Technology to Support the Academic Success of Students with ASD at University: A Systematic Review

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face a range of difficulties at university, which can lead them to drop out or fail their studies. Among the solutions proposed to support them, technological tools may be relevant. However, although a great deal of work has been carried out on children with ASD, at university their effectiveness and usefulness remain poorly understood. This systematic review therefore examines how technologies and digital tools can assist students with ASD in higher education. A search was carried out in June 2023 leading to the inclusion of 21 papers from seven database. A thematic synthesis was conducted to compile results of identified articles, and the methodological rigor of the included papers was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Three analytic themes were identified: “Technology to assist learning,” “Technology to facilitate communication and interaction,” and “Technology to support the cognitive abilities and executive functions.” Benefits of technology and digital tools for academic, communication and interactions, and spatial navigation abilities were identified. However, given the great variability in the digital tools used, the poor level of methodology at times, and the great variability in the profiles of ASD students, these results should be treated with caution. This study shows that the various new technologies can be useful and used by ASD students at university. More systematic and rigorous studies are needed to continue to determine the relevance of these tools and their ability to assist students in their university studies.