Listening to autistic voices in higher education.

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which impacts how individuals communicate and interact with the world around them and is protected legally as a [2] disability under the U.K. Equality Act . Disabled students are known to be disadvantaged across Higher Education (HE), in terms of attainment, retention and continuation but are progressing into HE in increasing numbers . Currently available Office for Students (OfS) awarding gap data indicate a continued disadvantage for social and communication-based disabilities (e.g. autism) relative to other disability groups. This study aims to gather and amplify the voices of autistic people in HE, adding their perspectives to broader discussions on inclusivity. We adhere to the ‘nothing about us without us’ principle by placing autistic voices at the very centre of the discussion.