What's out there? A scoping review of autism-related policies and research interests at U.K. higher education institutions

Abstract

Background There is a growing number of autistic students in U.K. higher education institutions (HEIs), who may require autism-specific support to optimise their academic achievement, long-term prospects, and well-being. This study undertook the first known review of publicly available autism-related policies at U.K. HEIs. Methods Public websites of 132 HEIs were searched for eleven key terms, and the results of these searches were assessed using a policy appraisal approach. Qualitative framework analysis then explored the content of the policies identified. Results Three hundred thirty-six policies were identified from 92 HEIs, with 40 HEIs having no policies meeting search terms. The most common policy results were ‘autism support’ and ‘disability adjustments’. The qualitative analysis showed a wide range of policies which covered most areas of higher education life but with significant inconsistency in content and quality. Conclusions While many U.K. HEIs appear to be aware of autistic students and the need to support them, most institutions have minimal publicly available policies regarding support for autistic students. The policies to support students which do exist are patchy at best, and non-existent in some cases, requiring more work at individual institutions and across the HEI sector.