I almost lost my scholarship here at SUNY New Paltz as I was overwhelmed to the point where I could no longer do the work needed to keep my grade point average above the minimum required. Due to communication issues, I could not seek the help I needed until it was almost too late. Because of the stress, taking care of myself became nearly impossible. I’ve had several thoughts about dropping out of college, or at least taking a gap year to refocus on myself. It is comforting to know that I am not alone on this; many students, such as myself, also struggle with autism spectrum disorder, which affects their success in higher education.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in communication, as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities (Hees et. al 1673). A study in 2019 shows that autistic college students make up between 0.7 and 1.9% of the student population in the United States (Gurbuz et. al 617), and a study in 2020 believes 1 in every 54 children can meet the diagnosis criteria for this disorder (Viezel et. al 1673). Speaking from personal experience and the experience of other autistic friends, people with ASD tend to suffer from executive function issues, inability to understand social cues, and poor time management. People with ASD also tend to have periods of intense interest in niche topics, a strong sense of justice, and tend to think creatively to come up with perspectives that others may have never thought about. A study also shows that students with ASD, or those who exhibit higher ASD symptoms, typically have higher grade point averages compared to those who show fewer symptoms (Viezel et. al 234-235). That is because we focus on the topics we’re passionate about and this may sharpen our memory relative to those topics.
However, high grade point average is not enough for students to succeed in college. As a matter of fact, only 38.8% of students with ASD graduate after high school, falling short of the graduation rates for students with other disabilities (Viezel et. al 236). Non-academic issues regarding ASD, including social-communication, executive functioning, and mental health concerns, play a massive role in a student’s ability to graduate college. Since high schools primarily focus on academic performance, these vital issues are consistently neglected, and are never properly addressed nor considered at the time of graduation (Anderson and Butt 3032). The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is on the rise in the United States, and many students with ASD symptoms are pursuing higher education. Due to heightened stress surrounding the transition into college, as well as the stress of college itself, autistic students are more likely to drop out of college than their non-autistic peers. There are multiple actions that SUNY New Paltz should take to help mitigate the stress, such as imposing flexible deadlines, starting a support group for students with ASD, and implementing summer programs and college tours that can help ease students into life on campus.
Executive function is described as a set of skills that allow the body to carry out multiple tasks, such as regulating self-control, levels of concentration, and making a schedule for oneself (“What Is…”). Essentially, the body follows the orders of the brain with ease. Since people with ASD typically have issues with this function, it can be easy to see its effect through several missed assignments and tardiness or absences. This creates stress for the student, which can cause them to avoid the assignments all together, thus creating a harmful cycle until someone manages to step in and intervene. For example, I’ve been so stressed about improving grades for my other classes, I had no time or ability to write this essay draft and submit it before it was due . It does not help that the typical four-year school requires their students to take a certain number of credits to have university housing, as well as financial aid, so students who become overwhelmed from the schoolwork could find themselves stuck (Anderson and Butt 3034). Flexible deadlines may reduce stress, helping some students to manage their workload and as a result, to maintain their financial aid.
Some people believe that flexible deadlines are not as helpful as they appear. Emi DiSciullo is a Learning Support Specialist at SUNY New Paltz and works in the Disability Resource Center. She also has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Villanova University and has been a NYS licensed mental health professional for 20 years. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, life transitions, college/graduate school issues, stress management, attention deficit disorder, and educational challenges. She explained that our campus Disability Resource Center must base the accommodations a student at New Paltz might need on the accommodations they received in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan in high school. She believes that students who have extensions save the work for the end of the semester rather than having it “broken up into smaller chunks,” which puts stress on them. She also found that students benefit from developing skills and strategies to help submit the assignments on time rather than if they were provided extensions.
While there is truth behind her words, there are other factors to be considered such as the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act only applies to students whose disability has been shown to have a negative effect on their academic performance. For students with ASD who are cognitively able, their accommodation may result from a 504 Plan, which is less extensive than an IEP. Students with ASD may not receive support at all, with some high schools denying the need for such accommodations (Anderson and Butt 3030). As a result, students in college with a 504 Plan, assuming they even get a 504 Plan, may not get the extensive support they need to thrive. It’s also important to note that, regardless of the type of disability document, students need to submit disability documentation to access those accommodations. This can pose a problem for autistic students who have problems with social communication (Viezel et. al 235). Those students may be unable to reach out for help, instead relying on someone to notice and intervene. Having flexible deadlines across all campus can relieve the stress of all students, including those who may need it but cannot indicate that need.
As of the Spring 2023 semester, SUNY New Paltz offers 220 clubs and organizations, ranging from fraternities and sororities to those focused on gaming, theater, and more. While there are a couple that focus on the mental health of students, none have been created specifically for students with ASD. Students with ASD have issues with socializing, which in turn often makes them feel isolated. According to “Dropping out and Moving on: A Qualitative Study of Autistic People’s Experiences of University,” Angelica, a student with ASD, explained in an interview that she felt like she was “just on the outside looking in at everyone else having the time of their lives” (qtd. in Cage and Howes 1669). Existing organizations on our campus may not be able to help this demographic of students become socially engaged, especially since autistic students tend to have specific interests and feel anxious when starting their own thing. Starting a support group can help these students find a sense of belonging and community in a university where they feel like outsiders. It can also help encourage them to disclose their diagnosis to professors and peers. Due to past negative perceptions and fear of prejudice and stigmatization, many students may only inform their professors or peers of their ASD when it becomes hard to hide, such as being unable to cope with stress or using a specific type of support (Hees et. al 1680-1681). Having a support group for people with ASD can help students like them let their professors know of any potential issues turning in assignments and could even help promote a more inclusive environment by normalizing certain supports and harmless behaviors.
Implementing summer programs may be the best option for helping students with ASD adjust to life in college. One of the most common traits of autism spectrum disorder is strict adherence to routine, which can explain the high grade-point average study mentioned earlier. Any disturbance of such routine, such as cancelled class, can leave autistic students feeling distressed and incapable of doing anything else until the routine continues. Some parents had their high school students attend campus tours or a “pre-college experience” to help familiarize them with their college (Anderson and Butt 3033). SUNY New Paltz’s Accepted Student Open House this year, according to their website, was from March 25th to April 1st (“Undergraduate Admissions”). Since the move-in date for first-year students occurs at the end of August, there is typically plenty of time to conduct additional campus tours. However, as of April 3rd, 2023, there are only 15 available campus tours, zero of which are group tours (Campus Tours”; “Office…”). In 2014, Wehman and researchers conducted an experiment called Project SEARCH, an intensive internship program made to help students with intellectual disabilities adjust to work in the year 2014. After Project SEARCH concluded, 27 of the 33 adults with ASD enrolled were placed in competitive employment, and all placed individuals managed to achieve a level of independence within a year of highly intensive support on the job (Wehman et. al 488). Anderson and Butt, two researchers who mentioned this experiment in their own article, believe that colleges could model summer programs designed to help ease students with ASD into the lifestyle and workload of college by tailoring to their unique needs (Anderson and Butt 3038). An increase in college tours and offering summer programs can help students with ADS adjust to their new life as a SUNY New Paltz student, which can help them succeed in college and reduce the dropout rate.
SUNY New Paltz prides itself on its acceptance and inclusivity of its student body. From mental health to BIPOC students to students in the LGBTQ+ community, SUNY New Paltz is open to all types of students. And yet, there is always more that could be done. Flexible deadlines across campus can help reduce the stress of students who may not be able to do the assignment on time, nor be able to speak up and ask for such accommodation. Creating a support group for students with ASD will help them find meaningful friendships, as well as encourage them to discuss problems ahead of time with their professors. Summer programs can help ease students into a new routine by familiarizing them with the campus before classes begin.
It can be easy to envision a future where autistic students will have the full help they need. Friends are sitting at one of the tables outside, laughing and talking excitedly about their interests. One may be flapping their hands, another rocking back and forth. Their support group is coming up again, and they have a lot to share. From across the river a tour guide is directing another group of students as they explain the buildings. Another student sits in their dorm, finally working on that assignment that has been at the front of their Brightspace homepage. He knows his professor will not deduct points, so long as it’s completed before the end of the semester. It’s easy to envision such a future. To make it happen is another situation. Working toward such changes can make life as a college student at SUNY New Paltz a much better place.
Works Cited
Anderson, Connie, and Catherine Butt. “Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum at College: Successes and Stumbling Blocks.” Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, vol. 47, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 3029–39. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3218-x.
Cage, Eilidh, and Jack Howes. “Dropping out and Moving on: A Qualitative Study of Autistic People’s Experiences of University.” Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice, vol. 24, no. 7, Oct. 2020, pp. 1664–75. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320918750.
“Campus Tours.” SUNY New Paltz – Campus Tours, https://admissions.newpaltz.edu/portal/campus-tours.
DiSciullo, Emi. Interview. Conducted by Julianne Amanatidis, 29 March 2023.
“Group Tours.” SUNY New Paltz – Group Tours, https://admissions.newpaltz.edu/portal/group-tours.
Gurbuz, Emine, et al. “University Students with Autism: The Social and Academic Experiences of University in the UK.” Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, vol. 49, no. 2, Feb. 2019, pp. 617–31. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3741-4.
Hees, Valérie, et al. “Higher Education Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges, Benefits and Support Needs.” Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, vol. 45, no. 6, June 2015, pp. 1673–88. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2324-2.
“Office of Undergraduate Admission.” SUNY New Paltz – Undergraduate Admissions, SUNY New Paltz, 2023,
Viezel, Kathleen D., et al. “College-Based Support Programs for Students With Autism.” Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities, vol. 35, no. 4, Dec. 2020, pp. 234–45. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357620954369.
Wehman, Paul, et al. “Competitive Employment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Early Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial.” Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, vol. 44, no. 3, Mar. 2014, pp. 487–500. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1892-x.
