Lindsay Page

SE 5570
Article 3-Transition to Adulthood
10/26/16
Matthews et al. focused their research on college students and their
perceptions of peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The authors
study was conducted at a four-year, large, public, university in the
southwestern United States. Participants of the study were 224, ethnically
diverse, undergraduate students with 52% of the sample being male
(Matthews et al., 2015, p. 92).
Participants were asked to read an information sheet prior to beginning
the study procedures. This sheet led the group to believe they were
participating in a study that was examining how people behave in social
situations (Matthews et al., 2015, p. 92). Participants then filled out a
questionnaire which included demographic and personality questions. In
addition, participants completed the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire
(BAPQ).
Finally, Matthews, et al. (2015) required:
participants read three vignettes depicting an interaction with a
main character who displayed one of the three characteristics
commonly observed in individuals with ASD: restricted interests,
impaired social-communication, and a need for sameness. The
vignettes depicted settings common in postsecondary education:

working with a partner on a group project, joining a campus club,

or a shared living situation (p. 93).
Each of the vignettes included either a student labeled as having HighFunctioning Autism, a typical college student label, or no label condition.
Once the vignettes were completed, the participants were asked to read a
statement which indicated that the study was examining attitudes towards
individuals with characteristics of High-Functioning Autism.
The results showed that there were more positive attitudes towards the
students portrayed in the vignettes either labeled as High-Functioning
Autism or typical college student. As Matthew et al. (2015) states, this
suggests that the knowledge of a diagnosis might improve attitudes toward
college students with ASD (p. 90).
I found this study to be very intriguing since I work in the university
setting. I am increasingly seeing more students with ASD come to Plymouth
State and I am curious how they are perceived by the student body. While I
can appreciate people feeling better about a label, I am hesitant to suggest
that it would be a good solution to declare their diagnosis to others. I do not
want to encourage students to hide from their diagnosis, but I also want to
avoid people making excuses for students based on a diagnosis.
For example, I had a professor contact me recently stating that one of
her students whom she believes to be on the spectrum threw a book in her
classroom. She exclaimed in the email that someone needs to help him
since he clearly is on the spectrum!. When I asked her what she did about

the book-throwing behavior, she said nothing because of the perceived

diagnosis.
I explained that no matter the diagnosis, she needed to handle that
situation in the same way if there was no perceived diagnosis.
Further, I do feel some of the studys limitations impacted the results.
The study relied on vignettes, rather than using videotaped interactions or
interviews with students with ASD. Also, in each vignette the main character
was always male. The study should have explored using both a male and
female main character. The final limitation was that the sample included
mainly social science majors. It certainly would have been interesting to see
if anything differed with students from a variety of majors.
I would be interested to see how some of our students at PSU would
react/perceive students with ASD. In the not-so-distant-future we, as a
college, will see an increase in students with ASD attending college. I only
hope that faculty and staff will be properly trained and prepared to work with
these students in the future.

References:
Matthews, N. L., Ly, A. R., & Goldberg, W. A. (2015). College Students
Perceptions of Peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal Of Autism
And Developmental Disorders, 45(1), 90-99. doi:10.1007/s10803-0142195-6