Autism Goes To College: A Workshop For Residential Life Advisors (Practice Brief)

Many students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience substantial difficulties with socialization and independence, and college campuses often lack appropriate support services in these areas. Residential advisors (RAs), who are trained to support all students living on campus, could be uniquely prepared to positively contribute to the college experience for students with ASD. The aim of this work was to provide a workshop to RAs at a four-year university and to explore their level of knowledge, awareness, and preparedness in supporting students with ASD who live on campus. While over a third of RAs suspected that they had a student with ASD in their residence hall, many RAs expressed not knowing about ASD or understanding the role of student disability services on campus. Most respondents felt that they had a responsibility to support these students and agreed that training in ASD would be useful, suggesting that more extensive training is warranted.