The Current State of Knowledge Regarding STEM Career Pathways for Students with Autism: A Systematic Literature Review

Autism is the fourth-largest disability category in the US, and autistic high school students' expectations for college education in a wide variety of fields have been ever-growing. This paper focuses on the pursuit of STEM-related education for students with autism and the unique needs of these students and techniques to improve outcomes. Although the potential to diversify the current STEM workforce is evident, college enrollment trends and STEM employment rates do not reflect the increasing interests and needs of autistic individuals. This systematic literature review aimed to understand the current knowledge about autistic students' pathways from high school to STEM employment and examined associated educational practices promising to improve their STEM career outcomes. After reviewing 5,620 articles, our search yielded seven eligible articles. Findings demonstrate the prevalence of articles landing in autism journals and possessing limited demographic diversity, as well as the featured programs improving autistic students' developmental skills while participating in STEM programming. Additionally, autistic students are increasingly pursuing STEM programs in postsecondary education. Implications point to the necessity of elevating representation among diverse autistic individuals in scholarly research, offering further guidance to autistic students in following STEM career pathways, and expanding opportunities for them to enroll in STEM fields in postsecondary education institutions.