College SUCCESS）。患有自闭症的大学生（n = 21）通过残疾服务部门在其所在的大学/学院注册参加了大学成功计划。大学成功计划是一个为期26周的基于小组的课程，由自闭症患者共同开发；前半部分侧重于执行功能，后半部分侧重于社会认知和沟通，所有这些都在大学取得成功的背景下进行。13名学生完成了该课程。学生们在课程前后填写了问卷并完成了基于任务的评估。家长和小组指导员也填写了问卷。自我报告的几个执行功能领域在大学成功计划前后有显著改善。课程结束后，自我报告的社交沟通和动机也有所增加。学生们在角色扮演场景中的社交互动也表现出显著变化。总体而言，学生及其家长对该课程评价很高，并表示它产生了积极影响。大学成功计划是首批针对患有自闭症的大学生的项目之一，该项目同时针对认知和社会认知技能，并且是由社区合作伙伴共同开发。该课程可能会为患有自闭症的个体带来更好的中学后教育和就业成果。研究人员需要更多的研究，特别是更大样本量的研究，以了解大学成功计划课程如何影响患有自闭症的大学生的长期功能和生活成果。
