Omission and Othering: Constructing Autism on Community College Websites
Nachman, B. R. & Brown, K. R. (2019). Omission and Othering: Constructing Autism on Community College Websites. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 44(3), 211-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2019.1565845
This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:
Authors
Abstract
Students with autism attend two-year colleges at a significantly greater rate than four-year institutions. As these prospective and current students engage with two-year colleges, websites are an important digital platform to assess inclusivity and campus climate. The digital environment is particularly important because many autistic individuals prefer to engage in written communication. We employed a critical content analysis to understand the digital campus climate at public two-year colleges (n = 94) by analyzing website content that colleges use to describe autism. Findings show that the digital campus climate was unwelcoming for the vast majority of prospective and current students with autism. Autism was omitted from 29.8% of institutional websites. Colleges located in the eastern or western areas of the United States had lower rates of omission. When references to autism were present, website content used medical and legal language to depict autistic students as deficient. Institutional websites othered students by objectifying autism and using volunteer or charity work to frame autism as outside of normalcy. Text written by autistic people (students, alumni, staff, or organizations) was absent from all but one institutions’ website. Implications for practitioners include addressing institutionalized ableism by modifying websites to include autism-specific content, removing deficit narratives, and amplifying autistic agency by including material written by autistic individuals.
Bibliography cited by this reference
Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.
Bibliography inclusion overview
These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.
-
Juane Heflin , Donna Fiorino Alaimo (2007). Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effective Instructional Practices .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W638864627Crossref OpenAlex
-
(n.d.). AHEAD. (2012 April). Supporting accommodation requests: Guidance on documentation practices. http://www.ahead.org/resources/documentation-guidanceType: OtherCrossref
-
Stuart Murray (2008). Representing Autism . Liverpool University Press.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Fleur Wiorkowski (2015). The Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in College: A Heuristic Exploration . The Qualitative Report, 20(6), 847. Nova Southeastern University.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. (2008). Public Law 110–325 122 Stat. 3553.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Kate Hoffman , Marc G. Weisskopf , Andrea L. Roberts , Raanan Raz , Jaime E. Hart , Kristen Lyall et al. (2017). Geographic Patterns of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children of Participants in Nurses’ Health Study II . American Journal of Epidemiology, 186(7), 834-842. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Michael Hayes , Rhonda Black (2003). Troubling Signs: Disability, Hollywood Movies and the Construction of a Discourse of Pity . Disability Studies Quarterly, 23(2). The Ohio State University Libraries.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ashkenazy E. (2013). Navigating college: A handbook on self-advocacy written for autistic students from autistic adults . Navigating college: A handbook on self-advocacy written for autistic students from autistic adults.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Joyce Davidson , Victoria L. Henderson (2010). ‘Coming out’ on the spectrum: autism, identity and disclosure . Social & Cultural Geography, 11(2), 155-170. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Scott Robertson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Ari Ne'eman *Autistic author. Learn more… (2008). Autistic Acceptance, the College Campus, and Technology: Growth of Neurodiversity in Society and Academia . Disability Studies Quarterly, 28(4). The Ohio State University Libraries.
-
Kimberly Austin , Edlyn Vallejo Peña (2017). Exceptional Faculty Members Who Responsively Teach Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 30(1), 17.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2739266718Crossref OpenAlex
-
Elizabeth Fein (2015). Making Meaningful Worlds: Role-Playing Subcultures and the Autism Spectrum . Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 39(2), 299-321. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Norman Fairclough (1989). Language and Power .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1555675111OpenAlex
-
Beach R. (2009). 58th yearbook of the national reading conference . 58th yearbook of the national reading conference, 129.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Sarah S. Mire , K. R. Hughes , Jamie K. Manis , Robin P. Goin-Kochel (2018). Autism Treatment: Families’ Use Varies Across U.S. Regions . Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 29(2), 97-107. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
(2010). Autism and Representation . Routledge.OpenAlex
-
Bell L. A. (2007). Readings for diversity and social justice . Readings for diversity and social justice, 1.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Xin Wei , Elizabeth R. A. Christiano , Jennifer W. Yu , Jose Blackorby , Paul Shattuck , Lynn A. Newman (2014). Postsecondary Pathways and Persistence for STEM Versus Non-STEM Majors: Among College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(5), 1159-1167. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
(1999). The complete social scientist: A Kurt Lewin reader. American Psychological Association.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Nathaniel Bray , Wendy Sweatt (2018). The Usability of the Websites of Alabama’s Community Colleges . Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(10), 744-747. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
William Erickson , Sharon Trerise , Camille Lee , Sara VanLooy , Samuel Knowlton , Susanne Bruyère (2013). The Accessibility and Usability of College Websites: Is your Website Presenting Barriers to Potential Students? Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 37(11), 864-876. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
David Leake , Robert A. Stodden (2014). Higher Education and Disability: Past and Future of Underrepresented Populations. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 27(4), 399.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1933622412Crossref OpenAlex
-
Bronfenbrenner U (1994). International Encyclopedia of Education . International encyclopedia of education, 1643.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Vincent Tinto (1994). Leaving College . University of Chicago Press.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Susan B. Twombly (2014). The American Community College . Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 38(9), 850-854. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
Kirsten R. Brown (2017). Accommodations and Support Services for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A National Survey of Disability Resource Providers. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 30(2), 141.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2494990411Crossref OpenAlex
-
Andrew L. Zehner (2018). Campus Climate for Students with Disabilities . In Evaluating Campus Climate at US Research Universities (pp. 125-149). Springer International Publishing.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
John P. Bean , Vincent Tinto (1988). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition . The Journal of Higher Education, 59(6), 708-711. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
Kirsten R. Brown , Michael D. Coomes (2016). A spectrum of support: current and best practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at community colleges . Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(6), 465-479. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
David Shadinger (2013). Dialogistic Presence on Community College Websites in Nine Megastates . Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 37(12), 925-935. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
(n.d.). Brown K. R. Peña E. & Rankin S. (2015 November). Academic success and unfriendly turf: Campus climate for students with autism spectrum disorder. Paper presented at the Association of the Study of Higher Education conference Denver CO.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Xin Wei , Mary Wagner , Laura Hudson , Jennifer W. Yu , Paul Shattuck (2015). Transition to Adulthood . Emerging Adulthood, 3(1), 37-45. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Carl Albert State College. (n.d.). Miss Carl Albert State college scholarship pageant. https://www.carlalbert.edu/miss-carl-albert-state-college-scholarship-pageant-set-for-thursday-november-19-2015/Type: OtherCrossref
-
Susan Rankin , Robert Reason (2008). Transformational Tapestry Model: A comprehensive approach to transforming campus climate. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 1(4), 262-274. American Psychological Association (APA).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (2015). Carnegie classifications data file. http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/resources/Type: OtherCrossref
-
Kem Saichaie , Christopher C. Morphew (2014). What College and University Websites Reveal about the Purposes of Higher Education . The Journal of Higher Education, 85(4), 499-530. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Valérie Van Hees , Tinneke Moyson , Herbert Roeyers (2015). Higher Education Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges, Benefits and Support Needs . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1673-1688. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Community report from the autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network: Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among multiple areas of the United States in 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.htmlType: OtherCrossref
-
Cohen A. M. (2014). The American community college . The American community college.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Amy J. Petersen (2011). Research with individuals labeled ‘other’: reflections on the research process . Disability & Society, 26(3), 293-305. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
College P. (n.d.). Documentation. http://www.parkland.edu/resources/disabilityservices/documentation.aspxType: OtherCrossref
-
Anne M. Roux , Paul Shattuck , Jessica E. Rast , Julianna A Rava , Amy D. Edwards , Xin Wei et al. (2015). Characteristics of Two-Year College Students on the Autism Spectrum and Their Support Services Experiences . Autism Research and Treatment, 2015, 1-10. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Bradley E. Cox *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kerry Thompson , Amelia Anderson , Amanda Mintz , Taylor Locks , Lindee Morgan et al. (2017). College Experiences for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Personal Identity, Public Disclosure, and Institutional Support . Journal of College Student Development, 58(1), 71-87. Project MUSE.
-
Donna M. Korbel , Joan M. McGuire , Manju Banerjee , Sue A. Saunders (2011). Transition strategies to ensure active student engagement . New Directions for Student Services, 2011(134), 35-46. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Michael Rozalski , Antonis Katsiyannis , Joseph Ryan , Terri Collins , Angela Stewart (2010). Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008 . Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 21(1), 22-28. SAGE Publications.OpenAlex
-
Nancy J. Evans , Ellen M. Broido , Kirsten R. Brown , Autumn K. Wilke (2017). Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2306859313Crossref OpenAlex
-
Fairclough N. (1989). Language and power . Language and power.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Sarah M. Parsloe (2015). Discourses of Disability, Narratives of Community: Reclaiming an Autistic Identity Online . Journal of Applied Communication Research, 43(3), 336-356. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Maurianne Adams , Warren J. Blumenfeld , D. Chase J. Catalano , Keri DeJong , Michael Funk , Heather W. Hackman et al. (2026). Readings for Diversity and Social Justice . Routledge.OpenAlex
-
Mack Shelley , Klaus Krippendorff (1984). Content Analysis: An Introduction to its Methodology. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 79(385), 240. JSTOR.OpenAlex
-
Fishman R. & Love I. (2015). Searching for the right college: 2015 college decisions survey part V. New America Educational Policy Program. http://www.edcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SearchingfortheRightCollege_final.pdfType: OtherCrossref
-
Melinda M. Gibbons , David F. Cihak , Blair Sumner Mynatt , Brian Wilhoit (2015). Faculty and Student Attitudes toward Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 28(2), 149.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2162773497Crossref OpenAlex
-
(n.d.). Harbour W. S. & Greenberg D. (2017 July). Campus climate and students with disabilities. National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) Research Brief. http://www.nccsdonline.org/research-briefs.htmlType: OtherCrossref
-
Holyoke Community College. (n.d.). Students on the autism spectrum. https://www.hcc.edu/student-life/clubs-and-organizations/identity-clubsType: OtherCrossref
-
Barbara McKeon , Carol S. Alpern , Dianne Zager (2013). Promoting Academic Engagement for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 26(4), 353.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2261286492Crossref OpenAlex
-
Felicia Hurewitz , Pamela E. Berger (2008). PREPARING STUDENTS WITH AUTISM FOR COLLEGE, AND PREPARING COLLEGES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM . Speaker’s Journal, 8(11), 109.Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2340949998Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jackson State Community College. (n.d.). Temple Grandin to be celebrated at Jackson State on March 22. https://www.jscc.edu/wp-news/?p=2456Type: OtherCrossref
-
Kelty P. (2015). College for students with disabilities: We do belong . College for students with disabilities: We do belong, 207.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Dean Spade (2015). Normal Life . Duke University Press.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Krippendorff K. (2013). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology . Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Jennifer Cross (2017). NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity . Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 38(2), 119-119. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).OpenAlex
-
Lakes Region Community College. (n.d.). LRCC Autism Center Fundraiser. http://www.lrcc.edu/about-lrcc/campus-news/lrcc-autism-center-fundraiserType: OtherCrossref
-
Keith Watson (1994). The international encyclopedia of education . International Journal of Educational Development, 14(4), 424. Elsevier BV.OpenAlex
-
Lester J. N. (2013). Ethics and neurodiversity . Ethics and neurodiversity, 52.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Linn-Benton Community College. (n.d.). PSY235: Human development: Child. Chapter 12 lecture outline. http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/social_science/danced/upload/psy235chp12outline.pdfType: OtherCrossref
-
(2013). e_1_3_1_41_1 Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 2(3). University of Waterloo.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Nicole Radziwill (2016). NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity . Quality Management Journal, 23(1), 71-71. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
Modesto Junior College. (n.d.) Student application for services. https://www.mjc.edu/studentservices/disability/documents/mjc_dsps_application_upd_10_16.pdfType: OtherCrossref
-
Lee Anne Bell (2007). Theoretical Foundations for Social Justice Education . In Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 25-38). Routledge.OpenAlex
-
MARK OSTEEN (2010). Autism and Representation: A Comprehensive Introduction . In Autism and Representation (pp. 9-56). Routledge.OpenAlex
-
Northern Virginia Community College. (n.d.). Resources. http://www.nvcc.edu/novacares/resources.htmlType: OtherCrossref
-
Frederic Fovet (2018). Disability in higher education. A social justice approach . Disability & Society, 33(8), 1377-1379. Informa UK Limited.OpenAlex
-
Osteen M. (2008). Autism and representation . Autism and representation, 1.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Robert T. Jiménez , Victoria J. Risko , Melanie Hundley , Deborah Wells Rowe (2010). 59th Yearbook of the National Reading Conference .Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2917358059OpenAlex
-
Wendy S. Harbour , Daniel R. Greenberg (2017). Campus Climate and Students with Disabilities . VTechWorks (Virginia Tech).Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2923147161OpenAlex
-
(n.d.). Perry D. (2017 April 3). Waco Autism Center receives sign made by TSTC welding students. http://www.tstc.edu/news/article19539Type: OtherCrossref
-
C. D. Herrera , Alexandra Perry (2013). Ethics and Neurodiversity .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2971190468OpenAlex
-
PHIL SCHWARZ (2010). Film as a vehicle for Raising Consciousness among Autistic Peers . In Autism and Representation (pp. 264-278). Routledge.OpenAlex
-
(n.d.). Pratt Community College. (2016-2017). PCC 2016-2017 student handbook. http://prattcc.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/student-handbook-20162017.pdfType: OtherCrossref
-
San Diego City College. (n.d.). How to qualify for DSPS services. http://www.sdcity.edu/CollegeServices/StudentSupportResources/DSPSDisabilitySupportProgramsandServices/GettingStarted/ScheduleanIntakeAppointmentType: OtherCrossref
-
Schwarz P. (2008). Autism and representation. Autism and representation, 256.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Silberman S (2016). Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity . Choice Reviews Online, 53(08), 53-3753-53-3753. American Library Association.Crossref
-
Snyder T. D. (2016). Digest of Education Statistics 2014, NCES 2016-006 . Digest of Education Statistics 2014, NCES 2016-006.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Solano Community College. (2013). Our DSP Family Newsletter. http://www.solano.edu/dsp/1516/DSPNewsletterF2013.pdfType: OtherCrossref
-
Taylor J. L. (2017). Decoding the digital campus climate for prospective LGBTQ+ community college students . Community College Journal of Research and Practice.Type: OtherCrossref
-
U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Persons with a disability: Labor force characteristics- 2014. (USDL-15-1162). http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdfType: OtherCrossref