Differences in anxieties and social networks in a group-matched sample of autistic and typically developing students transitioning to university.
Jiedi Lei, Chris Ashwin, Mark Brosnan and 1 others
PMID 31852210WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic students starting university reported more worries and distress than matched peers, despite similar academic ability.
They had smaller social networks but perceived similar support levels. Social anxiety, not just autism traits, linked to daily living and social distress.
Key findings
01Autistic students had significantly smaller social networks than typically developing students, but reported similar levels of perceived support quality and frequency from family and friends.
02Autistic students reported greater worries about transitioning to university and higher frequency of distress in academic, daily living, and socialisation areas compared to matched peers.
03Higher levels of social anxiety were associated with greater distress in daily living and socialisation for both autistic and typically developing students, whereas autistic traits showed different patterns of association.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Small sample size (n=28 per group) limits generalisability. Cross-sectional design captures only the start of university, missing how support networks and distress change over time. The sample had a balanced male-to-female ratio, which is not representative of the typical 4:1 ratio in autism, potentially affecting generalisability regarding sex differences.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was funded by a non-U.S. government source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that autistic students perceive less support from their social networks. This study found that while their networks were smaller, the perceived quality and frequency of support from family and friends were similar to typically developing peers. The challenge lies in network size and anxiety, not necessarily support availability.