Summary: Academic and Social Interactions between Autistic University Students and their Non-autistic and Autistic Instructors

SUMMARY

The COVID-19 pandemic related isolation measures have caused rapid changes in education delivery and social interactions. Similar changes and measures are known to have a long-lasting impact on the general population, with autistic individuals experiencing even greater difficulties than their nonautistic peers. Autistic individuals are now facing an

Increasing numbers of autistic adults are enrolling at universities worldwide (White et al., 2016). Their academic and social interactions with non-autistic instructors impact their successful participation in learning and knowledge construction which universities aim to foster. And yet, there is limited understanding of the nature of these interactions. This study is informed by Milton’s Double Empathy Problem (DEP, 2014) which posits that frequent “mutual incomprehension” (p. 800) occurs between autistic and non-autistic people, both of whose ways of communicating are equally valid. We also use the lens of Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS) which defines genres as typified and recurrent ways of acting socially in response to perceived and constructed social needs (Bakhtin, 1986; Miller, 1984). More specifically, RGS provides conceptualized elements of social interactions (viz., recognition of rhetorical situations, exigences, uptake, and timing) which help to more deeply explore the nature of autistic and non-autistic interactions. We use a mixed-methods, community consultation design to explore the lived experiences of autistic university students’ and autistic and non-autistic instructors’ interactions. Semi-structured interviews with autistic students and autistic and non-autistic lecturers informs the design of an online survey resulting in collection of both qualitative and quantitative data to investigate the nature of these interactions. A consultation group of autistic graduate students informs the research, acting as participants, coding and survey consultants, and editors. Results suggest that RGS concepts are highly useful in understanding differences in autistic and non-autistic ways of thinking, learning, and communicating and provide important ways for students and academic staff (autistic or not) to understand each others’ experiences. Further, the RGS concepts supply potential strategies so that different ways of thinking, learning, and communicating can be bridged to support the success of autistic students and instructors as well as all who seek to construct knowledge within university contexts.