Vol. 20, No. 2, Spring 2013 / 5 Copyright © 2013, New Forums Press, Inc., P.O. Box 876, Stillwater, OK 74076. All Rights Reserved. Parents’ Experiences in the Transition of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders to Community College Edlyn Vallejo Peña Jodie Kocur California Lutheran University California Lutheran University Due to the rising number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attending community colleges and the important role that parents play in their student’s transition process, the current study aimed to explore the experiences of parents as their student with ASD transitioned to community college. Eighteen parents of students with ASD who attended community college completed an hour-long interview regarding their experience assisting their student with the transition. Parents reported playing two predominant roles: (1) coaching students to navigate campus services, and (2) encouraging students to participate in college more independently. In addition, two major challenges emerged from parent reports: (1) navigating the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and (2) finding supportive faculty. Implications for future research as well as recommendations based on the data regarding ways to support students with ASD and their families as they prepare for this transition are discussed. T he dramatic rise in Autism Spectrum diagnoses has been well documented, with the latest report from the Center for Disease Control finding that one in 88 in- dividuals now has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (CDC, 2012). The CDC also suggested that the prevalence of ASD may be as high as one in 50 children, based on pa- rental reports (2013). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2011), “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurode- velopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior” (para 1). This range includes individuals with extremely diverse ability lev- els and combinations of symptoms. While professionals agree there are likely many genetic and environmental factors contributing to this increase in prevalence, one of these factors is likely “an improvement in our ability to recognize and diagnose higher-functioning individuals who may have been overlooked in the past” (Adreon & Durocher, 2007, p. 272). The term high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) has been used to characterize individuals on the spectrum who do not have a co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) and includes the diagnoses of high functioning autism (HFA), Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Interestingly, research has shown that the majority of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder have milder forms of the disorder, such as Asperger Syndrome (VanBergeijk and Shtayermman, 2005). As students with ASD continue to gain access to early interventions and academic and behavioral supports in K-12 schools, cognitive and behavioral outcomes will continue to improve (Adreon & Duracher, 2007). In turn, colleges will continue to see an increase in the number of students they serve with ASD (Wei, Yu, Shattuck, Mc- Cracken, Blackorby, 2012). For individuals with ASD, college is not only an attainable goal due to their cognitive ability, but may also be important to their growth in other ways as well, both practical and psychological. Given that adults with ASD experience low employment rates (Barnard, Harvey, Prior, & Potter, 2001; Hurlbutt & Chal- mers, 2004; Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey, 2009), achieving their goals at a community college can lead to increased job opportunities, financial independence, and ability to contribute to the economy. In addition, as explained by Camarena and Sarigiani (2009), “For many talented youth with ASD, their intellectual capabilities may become a critically important domain essential to their feelings of self-worth…[and] self-esteem” (p. 115). Therefore, as more and more students who are diagnosed with ASD graduate from high school, there is a growing urgency to better understand how to prepare these stu- dents for the transition to post-secondary education, and what services are needed at the postsecondary level to best support these students. Transition to Community College Research thus far indicates that community college is often a preferred post-secondary option for students with disabilities, including ASD. According to the United