A qualitative exploration of autism and transition into further and higher education
Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In this thesis, I explore 42 autistic individuals’ transitions into further and higher \neducation (FHE) in England, drawing on personal experience as well as \ninterview data. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 1998 at the age \nof 13. At the age of 15, my mother introduced the topic to me, and autism soon \nbecame the foundation of my socio-political identity. The discussion is divided \ninto three themes; stigma and perception management strategies, formal and \ninformal support networks and the interplay of autism with institutional factors. \nI draw upon Tringo’s (1970) work on the hierarchy of impairment and \nGoffman’s (1963) work on stigma. Tringo’s (1970) hierarchy of impairment led \nme to my intra-communal hierarchy of impairment (perpetuated by autistic \nindividuals against autistic individuals) and Goffman’s (1963) work on stigma \nled me to my four degrees of openness; autistic individuals can be \nindiscriminately open, or indiscriminately reticent, but openness if relevant, \nand openness if necessary, are more common strategies. UPIAS’ (1976) work \non the social model of disability laid the foundation for my socio-political \nidentity and this thesis. I argue autism has been largely absent from the \npolitical arena. I outline how there are four ideals; the ideals of self-regulation, \nnormalcy, ability and independence. Eager to conform to these ideals, eager \nto self-present as ‘independent’, ‘self-regulating’, ‘normal’ or ‘capable’, some autistic students are reluctant to request support and accommodations, complicating the transition to FHE.
Author: Amy L. Simmons
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3172201846