For autistic college students, participating in affinity spaces with people who share their interests can support friendship development (Ranon Nachman et al., 2024). Participation in shared-interest groups is associated with greater subjective well-being when it helps students form new relationships (Bailey et al., 2020).

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Autistic college students face many stressors in navigating the social environment of college. These challenges may include difficulty with social interactions, developing and maintaining relationships, developing social supports, and navigating the college environment (Bailey et al., 2020). Research has shown that social experiences are closely related to subjective well-being. More specifically, autistic college students who are more socially engaged experience higher subjective well-being. Many autistic college students experience dissatisfaction with their social lives at college and social difficulties (Goddard & Cook, 2022). Recently published studies have found connections between engaging in autistic spaces, sharing interests, and belonging felt by autistic people in the college environment. 

Autism & College: Social Experiences 

Autistic students feel a higher level of belonging when they are around other autistic people (Crompton et al., 2020). Autistic people report anxiety, exhaustion and fatigue from spending time with non-autistic people, but do not report this when spending time with autistic people. When with other autistic people, autistic people do not feel as much pressure to conceal their autistic traits from others.  


Belonging

Engaging in autism-specific spaces helps autistic individuals develop social relationships and feel better understood by their peers (Crompton et al., 2020; Ranon Nachman et al., 2024). These spaces provide a supportive environment that facilitates connection and reduces social pressure.

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