EDUCATORS’ DESCRIPTION OF NON-ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS IMPACT ON STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Abstract

The topic of this Honors thesis centers on obtaining faculty and staff member descriptions of and recommendations for additional non-academic interventions to improve students with ASD’s engagement and outcomes in postsecondary education. This topic addresses a gap in current literature on the effectiveness and prevalence of non-academic interventions from the perspective of faculty of ASD resource centers. The researcher recruited participants from multiple postsecondary institutions in Southern Arizona that offered ASD resources and supports. The purpose of the research study was to elicit descriptions of effective non-academic ASD interventions and recommendations for additional interventions. Demographic and qualitative data was collected via a self-report Qualtrics survey. Together, the survey questions addressed the research questions: “How do ASD educators at the university describe the impact of community involvement (non-academic interventions) on ASD student engagement and outcomes?” and “What community involvement (non-academic interventions) do ASD educators recommend for improving ASD student engagement or outcomes?” Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data collected in this study. Emerging from this data analysis are two themes corresponding to the research questions: Sense of Belonging and Sense of Self to describe non-academic interventions that improve student engagement and outcomes.