Evaluation of the Relevance and Effective Implementation of Pedagogical Practices for Students on the Autism Spectrum at University

In France, the inclusion of students on the autism spectrum in higher education is a growing concern. While adapted pedagogical practices have been proposed in previous research, the opinions of students on the autism spectrum themselves had never been investigated. This study aimed to assess and compare the perceived relevance and implementation of different pedagogical practices among students on the autism spectrum (n = 18) and students not on the autism spectrum (n = 413).Participants completed a 54-question survey covering four themes: course information and rules, organisation and content, PowerPoint, and engagement strategies. Descriptive analyses and ANOVAs revealed that: 1) all practices assessed were considered relevant by both groups; 2) the “PowerPoint” and “Information and rules” categories were rated as most relevant; 3) eleven practices were considered significantly more relevant by students on the autism spectrum (e.g., use of sans-serif fonts, information about noise-canceling headphones); 4) PowerPoint-related practices were perceived as the most frequently implemented; 5) the majority of practices were considered insufficiently implemented by students.These findings provide concrete guidance for policymakers and teachers on which pedagogical practices should be prioritized to better support both students on the autism spectrum and their neurotypical peers.In France, the inclusion of students on the autism spectrum has become a major issue for universities. While several pedagogical practices adapted to the needs of students on the autism spectrum have been proposed in previous research, the opinions of students on the autism spectrum themselves regarding these practices have never been investigated. The aim of this study was therefore to assess and compare the perceived relevance and implementation of different pedagogical practices in university courses in France among students on the autism spectrum (n = 18) and students not on the autism spectrum (n = 413). Participants completed a 54-question survey covering four themes of pedagogical practices identified in the literature (course information and rules, organisation and course content, PowerPoint, and engagement strategies). Descriptive analyses and ANOVAs showed that: 1) all pedagogical practices assessed were considered relevant by both students on the autism spectrum and students not on the autism spectrum; 2) the “PowerPoint’ and ’Information and rules“ categories were considered the most relevant; 3) eleven practices were rated as significantly more relevant by students on the autism spectrum than students not on the spectrum (e.g. the use of sans-serif fonts and information about the possibility of wearing noise-cancelling headphones); 4) practices in the ”Powerpoint’ category were perceived as significantly more frequently implemented in university courses; and 5) students considered that the majority of these practices were not sufficiently implemented. This work provides useful information for policymakers and teachers regarding the pedagogical practices that should be implemented to support both students on the autism spectrum and students not on the spectrum.