| Owner: |
Yilun Jiang
|
| Owner Email: |
jiang102@msu.edu
|
| Paper Title: |
Navigating Autistic College Students’ Identity Formation in Their Journey of Career Development
|
| Session Title: |
Embracing Diverse Minds: Autism and Accessibility in Academia
|
| Paper Type: |
Place-Based Paper
|
| Presentation Date: |
4/27/2025
|
| Presentation Location: |
Denver, CO
|
| Descriptors: |
Autism, Career Development, Higher Education
|
| Methodology: |
Mixed Method
|
| Author(s): |
Yilun Jiang, Michigan State University; Bradley E. Cox, Michigan State University; Karly Ball Isaacson, Michigan State University; Brett Ranon Nachman, University of Pittsburgh
|
| Unit: |
Division J - Postsecondary Education
|
| Abstract: |
This study explores autistic college students’ identity formation in the process of career development by examining the interplay between environmental factors and individual agencies. This research contributes to critiquing the deficit-based model of autistic students in the field of career development. Using mixed-method data from survey and interview responses, we highlight the structural barriers and social misconceptions for autistic students’ career choices, while discovering these students’ agency and advocacy identity in seeking support for their career development. Our findings suggest that higher education institutions need to create an inclusive and active environment to support autistic students’ career exploration.
|
| DOI: |
https://doi.org/10.3102/2191579
|