Students with Autism – On-Demand Training

A Campus-wide Approach to Increase Retention, Engagement & Graduation

Colleges and universities are enrolling a growing number of students with autism, yet many campus systems are not designed to support these students in a coordinated, campus-wide way. The primary challenge is not access to higher education, but persistence. Students with autism often encounter fragmented support across academic affairs, disability services, advising, housing, and student life, making it difficult to navigate expectations, remain engaged, and progress to graduation.

Faculty and staff often feel uncertain about how to effectively support autistic students beyond formal accommodations. Limited training and siloed communication can lead to hesitation, inconsistency, and missed opportunities for early intervention. While there is strong goodwill, many professionals feel unprepared or concerned about making mistakes. This can cause students with autism to experience isolation, anxiety, and exhaustion in environments that are not built with neurodiversity in mind. When support is reactive rather than proactive, disengagement and attrition become more likely.

Reframe neurodiversity as a campus strength, leading to more inclusive attitudes, reduced stigma, and improved student belonging and engagement.

Join us as our expert presenter will help you explore how you can better serve this population with retention, equity, compliance and student success outcomes in mind. Support autistic students throughout their academic journey, from admission to graduation. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Shift from isolated, accommodation-focused support to a coordinated, campus-wide approach that aligns academic affairs, disability services, advising, student life, housing, and counseling.
• Immediately implement practical, proactive and actionable strategies such as early identification of support needs, structured transitions, and consistent cross-campus communication to reduce crises and improve persistence.
• Provide targeted training for faculty and staff to build confidence in inclusive teaching, clear communication, predictable course design, and autism informed support practices.
• Establish shared frameworks and accountability to improve retention and graduation outcomes while advancing equity goals and meeting disability related obligations.
• Foster a campus culture of collaboration and shared responsibility, allowing institutions to move from reactive responses to sustainable, student-centered success models.
• Enhance confidence in day-to-day interactions with autistic students by employing transparent, predictable, and inclusive communication strategies that minimize ambiguity and anxiety.
  

Presenter

Leigh Davis Fickling is the Deputy Director of the Title IX and Clery Compliance and an Accommodations Consultant at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
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