How Do Autistic High School Students Interpret Their Own Agency? A Qualitative, Interview-Based Analysis

Authors

Abstract

This dissertation explores how Autistic young adults interpret agency, with particular attention to their past participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Section 504 meetings. Informed by DisCrit and Critical Autism Studies and deliberately framed away from ideas of independence and autonomy, the concept of ‘Agency’ is reframed to involve self-determination of one’s own life while still retaining access to support. One-hour semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Autistic young adults, ages twenty to twenty-four who had attended public high schools in the United States and received formal accommodations. Interviews explored participants’ agentic experiences involving educational planning, emphasizing relationships with teachers and situations in which participants’ goals were overlooked. Data was analyzed through iterative coding and inductive theme development, generating three primary themes. Participants frequently described meetings in which they were physically present but were not engaged in decisions about their supports. Their opportunities for agency were often conditional upon compliance with neurotypical behavioral expectations and adult-defined notions of appropriate participation. At the same time, participants described finding agency in less structured spaces (e.g. extracurricular activities, lunch periods) as well as supportive relationships with teachers. The author closes through calling for a future where Autistic students routinely engage with genuine collaboration with teachers and administrators.

No cited bibliography is currently integrated for this reference. This does not necessarily mean that no bibliography exists.