Experiences of university life for students with Asperger’s Syndrome: a comparative study between Spain and England

ABSTRACT

Research has consistently shown that young people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) are likely to experience increased anxiety during new social situations; yet, studies have been regionally and culturally bound. The aim of this study was to explore how higher education students with AS experienced attending university in two European countries: the UK and Spain. The objective was to find out if experiences differed between the two countries in relation to contrasting support arrangements and what kinds of interventions might aid students’ social well-being at university, an important learning outcome for future practice. This small-scale comparative exploratory study incorporated life-history interviews with nine students with AS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes significant to both groups of students in Spain and the UK emerged from the data: social relationships, ‘special interests’, ‘environment’ and ‘support mechanisms’. Students with AS need and want clear, unambiguous and structured information from academics; support to get to know others in ‘small special interest groups’; more designated ‘quiet zones’ across campuses; and above all, a move away from ableist notions of AS. To our knowledge, this is the only Spanish–UK comparative study of university students with AS.

KEYWORDS:

• Asperger’s Syndrome
• higher education
• student experiences
• Spain
• England

Acknowledgements

We thank the two anonymous referees for their insight and comments. We particularly thank the participants for their time and contribution.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sue Casement is Master’s Office and College Support Co-ordinator for Rutherford College at the University of Kent. Sue interacts with students on a daily basis, providing a student welfare advice service. Dealing with student anxieties and problem solving is an integral part of the role requiring a pro-active approach. Sue has a Master’s degree in Professional Practice and a special interest in Asperger Syndrome, supporting the notion that better understanding of the condition is intrinsic to better outcomes.

Carmen Carpio de los Pinos is Assistant Professor and Head of Psychological Care of Students, and the Master's Programme in Education at the University of Castilla∼La Mancha, Toledo, Spain. She provides academic and social support to students with disabilities on a day-to-day basis. In particular, she is involved in providing long-term help to students with Asperger’s Syndrome, working from a multi-disciplinary model of support.

Rachel Forrester-Jones is Reader in Health, Community and Social Care at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, UK. She has a PhD in mental health and has written widely in the area of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Autism, especially in relation to social networks and social support. Rachel was Master of Rutherford College at the University of Kent for nine years, having responsibility for the welfare of over 4,000 students. During that time, she worked with and supported many students with Asperger Syndrome.

Additional information

Funding

The Spanish part of the project was funded by the European Union Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional and we thank them for their generosity.