Spring 2017 Raines Colloquium: "Autism in College: Creating a Spectrum of Opportunity"
Dr. Edlyn Peña discusses evidenced-based ways in which college faculty, administrators, and staff can work together to facilitate the success and retention of students with autism.
As the numbers of students diagnosed with autism have increased to one in 68 students, institutions of higher education are currently experiencing an upward trend in enrollment of college students with autism. As students with autism transition into postsecondary education along with their neurotypical peers, they face additional social and academic challenges. Dr. Edlyn Peña discusses evidenced-based ways in which college faculty, administrators, and staff can work together to facilitate the success and retention of students with autism.
Dr. Edlyn Peña is an Associate Professor in Higher Education Leadership at California Lutheran University (CLU). Her expertise and research center on social justice issues for students with disabilities, particularly autism, in the preschool through higher education pipeline. As the Co-Director of the Autism and Communication Center (CLUC) and an appointed member of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Dr. Peña is well known for her scholarship, service, and advocacy to support students with autism at the state and national level.
