Life after High School: Trends in Post-Secondary Education and Employment for Individuals with ASD Across Virginia

Background:  

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 68% of 2014 high school graduates enrolled in colleges or universities. By contrast, only 48% of students with ASD in Virginia enrolled in 2 or 4-year institutions of higher education. Generally, research has reported poor post-school outcomes for individuals with ASD (Henniger & Taylor, 2013). While the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has identified a need for research on transition for students with ASD, relatively little is known about students with ASD who enroll in college.

Objectives:  

To examine the Virginia Department of Education Indicator 14 Data (post-secondary outcomes) for students with ASD enrolled in public school across the state while paying close attention to racial and  geographic disparities.

Methods:

This study utilized the current Virginia Department of Education Database from 2014. This secondary data analysis looked specifically at post-secondary outcomes for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder across the Commonwealth.

Results:

By examining Virginia Department of Education’s postsecondary transition data, and specifically the 511 students with ASD who left high school in the 2012-13 school year, it is clear that African American students and those from rural Virginia were less likely to attend college than white students or those from urbanized areas. Additionally, high school students with ASD who received alternative degrees were also less likely to attend college than students with regular or advanced degrees, results that are consistent with previous literature (Chiang, Cheung, Hickson, Xiang, & Tsai, 2012). Disparities in college enrollment among students with ASD also contribute to disparities in quality of life, present and future, with those enrolled in college reporting significantly higher life satisfaction.

Conclusions:

The achievement of students with ASD who receive special services lags far behind their non-disabled counterparts. Only 40% students with ASD in Virginia leave high school with a standard diploma.  To reduce college enrollment gaps between those with and without ASD as well as within the ASD diagnoses, Virginia must further develop postsecondary education models that increase college accessibility for those with multitudinous support needs including geographical location.