Funding outcome

Autistic youth (ages 16 to 19) are transitioning to post-secondary education (PSE) at unprecedented rates. Yet, they still face more barriers and worse health outcomes than their non-autistic peers, including a particularly high risk of poor mental health and suicidality. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Autistic youth experience even more barriers to PSE and poorer health outcomes as they are forced into inequitable systems on overlapping axes of both race and autism. Research related to these intersecting identities, including understanding their experiences of mental health and quality of life as they transition into PSE, is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to understand how the intersection of race and autism impacts the experiences of mental health and quality of life of BIPOC Autistic youth transitioning into PSE. I will recruit 3 to 5 BIPOC Autistic students in their last year of high school and meet with each of them many times over a 1-2 year period as they transition into PSE. Data from multiple sources (e.g. conversations, journal writing, autobiographical accounts, photographs) will be analyzed as individual accounts, shared with each participant to ensure they represent their experience, and resonant threads across accounts will be examined to understand experiences of mental health and quality of life for BIPOC Autistic youth transitioning into PSE. My lived experiences as a BIPOC, queer, Autistic social worker motivate this research. Findings will build awareness, elevate intersectional perspectives, and inform future development, evaluation and implementation of transition supports and institutional policy.