“Finding Other People Whose Minds Work Similarly to Mine:” Supporting Autistic College Student Success

The number of autistic college students has rapidly increased over the past decade. Using a convergent, mixed-methods design, we analyzed data from 930 surveys completed by autistic undergraduates attending roughly 400 U.S. institutions in Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 to identify factors students themselves believe most affect their postsecondary success. Guided by a novel IPACE framework (Identity, Psychology, Academics, Community, Employment) and Astin’s Inputs–Environments–Outputs model, students rated 23 items on a helpful–harmful continuum and provided narrative responses about their college experiences. Linear mixed models and tiered pairwise comparisons indicated top-rated facilitators spanning the domains of academics, psychology, community, and employment: major coursework, academic skills, personal grit, friends, instructors, professional supports, and future plans. Qualitative themes mirrored and complicated these quantitative results, revealing how relationships, campus resources (e.g., disability services, mental health supports, student organizations), and personal attributes intersect in everyday college life. Some influences were mixed or unexpectedly negative: disability service offices and families were rated as harmful by a nontrivial proportion of students, and several identity-related items (gender, sexuality, race) and employment-related items were among the least helpful. Differences by class standing suggested growing disillusionment with some services over time. Collectively, findings challenge assumptions that single offices or individuals can ensure success for autistic students. Instead, when awareness and acceptance of autistic students permeate an entire campus, it helps create personally adaptive institutional environments in which autistic students can be confident they have access to the people, resources, and tools they need to thrive in college.