Perceptions of Autistic and Nonautistic High School Students Regarding Factors That Impact Their Motivation to Be Academically Successful

Abstract

Despite a growing number of autistic children completing high school and venturing into college and vocational settings, their rates of postsecondary attendance, graduation, and vocational success still lag behind those of their nonautistic counterparts. This study surveyed 162 autistic and nonautistic high school students about internal and external factors that may increase or decrease their motivation to succeed academically. Results of this study suggest that autistic students rated neither internal nor external factors as significantly contributing to their academic success when compared to their nonautistic peers. Moreover, when compared to their nonautistic peers, autistic high school students were less likely to endorse motivators to their academic success that were future-oriented toward college and career success and more likely to favor factors related to seeking approval from others and validating their own capability for success.

Keywords:

• Autism
• high school transition
• transition to college
• transition to vocational school
• motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. In this study, the authors prioritize understanding the preferences of the autistic community (Bradshaw et al., 2021; Taboas et al., 2023). They intentionally use identity-first language (e.g., autistic students) over person-first language (e.g., students with autism) and refer to autism as a “condition” instead of a “disorder.” These language choices represent autism as a unique aspect of neurodiversity, not a pathological condition, in line with inclusive practices. The exception is survey items formulated before adopting inclusive terminology. While these choices align with many in the autistic community, the authors acknowledge individual language preferences may vary (Bradshaw et al., 2021; Taboas et al., 2023).

Additional information

Funding

This submission is an original work and is not under review by any other publication. This study was funded by a faculty research grant from The Southeast Missouri State University, located in Cape Girardeau Missouri [Grant number: 103607]. The authors of this publication do not have any other interest or relationship, financial or otherwise, that might be interpreted as influencing the research presented in this publication.