Autistic Students on Liberal Arts Campuses: Successes, Challenges, & Questions

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Baker, D., Kim, H., Saperstein, J., & Mast, K. (2024). Autistic Students on Liberal Arts Campuses: Successes, Challenges, & Questions. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 59(3), 352-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/215416472405900309

Publication date: 1 Sep 2024 Added to AutiHub: 29 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Diana Baker
  2. Hyejung Kim
  3. Jesse Saperstein *
  4. Kyle Mast

Abstract

As increasing numbers of autistic students pursue postsecondary education, it is important to understand the supports and barriers inherent in various institution types. Liberal arts colleges, with small class sizes and personalized learning environments, might be appealing to autistic students and their families. This study aims to explore the potential benefits and challenges that the liberal arts context presents for neurodiverse students. Using a multiple case study approach, we conducted interviews with 13 key stakeholders (including students, faculty, & staff) across five liberal arts institutions. Our findings are organized around these five themes: the unique liberal arts context, the implications of disclosure and diagnosis, academic experiences, social supports, and dynamics of romantic relationships for autistic students.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 13:58.

Cited references
38
With a DOI
28
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
10
0 / 38 (0.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
5 / 38 (13.2%)
References with detected author names
34 / 38 (89.5%)
Without detected author names
4
Without a structured title
5
Without a stable identifier
9
References with raw author names still to review
4
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
114
From DOI or external metadata
114
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
22
24 / 114 (21.1%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 90 / 114 (78.9%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
0 / 114 (0.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 0 / 24 (0.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 0 / 114 (0.0%).
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