SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: ACADEMIC ADAPTATION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

ABSTRACT

A diverse audience has been entering universities, primarily due to the democratization of Higher Education, including individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the DSM-5-TR, ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder primarily characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and by repetitive and restricted behaviors. Thus, it can be inferred that these individuals may face greater challenges in adapting to the academic context. In this regard, the objective of this study was to examine the scientific production on Academic Adaptation in students with ASD from 2015 to 2023. An electronic search for national and international articles was conducted in the SciELO, PePSIC, ResearchGate, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases between April and June 2023, based on the PRISMA protocol. The results indicated ten articles that met the inclusion criteria. The absence of instruments for measuring Academic Adaptation in university students with ASD was observed, as well as difficulties related to the university context, such as insufficient support from academic centers and a lack of awareness about ASD among professors. It is concluded that further research on this topic is necessary, suggesting that prospective studies focus on the development of instruments or the adaptation of existing ones for this population.

KEYWORDS:
Academic Adaptation; University students; Autism Spectrum Disorder.