CANVAS
To join a live meeting, please email Brett Nachman (bnachman@wisc.edu) or join the CANVAS listserv to get detailed reminders about upcoming meetings.
2023
Friday, October 13 at 2 p.m. ET
Effects of a Peer Coaching Intervention for Young Adults with Autism on a College Campus
Presenter:Dr. Leslie Ann Bross (Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Description: This presentation shares results of an alternating treatments design study conducted on a college campus to compare the effects of a peer coaching intervention alone versus peer coaching + goal setting. Four young adults with autism (ages 22-23) participated in the study during their regular lunch sessions with peers without disabilities serving as conversational partners. The dependent variable was percentage of conversational engagement during 10-minute audio recorded sessions. Results indicated there was not a strong difference between the peer coaching intervention alone versus the additive effects of goal setting. Implications for practice related to creating social contexts for students with autism and peers without disabilities on college campuses will be shared.
Friday, November 10 at 3 p.m. ET
Is Academic a Good Career for Autistics?
Presenter: Sandra Thom-Jones (Consultant, Autistic Professor)
Description: In a first of its kind study, this project collected detailed reflections from autistic people working in academia on their thoughts, experiences, triumphs and challenges. A total of 37 autistic academics from around the globe participated in the study over a 12-month period. This presentation provides an overview of their reflections on the positives and negatives of academia as a career choice for autistic people. It also shares their recommendations for autistic people considering a career in academia.
2023
September
Seri Shevchuk-Hill (Graduate Student, College of Staten Island, CUNY), Dr. Kristen Gillespie-Lynch (Associate Professor, College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center, CUNY), and Bella Kofner (Teacher, College of Staten Island, CUNY) – Insights from Emerging Research on the Narrative Writing of Autistic Students
August
Dr. Carolyn O’Laughlin (Adjunct Instructor, Saint Louis University – Acts of Resilience and Resistance: Persistence by Autistic College Students
June
Dr. Azadeh Bolhari (Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Director for Undergraduate Education of Environmental Engineering Program at the University of Colorado Boulder) – Exploring Innovation Self-Efficacy in Neurodiverse Engineering Students
May
Dr. Morgan Strimel (Research Assistant, George Mason University), Dr. Grace Francis (Associate Professor, George Mason University, Dr. Jodi Duke, (Associate Professor & Academic Program Coordinator, George Mason University) – Looking at the Whole Student:” Identities and the Higher Education Accommodation
April
Kathy Szechy (LMSW, PhD Candidate, Wayne State University School of Social Work) – Autism, Adulthood and Employment Challenges: The Double Empathy Problem and Perceptions of an Autistic Employee in the Workplace
March
Helen Rottier (Doctoral Student, University of Chicago at Illinois); Dr. Kristen Gillespie-Lynch (Associate Professor, College of Staten Island), Dr. Jonathan Vincent (Lecturer, Lancaster University), and Dr. Theo Bakker (Professor, The Hague University of Applied Science; Researcher, Vrije Universiteit) – CANVAS 5th Anniversary Panel: The State of Research on Autism in Higher Education
February
Elinor Lim (PhD Student, University of Portsmouth) – Supporting autistic university students: Perspectives of autistic students and disability support staff
January
Kayden Stockwell (Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia) – “I just had to figure out what I was doing and hope I was correct”: Autistic young adults navigate higher education
2022
November
Aylin Ulker, OTD, OTR/L & Tom Beeson, EdS (Clemson University) – Sensory Inclusion in Higher Education: Neurodiverse and Neurotypical Experiences and Perspectives
October
Brian Irvine (University of Birmingham) – Framing and Reframing: Specialist (Autism) Mentoring in UK HEIs
September
Drs. Brett Nachman (University of Arkansas) & Brad Cox (Florida State University) – Launching Project PEACES: A National Survey of Autistic College Student Success
August
Dr. Amber Meyers (Tarrant County College) – People Matter: Recruiting Autistic High School Students into Dual Credit Classes
July
Dr. Theo C. Bakker (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) – Study Progression and Success of Autistic Students in Higher Education, A Longitudinal, Propensity Score-Weighted Population Study
May
Brett Nachman, Ph.D. (Director of Research, College Autism Network; Post-Doctoral Research Scholar, North Carolina State University) –Translating Passion to Professional Pathways: Supporting Autistic Community College Students’ Career Aspirations
April
Dr. Brittany L. Jackson (Online Learning Manager, Hiram College, Director of Training and Technology, College Autism Network) – Postsecondary Social Support Programs for Students with ASD as Described by Students, Directors, and Staff
March
Dr. Jill Underhill (Associate Professor, Communication Studies & Director, Writing Across the Curriculum, Marshall University) and Victoria Ann Ledford (Doctoral Candidate, Communication Science and Social Cognition, University of Maryland) – Autistic Student Success in Public Speaking Courses
- Meeting Minutes
- Recorded Presentation Video
- Additional Handouts: 1) Underhill, Ledford, & Adams (2019) Autism Stigma in Comm Classroom, 2) BCCA 2021 Underhill et al Article
February
Dr. Sally Reis (Letitia Neag Morgan Chair in Educational Psychology, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor), Dr. Joseph Madaus (Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Director, Collaborative on Postsecondary Education and Disability), and Dr. Nicholas W. Gelbar (Associate Research Professor); all at the University of Connecticut – Understanding the Academic Success of Academically Talented Students with ASD
January
Helen Rottier (University of Illinois Chicago/Institute on Disability and Human Development) – Constellation Mentoring- Evaluating a Novel Approach to Support Autistic College Students
2021
November
Dr. Mary Baker-Ericzén (San Diego State University) – College SUCCESS
October
Dr. Hyejung Kim (Binghamton University) – Korean American Autistic College Student’s Experience
September
Dr. TC Waisman (Doctor of Innovation at Autism Training Academy) – How higher education leaders, faculty, and staff can enhance services and outcomes for Autistic students
August
Dr. Jane McLeod (Associate Executive Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, and Provost Professor of Sociology; Indiana University) – College and Beyond for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum
July
Dr. Amelia Anderson (Assistant Professor of Library & Information Studies Darden College of Education and Professional Studies; Old Dominion University) – The Intersection of Libraries and Autism
May
Dr. Jess Monahan (Research Manager, Spectrum Scholars; University of Delaware), Cherie Fishbaugh (Director of Autism Services; West Chester University), & Laurie Ackles (Director, Spectrum Support Program; RIT) – Understanding Autistic College Students’ Needs in the Times of COVID-19
April
Dr. Jess Monahan (Research Manager, Spectrum Scholars; University of Delaware) and Dr. Brian Freedman (Associate Director, Center for Students with Disabilities & Director, Spectrum Scholars; University of Delaware) – Social Skills Interventions for Young Adults: Fitting into a Neurotypical World?
March
Dr. Craig Thompson (Curtin University) & Dr. Melissa Black (Curtin University) – Autistic Adults’ Success Factors for Employment and Beyond
February
Dr. Laura Graham Holmes (Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate; Boston University) & Dr. Emily Rothman (Professor, Community Health Sciences; Boston University) – Using Formative Research to Develop HEARTS: A Healthy Relationships Promoting Intervention for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum
January
Courtney Butler (Program Coordinator, College Support Program; Rutgers University) – An Individualized Approach to Teaching Adults with Autism to Successfully Navigate Job Interviews via Remote Instruction
2020
November
Cheryl Widman (University of Illinois at Chicago) – Understanding Parent Participation in the Postsecondary Education of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
October
Julie Lounds Taylor (Vanderbilt University) – Serving as an editor of the Autism journal: “Pulling back the curtain: tips from the editorial desk.”
September
Jonathan Vincent (York St. John University) – Transitions from higher education for autistic students and graduates: qualitative insights from the UK context
August
Eilidh Cage (University of Stirling) and Jack Howes (Autistic Writer and Fundraiser) – Dropping out: Understanding the university experiences of autistic students who could not complete their studies
July
Alexandra Sturm (Loyola Marymount University) – Academic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Incoming College Freshmen with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Comorbidity and Gender
May
Ryan A. Miller (University of North Carolina-Charlotte) – Emerging research on the experiences of autistic LGBTQ college students
April
Sean LaRoque (Mansfield Hall) –Measuring autistic college students’ journeys to adulthood using the Pathway to Independence Inventory: Development, results and lessons learned at Mansfield Hall – a residential college support program for students with learning differences
March
Jodi Duke and Grace Francis (George Mason University) – Research on autistic college students and co-occurring mental health disorder; discussions on the impact of needs and coping strategies
February
Amy Radochonski (College Living Experience) – “Crosswalks” between postsecondary education institutions and independent autism programs
January
Brad Cox (Florida State University | College Autism Network)
2019
November
Stephen Shore (Adelphi University)
October
Kimberly Ha (Organization for Autism Research)
September
Fred Volkmar (Yale University | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)
August
Valérie Van Hees (Artevelde University College Ghent)
July
Anastasia Anderson (Macquarie University)
May
Kirsten Brown (Edgewood College)
- Meeting Minutes
- Recorded Presentation Video
- Article: Unwanted Sexual Contact
- Article: Omission and Othering
April
Sasha Zeedyk and Yasamine Bolourian (University of California-Riverside)
March
Jiedi Li (University of Bath)
February
Solvegi Shmulsky (Landmark College)
January
Theo Bakker (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
2018
November
Nicholas Gelbar
- Meeting Minutes
- Recorded Presentation Video
- Article: A comprehensive survey of current and former college students with autism spectrum disorders
October
Jennifer Yu and Xin We
- Meeting Minutes
- Recorded Presentation Video
- Article: High school math and science preparation and postsecondary STEM participation for students with an autism spectrum disorder
September
Amy Accardo
- Meeting Minutes
- Recorded Presentation Video
- Article: Accommodations and support services preferred by college students with autism spectrum disorder
August
Monique N. Colclough
WAYS TO BECOME INVOLVED
- Check out the minutes, presentations, and articles from previous monthly meetings (see links on this page).
- Click here to sign up for our autism/higher ed list serv (here where we share news articles, research, events, and other content related to college students with autism). Click “join group” to start receiving emails.
- Once you’ve joined the listserv, you can share articles, presentations, and other news by sending an email to: can-canvas@collegeautismnetwork.org
- Contact Brett Ranon Nachman (bnachman@wisc.edu) to get updates about upcoming CANVAS meetings.
- Visit our CANVAS Google Drive (here we share our meeting agendas, minutes, and other CANVAS content; you can even post a profile about yourself and your work)