Inside Higher Ed

As colleges work to improve student success, new research suggests they may be underestimating the size of a much larger student population than previously understood: autistic students. A new study from Michigan State University examined 731 publications, reviewed 16 common survey instruments used at postsecondary institutions and inspected codebooks from six federal datasets to come up with the estimate that over 280,000 autistic students are currently enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities—three to five times more than previous data suggested. Researchers said many institutions may not realize how many autistic students they serve, making it more difficult to design policies, services and supports that help them succeed. Brad Cox, associate professor of higher, adult and lifelong education at Michigan State, said earlier estimates of autistic college enrollment relied on decades-old data, leaving researchers and policymakers with an incomplete picture of this student group. “It’s hard to serve a population you don’t know is even there, because autism is an identity that isn’t always apparent, isn’t always visible,” Cox said.