Understanding the role of self-determination in shaping university experiences for autistic and typically developing students in the United Kingdom.
Jiedi Lei, Ailsa Russell
PMID 33535817WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic students prioritised academic success over socialising, often relying on family for advocacy.
They viewed their cognitive strengths as tools for achievement but found unstructured time and uncertainty highly stressful, preferring clear routines and explicit guidance to manage anxiety.
Key findings
01Autistic students frequently prioritised academics over social life, viewing socialising as a potential threat to their grades, and relied heavily on family members to advocate for them at university.
02Participants experienced significant stress from unstructured time and uncertainty, with autistic students expressing a strong need for clear routines and explicit guidance to maintain wellbeing and control.
03Autistic students used their cognitive strengths, such as attention to detail and systematic thinking, to succeed academically, though this focus sometimes came at the cost of social isolation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study compares autistic students to a 'healthy' control group with no other conditions, so it is unclear if the reported challenges are due to autism specifically or to the co-occurring anxiety and depression common in the autistic sample. Findings are based on self-report from a small sample of 36 students and cannot be generalised to all autistic university students. The study did not gather perspectives from family, peers, or staff, so the role of support systems is only seen from the student's viewpoint. Autistic traits were screened using the AQ questionnaire, which has limitations in specificity, though all autistic participants had a formal clinical diagnosis.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by a PhD studentship from the University of Bath's Widening Participation programme, funded by the Office for Fair Access.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of social engagement as a deficit in self-determination or motivation. The study shows that for many autistic students, prioritising academics over socialising is a deliberate, self-determined choice to manage anxiety and achieve goals, not a failure of social skills.