“...Fallen through the cracks...”: A Co-Produced Qualitative Exploration of Autistic Student Experiences at an Irish Higher Education Institution

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Neilson, S., O'Kelly, J., Doyle, J. K., Kenny, N., O'Neill, C., Butler, S., & McDonald, J. (2025). “...Fallen through the cracks...”: A Co-Produced Qualitative Exploration of Autistic Student Experiences at an Irish Higher Education Institution. Autism in Adulthood, 7(4), 505-516. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581251362835

Publication date: 1 Aug 2025 Added to AutiHub: 12 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
OpenAlex source Publisher source (DOI)

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
7
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 7 (14.3%)
  1. Stuart Neilson
  2. Jane O'Kelly
  3. Jessica K. Doyle *
  4. Neil Kenny
  1. Claire O'Neill
  2. Sophie Butler
  3. Joan McDonald

Abstract

Background: This co-produced study explores the experiences of autistic students regarding their transition to and enrollment at an Irish Higher Education Institution (HEI). Autistic students’ experiences of belonging, acceptance, and support were explored, and the study was collaboratively conducted by autistic and non-autistic researchers at all stages of the research. Methods: A sample of autistic student participants (n = 14) took part in either flexible semi-structured interviews (n = 12) or text-based responses to the interview framework (n = 2). Interviews were conducted flexibly in accordance with participant preferences and communication needs. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: The findings of this study reveal diverse experiences across the participants in higher education, emphasizing the need for inclusive approaches recognizing autistic neurology and differences to support belonging and acceptance in university. The transition experiences for some participants were challenging, with a lack of personalized and flexible support leading to anxiety and a lack of predictability. Participants also identified barriers while navigating college life, including hostile learning environments, a lack of understanding regarding autistic neurology among university staff and peers, inconsistent and inflexible pedagogical approaches used by academic staff, and stringent requirements to access disability support services. These barriers often led to students being unable to access support or choosing not to disclose their autistic status. Participants also found socializing and developing relationships with non-autistic peers challenging but reported that autistic student community groups, such as the Neurodivergent Society, were a very positive factor in supporting well-being, social acceptance, and a sense of belonging. Other supports were specialist support staff, such as the autism-friendly coordinator and occupational therapist at student services. Discussion: The study highlights the importance of early guidance, systemic integration, and increased awareness among university staff. It underscores the role of structural support systems, such as specialist disability access routes into university and specialist support staff, in easing transitions and supporting predictability and acceptance.

Related publications

These links indicate preprints, protocols, published versions, or related records identified in AutiHub.

Associated preprints

Candidate Reliability level: Medium DOI heuristic

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.

Cited references
53
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
14 / 53 (26.4%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
27 / 186 (14.5%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 27 / 91 (29.7%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 22 / 172 (12.8%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
91 / 186 (48.9%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 77 / 172 (44.8%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
64 / 91 (70.3%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 64 / 186 (34.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 55 / 77 (71.4%).
  1. Damian Milton * (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1968949608
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. Laura Gormley , Abbie Feeney , Sinéad McNally (2024). A scoping review of research trends and future directions for research on the experiences of autistic students and staff in post-secondary education . European Journal of Higher Education, 14(4), 554-573. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2023.2231186 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4383754553
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Nicholas Gelbar , Isaac C. Smith , Brian Reichow (2014). Systematic Review of Articles Describing Experience and Supports of Individuals with Autism Enrolled in College and University Programs . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2593-2601. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2135-5 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2067095117
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1979290264
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. Neil Kenny , Jessica K. Doyle * , Finbar Horgan (2023). Transformative Inclusion: Differentiating Qualitative Research Methods to Support Participation for Individuals With Complex Communication or Cognitive Profiles . International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/16094069221146992 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4320880701
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Johan Andersson , Joanna Sadgrove , Gill Valentine (2012). Consuming campus: geographies of encounter at a British university . Social & Cultural Geography, 13(5), 501-515. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14649365.2012.700725 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1997583757
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Margaret Janse van Rensburg , Bridget Liang (2025). Improving Autistic Students' Experiences in Higher Education: Developing a Community Framework for Individual Autistic Student and Autistic Community Flourishing . Autism in Adulthood, 7(2), 141-154. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2022.0079 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4363675042
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4247665917
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Rebecca Elias , Susan W. White (2018). Autism Goes to College: Understanding the Needs of a Student Population on the Rise . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 732-746. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3075-7 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2593606071
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Carol Goodenow (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates . Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79-90. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::aid-pits2310300113>3.0.co;2-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2078485360
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Neil Kenny , Stuart Neilson , Jane O'Kelly , Jessica K. Doyle * , Joan McDonald (2024). Exploring the Paradigm of Co-Produced Research Within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic . In International Perspectives on Inclusive Education (pp. 149-161). Emerald Publishing Limited.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1108/s1479-363620240000023012 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4398131937
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Ken Gobbo , Solvegi Shmulsky (2014). Faculty Experience With College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders . Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 29(1), 13-22. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1088357613504989 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2163309877
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Billy Wong (2024). Exploring the spatial belonging of students in higher education . Studies in Higher Education, 49(3), 546-558. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2023.2243285 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4385547996
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Tatja Hirvikoski , Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz , Marcus Boman , Henrik Larsson , Paul Lichtenstein , Sven Bölte (2016). Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder . British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(3), 232-238. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.160192 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2168424072
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. The PARTNERS2 writing collective , Dawn Allen , Lindsey Cree , Paul Dawson , Shaimma El Naggar , Bliss Gibbons et al. (2020). Exploring patient and public involvement (PPI) and co-production approaches in mental health research: learning from the PARTNERS2 research programme . Research Involvement and Engagement, 6(1), 56-56. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s40900-020-00224-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3200287646
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Emily Hotez , Christina Shane‐Simpson , Rita Obeid , Danielle DeNigris , Michael Siller , Corinna Costikas et al. (2018). Designing a Summer Transition Program for Incoming and Current College Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Participatory Approach . Frontiers in Psychology, 9(1), 46. Frontiers Media SA.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00046 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2790883928
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Rainart Fayette , Caroline Bond (2018). A systematic literature review of qualitative research methods for eliciting the views of young people with ASD about their educational experiences . European Journal of Special Needs Education, 33(3), 349-365. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2017.1314111 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2610686780
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. Lubin J (2021). College students with autism: Navigating the bumpy road . College Student Journal, 55(3), 318.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  26. Eloise Stark , Dorota Ali , Annalise Ayre , Naomi Schneider , Sophia Parveen , Keith Marais et al. (2021). Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective . Autism in Adulthood, 3(2), 195-203. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0050 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3112143438
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Desireé J. Cranfield , Andrea Tick , Isabella M. Venter , Renette J. Blignaut , Karen Renaud (2021). Higher Education Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning during COVID-19—A Comparative Study . Education Sciences, 11(8), 403. MDPI AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3390/educsci11080403 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3189830452
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Karen Gravett , Rola Ajjawi (2022). Belonging as situated practice . Studies in Higher Education, 47(7), 1386-1396. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2021.1894118 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3130002813
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Walker N. (2021). Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, Autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities . Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, Autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  30. Emine Gürbüz , Mary Hanley , Deborah M. Riby (2019). University Students with Autism: The Social and Academic Experiences of University in the UK . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 617-631. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3741-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2889171854
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Sue Fletcher‐Watson , Francesca Happé (2019). Autism . Routledge.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.4324/9781315101699 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4237621835
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Claire O'Neill , Neil Kenny (2023). “I Saw Things through a Different Lens…”: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Autistic Teachers in the Irish Education System . Education Sciences, 13(7), 670. MDPI AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3390/educsci13070670 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4382982953
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Danielle Hitch , Petra Brown , Susie Macfarlane , Janet Watson , Mary Dracup , Kate Anderson (2019). The transition to higher education . In Transforming Higher Education Through Universal Design for Learning (pp. 84-100). Routledge.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.4324/9781351132077-6 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2956229137
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Paolo Fusar-Poli , Gonzalo Salazar de Pablo , Andrea De Micheli , Dorien H. Nieman , Christoph U. Correll , Lars Vedel Kessing et al. (2020). What is good mental health? A scoping review . European Neuropsychopharmacology, 31, 33-46. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.12.105 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2997265268
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Sandy Thompson-Hodgetts , Chantal Labonte , Rinita Mazumder , Shanon Phelan (2020). Helpful or harmful? A scoping review of perceptions and outcomes of autism diagnostic disclosure to others . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 77, 101598. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101598 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3038469061
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Rebecca Kalman , Monica Macias Esparza , Christina Weston (2020). Student Views of the Online Learning Process during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Upper-Level and Entry-Level Undergraduate Perspectives . Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3353-3357. American Chemical Society (ACS).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00712 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3052404894
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Elizabeth Pellicano , Melanie Heyworth * (2023). The Foundations of Autistic Flourishing . Current Psychiatry Reports, 25(9), 419-427. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01441-9 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4385663119
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars AutiHub · Documentation center Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. Anna Melissa Romualdez , Brett Heasman , Zachary Walker , Jade Davies , Anna Remington (2021). “People Might Understand Me Better”: Diagnostic Disclosure Experiences of Autistic Individuals in the Workplace . Autism in Adulthood, 3(2), 157-167. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0063 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3119850603
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  41. (n.d.). Higher Education Authority. Higher Education – Key Facts and Figures 2022/23. Higher Education Authority. https://hea.ie/statistics/data-for-download-and-visualisations/key-facts-figures/ [Last accessed: August9 2024].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  43. (n.d.). AHEAD. Students with Disabilities Engaged with Support Services in Higher Education in Ireland 2021/22. 2023.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  44. Watson D (2011). A Social Portrait of People with Disabilities in Ireland . A Social Portrait of People with Disabilities in Ireland.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  45. (n.d.). Government of Ireland. List of publicly-funded higher education institutions (universities and colleges). https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/5088c-list-of-publicly-funded-higher-education-institutions/#other-institutions-that-receive-public-funding [Last accessed: August9 2024].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  46. Geraldine Scanlon , Jessica K. Doyle * (2021). Transition stories: Voices of school leavers with intellectual disabilities . British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(4), 456-466. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/bld.12433 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3209526297
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. (n.d.). AsIAm. AsIAm | Ireland’s Autism Charity | Autism-Friendly Training & Accreditation. https://asiam.ie/what-we-do/training-accreditation#What-does-Autism-friendly-mean [Last accessed: August9 2024].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. Edward W. Soja (2010). Seeking Spatial Justice . University of Minnesota Press.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.5749/minnesota/9780816666676.001.0001 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4293402844
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  50. (n.d.). O’Neill C. The ENGAGE Programme - Creating an Online Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environment for Neurodivergent Adults. AHEAD. https://ahead.ie/journal/The-ENGAGE-Programme-Creating-an-Online-Inclusive-and-Equitable-Learning-Environment-for-Neurodivergent-Adults [Last accessed: July8 2024].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  51. Louise Maree White , Kate Simpson , Stephanie A. Malone , Dawn Adams (2024). Autistic Adults’ Reflections on What Supported Their Transitioning from Secondary School . Education Sciences, 14(6), 576. MDPI AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3390/educsci14060576 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4399055453
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  52. Tracy SJ (2019). Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact . Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  53. Bogdashina O (2016). Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Second Edition: Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds . Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Second Edition: Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds.
    Type: Other
    Crossref