Collaborative Challenges Between Educational Accessibility Coordinators and Adjunct Faculty in Supporting Autism Spectrum Students - Article 4

Oct 15, 2026

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Accessibility of educational accommodations has increased but can remain inconsistent for undergraduates with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This descriptive phenomenological study examined how educational accessibility coordinators perceive their professional experiences when implementing learning accommodations with adjunct faculty. Findings highlighted ongoing negotiation of expectations among unprepared adjunct faculty and ASD students across the semester, reflecting barriers tied to readiness, limited cooperation, and adjunct employment constraints. Practice implications emphasized collaboration and professional development.

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New York Journal of Student Affairs | Volume 23 Issue 1 | Article 4 | | --- | --- | | August 2023
Collaborative Challenges Between Educational Accessibility Coordinators and Adjunct Faculty in Supporting Autism Spectrum Students
Tamara Faure
Farmingdale State College, [tamara.faure@farmingdale.edu](tamara.faure@farmingdale.edu)
Pietro Antonio Sasso
Delaware State University, [pietro.sasso@sfasu.edu](pietro.sasso@sfasu.edu)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa](https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa)
Part of the Accessibility Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Higher Education Administration Commons | | Recommended Citation Faure, T., & Sasso, P. A. (2023) . Collaborative Challenges Between Educational Accessibility Coordinatorsand Adjunct Faculty in Supporting Autism Spectrum Students. New York Journal of Student Affairs, 23(1) . Retrieved from [https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa/vol23/iss1/4](https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa/vol23/iss1/4) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Academic Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in New York Journal of Student Affairs by an authorized editor of Academic Commons. For more information, [please contact](please contact mona.ramonetti@stonybrook.edu)[ mona.ramonetti@stonybrook.edu](please contact mona.ramonetti@stonybrook.edu), [hu.wang.2@stonybrook.edu](hu.wang.2@stonybrook.edu). New York Journal of Student Affairs Volume 23, Issue 1, 2023 Article Collaborative Challenges Between Educational Accessibility Coordinatorsand Adjunct Faculty in Supporting Autism Spectrum Students Tamara Faure, EdD, Farmingdale State College Pietro Antonio Sasso, PhD, Delaware State University (First published online, August 2023) Abstract Accessibility of educational accommodations has increased but can be frequently inconsistent for undergraduates with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) . The didactic relationship between educational accessibility staff with faculty, who are increasingly adjuncts, facilitates many course-learning accommodations. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the perceptions and professional experiences of educational accessibility coordinators with adjunct faculty in their implementation of learning accommodation for undergraduates with ASD. Findings from this study suggested that accessibility coordinators negotiated expectations of unprepared adjunct faculty and ASD students to address issues throughout the semester. Published by Academic Commons, 2023 1 Coordinators believed ASD students struggled to navigate their experiences with adjunct professors because they were not ready for college and felt adjunct professors were unlikely to cooperate and partner because of their lack of understanding and the limitations presented by their short-term employment. Implications for practice included suggestions for increased collaboration and professional development. Keywords: Autism, autism spectrum disorders, educational accessibility, adjunct, faculty Students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may demonstrate an interest in continuing their education after high school (Jackson et al., 2018) . ASD student enrollment increased from 0.20% to 0.45% of the overall undergraduate student population from 2010 to 2016 (Bakker et al., 2019). Most people with ASD in college do not have co-occurring intellectual disability but are less likely to enroll in college (2-or 4-year) than are people with other types of disabilities (Christensen, 2016; Wei et al., 2013) . However, students considered to have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can have a physical, developmental, and/or cognitive disability that can affect the way data and information are processed and collected (Bakker et al., 2019). ASD is considered an invisible disability because diagnosis can be complex and it presents in different ways across indi

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

The study explored educational accessibility coordinators’ perceptions and professional experiences when implementing learning accommodations with adjunct faculty for undergraduates with ASD.

What did the study find about the collaboration process?

Coordinators negotiated expectations with both unprepared adjunct faculty and ASD students throughout the semester to address implementation issues.

What practice implications were suggested?

The findings suggested increasing collaboration and providing professional development to improve coordination between accessibility staff and adjunct faculty.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Levi