Sistematic revision of ASD and educational recreation: trends in inclusive learning in university settings (2010-2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v75.118291Keywords:
Learning , autism, higher education, neurodiversity, disorderAbstract
Introduction and Objective: In recent years, access to higher education for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased significantly, giving rise to a growing field of study aimed at understanding their experiences, needs, and inclusion strategies in university settings. The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and educational recreation in higher education contexts between 2010 and 2025.
Methodology: A systematic review was carried out following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with searches conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and SciELO. Sixty-seven articles were selected and analyzed based on explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction and synthesis focused on methodological approaches, theoretical frameworks, and findings related to university inclusion, socioemotional well-being, and educational recreation.
Results: The reviewed studies reveal a thematic evolution from approaches centered on access barriers toward more comprehensive perspectives grounded in neurodiversity, well-being, and student participation. Recent research highlights the role of educational recreation as a facilitator of emotional self-regulation, social interaction, and academic persistence.
Conclusions: The scientific production on ASD in higher education demonstrates conceptual and methodological consolidation, with an increasing shift toward models that integrate accessibility, well-being, and recreational experiences as essential components of inclusive learning. The identified trends underscore the need to strengthen university policies that integrate mental health, recreation, and student participation to promote more equitable and sustainable academic trajectories, consistent with the neurodiversity paradigm.
References
Ames, M., Sihoe, C., Coombs, E., Foreman, S., Punt, K., Singh, V., Stack, T., & McMorris, C. (2025). Expe-riences of Autistic Students in Postsecondary Education: A Review of Reviews. Autism in Adulthood, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0131
Bakker, T., Krabbendam, L., Bhulai, S., Meeter, M., & Begeer, S. (2023). Predicting academic success of autistic students in higher education. Autism, 27(6), 1803-1816. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221146439
Barrera, M., & Moliner, O. (2025). "Help! I feel unprepared": Exploring university faculty and autistic students' voices on self-efficacy in higher education inclusion. Teaching and Teacher Educa-tion, 159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2025.104990
Barry, A., Haegele, J., Schaefer, D., Pickett, C., & Columna, L. (2025). Autistic Young Adults’ Experiences and Recommendations for Strength Training. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 3(15). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-07017-1
Bisquerra, R. (2009). Metodología de la investigación educativa. La Muralla.
Coyle, A., O’Hare, L., & Ramey, D. (2025). Synapse: A co-designed neurodivergent peer support pro-gramme for higher education settings. Autism, 29(7), 1711-1726. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251320448
Davies, J., & Bagnall, C. (2024). “A Good Transition Is Just Key”: The Views and Experiences of Disability Support Staff in Supporting Autistic Students Transition to University. Autism in Adulthood, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0076
Duerksen, K., Besney, R., Ames, M., & McMorris, C. (2021). Supporting Autistic Adults in Postsecondary Settings: A Systematic Review of Peer Mentorship Programs. Autism in Adulthood, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2020.0054
Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Horlin, C., Almond, K., Bowen, A., & Robertson, A. (2024). Thriving… or Just Surviving? Autistic Journeys in Higher Education. Current Psychiatry Reports, 26, 771-776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-024-01560-x
Jeffery, A., Rogers, S., Jeffery, K., Lucherini, M., Hulme, J., Griffin, M., Pringle, J., et al. (2025). Autistic voices in higher education: lessons from U.K. geoscience students to inform inclusive practices for neurodiverse learners. Discover Education, 4(326). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00639-8
Kim, S., Crowley, S., & Bottema, K. (2021). Autistic undergraduate students’ transition and adjustment to higher education institutions. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101883
Lim, E., Wong, S., Gurbuz, E., Kapp, S., López, B., & Magiati, I. (2023). Autistic Students’ Experiences, Op-portunities and Challenges in Higher Education in Singapore: A Qualitative Study. Education Sciences, 13(8), 818. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080818
Nelson, H., Switalsky, D., Ciesielski, J., Brown, H., Ryan, J., Stothers, M., Coombs, E., Crerear, A., Devlin, C., Bendevis, C., Ksiazek, T., Dwyer, P., Hack, C., Connolly, T., Nicholas, D., & DiRezze, B. (2023) A scoping review of supports on college and university campuses for autistic post-secondary stu-dents. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1179865
Parsons, K., Payne, S., Holt, N., & Wallace, J. (2024). A qualitative study of physical activity drivers in autistic individuals using COM-B. Autistic and non-autistic perspectives. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2024.102331
Petersson, L., & Holmqvist, M. (2022). Strategies in supporting inclusive education for autistic stu-dents—A systematic review of qualitative research results. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969415221123429
Serkan, M. (2025). Why do so few individuals with an autism spectrum disorder attend university? A case of Türkiye. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-025-09729-3
Syriopoulou-Delli, C., Sarri, K., Papaefstathiou, E., Filiou, A., & Gkiolnta, E. (2024). Educational Programs Supporting Higher Education Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Litera-ture Review. Trends in Higher Education, 3(3), 710-724. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu3030040
Trevisan, D., Leach, S., Larocci, G., & Birmingham, E. (2021). Evaluation of a Peer Mentorship Program for Autistic College Students. Autism in Adulthood, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0087
Von Below, R., Spaeth, E., & Horlin, C. (2021). Autism in Higher Education: dissonance between educa-tors’ perceived knowledge and reported teaching behaviour. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(6), 940–957. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1988159
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Wilson Alexander Zambrano Vélez, Gertrudis Amarilis Laínez Quinde, Jinsop Omar Bermello Vidal, Naomi Gabriela Ochoa Cochea
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
