School's out Forever: Postsecondary Educational Trajectories of Students with Autism

Abstract

Objective

Postsecondary educational attainment is the key for successful transition to adulthood, economic self‐sufficiency, and good mental and physical health.

Method

Secondary analyses of school leavers’ data were carried out to establish postsecondary educational trajectories of students on the autism spectrum in the United Kingdom.

Results

Findings show that students with autism who had attended mainstream secondary schools enter Further Education (post‐16 vocational training) at lower rates and Higher Education (University) institutions at a similar rate to other students. They study the full range of subjects on offer. However, they are more likely to be younger, study at a lower academic level, and remain living at home with their parents.

Conclusion

While course completion data were not yet available, attainment data showed that prospects are improving, although more needs to be done to enable these young adults to achieve their full postsecondary educational potential.

Key words:

• adults
• autism spectrum disorder
• higher education, further education
• postsecondary education
• school leavers
• secondary data analysis

Acknowledgements

Research reported here was conducted as part of a larger project funded by the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) in Northern Ireland. For full reports see http://tinyurl.com/p77belh. We thank Prof. Mickey Keenan (Ulster University, Northern Ireland) and Prof. Dennis Moore (Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) for scientific consultation and guidance in the research.

Notes

1. Only 1.4% of the total school population attend the 40 special schools in Northern Ireland (DENI, 2015; NFER, 2011b), while 0.2% attend non‐funded independent schools (NFER, 2011b); there were 15 registered independent schools in 2013/2014 (DENI, 2016), With respect to disability, the Census of independent UK schools indicate that 5.4% of their pupils with Special Educational Needs have been diagnosed with ‘ASD or Asperger's Syndrome’ (Independent Schools Council, 2016, p.16), although not all NI independent schools may be registered with this organisation.