Faculty Experience With College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a qualitative inquiry involving two focus groups made up of experienced faculty who met to discuss academic concerns faced by college students with autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s disorder. Analysis of group meeting transcripts indicated that student concerns fell into categories related to difficulties with theory of mind and understanding audience, weak central coherence in cognitive processing, and struggles with executive function. Classroom teaching implications are summarized and related strategies are presented.