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ERIC Number: EJ1121790
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3116
EISSN: N/A
Experiences of University Life for Students with Asperger's Syndrome: A Comparative Study between Spain and England
Casement, Sue; Carpio de los Pinos, Carmen; Forrester-Jones, Rachel
International Journal of Inclusive Education, v21 n1 p73-89 2017
Research has consistently shown that young people with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) are likely to experience increased anxiety during new social situations; yet, studies have been regionally and culturally bound. The aim of this study was to explore how higher education students with AS experienced attending university in two European countries: the UK and Spain. The objective was to find out if experiences differed between the two countries in relation to contrasting support arrangements and what kinds of interventions might aid students' social well-being at university, an important learning outcome for future practice. This small-scale comparative exploratory study incorporated life-history interviews with nine students with AS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes significant to both groups of students in Spain and the UK emerged from the data: social relationships, "special interests," "environment" and "support mechanisms." Students with AS need and want clear, unambiguous and structured information from academics; support to get to know others in "small special interest groups"; more designated "quiet zones" across campuses; and above all, a move away from ableist notions of AS. To our knowledge, this is the only Spanish-UK comparative study of university students with AS.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain; United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A