Autistic Students’ Experiences of Access: Navigating University in Canada

Authors

  • Kathryn Urbaniak PhD Candidate, Department of Education Concordia University
  • Miranda D'Amico Professor, Department of Education and Centre for the Arts in Human Development Concordia University

Keywords:

Autism; Canada; disclosure; accommodation; identity; lived experience; higher education

Abstract

As more autistic students enter higher education, universities have a growing responsibility to support these students. Many autistic students report not receiving adequate support in postsecondary education (Anderson et al., 2018; Gurbuz et al., 2019). This paper shares the results of a qualitative study on the lived experiences of autistic students at Canadian universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by an autistic PhD student with ten autistic students about their experiences attending 16 universities across six provinces in Canada. The results shed light on disclosure and use of accommodations, alongside recommendations for self-accommodations from the research participants.

Author Biographies

Kathryn Urbaniak, PhD Candidate, Department of Education Concordia University

PhD Candidate, Department of Education

Concordia University

Miranda D'Amico, Professor, Department of Education and Centre for the Arts in Human Development Concordia University

Professor, Department of Education and Centre for the Arts in Human Development

Concordia University

Published

2025-11-26

How to Cite

Urbaniak, K., & D'Amico, M. (2025). Autistic Students’ Experiences of Access: Navigating University in Canada. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 14(3), 268–302. Retrieved from https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/1286