Autistic students in higher education (HE) frequently demonstrate strengths that are highly valuable for academic success - deep focus, attention to detail, creativity, persistence, and strong technological skills (e.g. Anderson et al., 2017). Yet, they also face distinct challenges related amongst others to social interaction, executive functioning, sensory processing and time management. These challenges can translate into lower grades, delayed progress, and dropout risk (e.g. Duerksen et. al, 2017; Cai & Richdale, 2016). Simultaneously, autism diagnoses in adulthood are rising (O’Nions et al., 2023), while the number of autistic students in HE institutes has likewise increased internationally (Higher Education Statistics Agency – HESA, 2024; White et al., 2011). Universities worldwide must therefore be prepared to respond to more diverse learner needs with effective, research-informed supports.

Existing HE supports for autistic students predominantly emphasize individualized accommodations. While important, these do not fully address social participation, sense of belonging, or community integration - factors tightly coupled with student engagement and retention (Korhonen et al., 2024). Peer support is a promising but underexplored modality in HE for autistic students. Studies so far mostly report “peers” as neurotypical mentors, which can overlook the core peer-support principle of shared lived experience. Exploring, developing and suggesting solutions might be challenging, if the supporting peer has problems empathizing and understanding the autistic experience, often calling for divergent learning and coping strategies (Bertilsdotter Rosqvist et al., 2019). Recent research furthermore indicates a communicative mismatch between autistic and non-autistic people (Milton, 2012; Crompton et al., 2020), which may lower efficiency of social interaction and weaken the experience of support. In contrast, autistic-to-autistic peer support may strengthen belonging, enable the exchange of experiential knowledge, and foster the development of autistic know-how and practices for learning.

This study forms one component of an exploratory qualitative PhD project investigating peer support groups for autistic students at Tampere University. It focuses on two key areas and asks: (1) what are autistic students’ experiences and perceptions of participating in these groups, and (2) in what ways has peer support influenced students’ overall engagement in their studies. The broader PhD project also includes two further studies, examining autistic social communication and interaction, as well as processes of knowledge and community building that emerge in peer support group settings. Together, the three parts provide a comprehensive account of the functioning of peer support groups for autistic students and of the outcomes and meanings they generate.

As this research will focus on group support in HE, a useful theoretical base for this study will consist of community of practice theory (Wenger, 1998), which emphasizes the meaning and importance of community and social involvement for learning. Developed from this theory is a model of student engagement in HE by Korhonen et al. (2024), tying together individual and collective level factors relevant for successful study progress and student wellbeing. Most autistic students’ challenges fall into the categories important for student engagement to happen, e.g. developing academic skills, finding and clarifying the meaning of their studies, participating safely in their peer communities and experiencing socially constructed practices for supporting them. This will evidently have an effect for their student identity and sense of belonging. This model will therefore offer a suitable framework for investigating the effects of peer support groups on autistic students’ engagement. The study furthermore follows an enactive approach to social cognition and interaction (De Jaegher & Di Paolo, 2007).

Following contemporary recommendations, this research takes a neurodiversity affirming and non-pathologizing approach, as well as the viewpoint of the social model of disability, which highlights society’s responsibility in creating disabling barriers for people with different kinds of impairments.

The study is part of a larger project with two separate methods for data collection. The first part of the data collection was completed during October-November 2025 and consisted of video recordings of professionally-led peer support group sessions, exclusively targeting autistic students, with either medical diagnosis or autistic self-identification. The data for the study to be presented is being collected during spring 2026 and consists of individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with autistic students, who either participated in the group mentioned above or in peer support groups for neurodivergent students at Tampere University. A target sample of 10 participants has been set, of which 5 interviews has been held or arranged by abstract submission. The semi-structured interviews will explore students’ motivations, experiences and perceptions of peer support group participation, including autistic social interaction and the sharing of strategies and learning from peers. They will furthermore examine perceived outcomes for student engagement, such as the meaning of studies, academic skills, participation, sense of belonging, and identity. The data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, to develop patterns of experiences and perceived impacts on student engagement, using Braun & Clarke’s (Braun & Clarke, 2022) guidance. During both recruitment and interviews, the specific accessibility needs of autistic participants are carefully considered. For example, participants are offered multiple options for how they wish to take part in the interviews (face-to-face or online). Ethical approval for the study has been granted by the Ethics Committee of the Tampere Region.

This study will generate new knowledge on autistic students lived experiences of autistic peer group support in HE and how participation has influenced students’ engagement, wellbeing, and study progression. By foregrounding autistic students’ first-person accounts, the research provides empirical insight into how peer groups can offer safety, recognition, and shared understanding that are often difficult to achieve in the social environment of HE or through non-autistic peer support. The findings will identify key mechanisms through which these groups support student engagement, such as strengthened sense of belonging, validation of autistic communication and learning practices, and the exchange of practical strategies for navigating academic demands. The study contributes theoretically by extending Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998) into an autistic peer context, illustrating how autistic students form meaningful learning communities that support identity development and sustained study participation. In addition, by applying Korhonen et al.’s (2024) model of student engagement, the study will highlight which individual- and community-level processes, such as regulation of study habits, sense-making around academic purpose, and socially co-constructed support practices are particularly relevant for autistic learners. The research further advances work on the double empathy problem by demonstrating how autistic-to-autistic interaction creates communicative attunement and reduces social friction in a university context. Finally, the study will yield insights for HE institutions aiming to strengthen autistic students’ retention and wellbeing beyond individual accommodations and by promoting autistic peer support as well as autistic community.

Anderson, A. H., Stephenson, J., & Carter, M. (2017). A systematic literature review of the experiences and supports of students with autism spectrum disorder in post-secondary education. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 39, 33–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2017.04.002 Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H. (2019). Knowing what to do: Exploring meanings of development and peer support aimed at people with autism. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(2), 174–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1427807 Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications. Cai, R. Y., & Richdale, A. L. (2016). Educational experiences and needs of HE students with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(1), 31–41. Crompton, C. J., Ropar, D., Evans-Williams, C. V., et al. (2020). Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective. Autism, 24(7), 1704–1711. De Jaegher, H., & Di Paolo, E. (2007). Participatory sense-making. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 6(4), 485–507. Duerksen, K., Besney, R., Ames, M., & McMorris, C. A. (2021). Supporting autistic adults in postsecondary settings: Peer mentorship review. Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 85–99. Higher Education Statistics Agency – HESA (2024): Table 15—UK domiciled student enrolments by disability and sex 2014/15 to 2021/22 | HESA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15 Korhonen, V., Ketonen, E., & Toom, A. (2024). Student engagement development in university education: A three-year follow-up. Learning and Individual Differences, 113, 102465. Milton, D. (2012). The ‘double empathy problem’. Disability & Society, 27(6), 883–887. O’Nions, E., Petersen, I., Buckman, J. E. J., et al. (2023). Autism in England: Assessing underdiagnosis. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, 29, 100626. Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press. White, S. W., Ollendick, T. H., & Bray, B. C. (2011). College students on the autism spectrum: Prevalence and associated problems. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 15(6), 683–701. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361310393363