Evaluating the Role of Autistic Traits, Social Anxiety, and Social Network Changes During Transition to First Year of University in Typically Developing Students and Students on the Autism Spectrum.

The study did not test an intervention, so it cannot show that changing social networks or support would improve transition. The autism group had only 21 students, so findings for students on the autism spectrum cannot be generalised widely. All outcomes were self-reported, and the study did not check academic records, club participation, or other objective measures of transition. The typically developing group excluded students with current mental or physical health conditions or specific learning disabilities, so it may not represent all non-autistic students. Many typically developing students had high social anxiety at baseline, and some may have had undiagnosed social anxiety disorder. The direction of causation is unclear: social anxiety, autistic traits, network changes, and adjustment may influence each other.

The only declaration given is that the study was funded by the Office for Fair Access, Widening Participation at the University of Bath.

Do not conclude that expanding a student's social network or increasing perceived support will improve university adjustment. This was an observational questionnaire study, and the autism group had only 21 students, so it cannot show that any network change caused better outcomes.