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Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Support While Attending A Four-Year Institution Of Higher Education, Laurie J. Koehler Crawford

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The number of children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), an impairment that affects an individual’s social-communication abilities and behavior, is currently 1 in 68. An estimated 50,000 students who have ASD are reaching adulthood and exiting secondary education annually―a phenomenon known as the Autism Tsunami. There is a lack of services available to support this wave of young adults with ASD to be self-sustaining, contributing members of their communities. This is evidenced by the 37% of adults in their early 20s, who have ASD, and who have never worked or attended any postsecondary educational program. Due to the …