The presence of students with disabilities in higher education: exploring the direction of Malaysia local public universities

Mohd Syazwan Zainal

QR Code Link :
Type :	article
Subject :	LB2300 Higher Education
Main Author :	Mohd Syazwan Zainal
Additional Authors :	Low, Hui Min
Title :	The presence of students with disabilities in higher education: exploring the direction of Malaysia local public universities

Place of Production :	Tanjong Malim
Publisher :	Fakulti Pembangunan Manusia
Year of Publication :	2021
Corporate Name :	Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Abstract : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

The goal of higher education in Malaysia is to meet the country's demands to produce skilled and qualified human capital. These demands require competent and globally competitive human resources and in line with the local community's culture. Therefore, the admission of students with disabilities (SWDs) to tertiary education, especially in universities, will provide equal educational opportunities with other individuals to not feel excluded from the national stream of learning. Various initiatives have been undertaken at the international and local levels. However, enrolment among SWDs is still low compared to the overall enrollment in our local universities. Along with national agendas such as the Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama 2030 and Rancangan Malaysia Ke-12, universities are also seen to play an essential role in providing support for SWDs. This concept paper looks at the current trend of higher education in Malaysia, especially in public universities, as an education option for SWDs. Implications and recommendations for further research are also discussed in this concept paper.

References

Ames, M. E., McMorris, C. A., Alli, L. N., & Bebko, J. M. (2016). Overview and Evaluation of a Mentorship Program for University Students with ASD. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(1), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357615583465

Arnett, J. J. (2016). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties (C. Carlin (ed.); 2nd Editio). Oxford University Press.

Baldwin, S., Costley, D., & Warren, A. (2014). Employment activities and experiences of adults with high-functioning autism and asperger’s disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2440–2449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2112-z

Chen, J. L., Leader, G., Sung, C., & Leahy, M. (2015). Trends in Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Review of the Research Literature. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-014-0041-6

Chiang, H. M., Cheung, Y. K., Li, H., & Tsai, L. Y. (2013). Factors associated with participation in employment for high school leavers with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(8), 1832–1842. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1734-2

Flower, R. L., Hedley, D., Spoor, J. R., & Dissanayake, C. (2019). An alternative pathway to employment for autistic job-seekers: a case study of a training and assessment program targeted to autistic job candidates. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 71(3), 407–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2019.1636846

Griffiths, A.-J., Giannantonio, C. M., Hurley-Hanson, A. E., & Cardinal, D. N. (2016). Autism in the Workplace: Assessing the transition needs of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Business and Management, 22(1), 5–22. https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_articles

Hedley, D., Uljarević, M., Cameron, L., Halder, S., Richdale, A., & Dissanayake, C. (2017). Employment programmes and interventions targeting adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature. Autism, 21(8), 929–941. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316661855

Heijst, B. F. C. Van, & Geurts, H. M. (2015). Quality of life in autism across the lifespan: A meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361313517053

Jabatan Perdana Menteri. (2019). Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama 2030. https://www.pmo.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SPV2030-summary-en.pdf

Jabatan Perdana Menteri. (2021). Unit Perancangan Ekonomi. https://www.epu.gov.my/ms/pembangunan-ekonomi/rancangan-pembangunan/rmk/perancangan-terdahulu

Jackson, S. L. J., Hart, L., Brown, J. T., & Volkmar, F. R. (2018). Brief Report: Self-Reported Academic, Social, and Mental Health Experiences of Post-Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 643–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3315-x

Jetha, A., Bowring, J., Furrie, A., Smith, F., & Breslin, C. (2019). Supporting the Transition into Employment: A Study of Canadian Young Adults Living with Disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 29(1), 140–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-018-9772-z

Johari, M. K. A., & Abdul Hamid, N. (2021). Hubungan Kebolehcapaian Persekitaran Fizikal Kampus Terhadap Prestasi Mahasiswa Orang Kelainan Upaya di Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Research in Management of Technology and Business, 2(1), 510–522.

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. (2013). Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia. https://www.moe.gov.my/en/dasarmenu/pelan-pembangunan-pendidikan-2013-2025

Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia. (2015). Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Tinggi Malaysia. https://www.moe.gov.my/menumedia/media-cetak/penerbitan/pppm-2015-2025-pt/1378-1-pelan-pembangunan-pendidikan-malaysia-2015-2025-pendidikan-tinggi/file

Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia. (2019a). Bilangan Enrolmen Pelajar Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) mengikut Jenis Kecacatan berdasarkan Universiti Awam. Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia. https://www.mohe.gov.my/en/download/awam/statistik/2019-1/613-bab-2-universiti-awam-3/file

Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia. (2019b). Dasar Inklusif Orang Kurang Upaya di Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi.

Kirby, A. V., Baranek, G. T., & Fox, L. (2016). Longitudinal predictors of outcomes for adults with autism spectrum disorder: Systematic review. OTJR Occupation, Participation and Health, 36(2), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449216650182

Lorenz, T., Frischling, C., Cuadros, R., & Heinitz, K. (2016). Autism and overcoming job barriers: Comparing job-related barriers and possible solutions in and outside of autism-specific employment. PLoS ONE, 11(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147040

Ministry of Women Family and Community Development. (2016). Pelan Tindakan Orang Kurang Upaya 2016 -2022.

Roux, A. M., Shattuck, P. T., Cooper, B. P., Anderson, K. A., Wagner, M., & Narendorf, S. C. (2013). Postsecondary employment experiences among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(9), 931–939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.019

Scott, M., Falkmer, M., Falkmer, T., & Girdler, S. (2018). Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Autism-Specific Workplace Tool for Employers: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(10), 3377–3392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3611-0

Shattuck, P. T., Narendorf, S. C., Cooper, B., Sterzing, P. R., Wagner, M., & Taylor, J. L. (2012). Postsecondary

education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 129(6), 1042–1049. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-2864

Solomon, C. (2020). Autism and Employment: Implications for Employers and Adults with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04537-w

Van Hees, V., Moyson, T., & Roeyers, H. (2015). Higher Education Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges, Benefits and Support Needs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1673–1688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2324-2

Vincent, J. (2019). It’s the fear of the unknown: Transition from higher education for young autistic adults. Autism, 23(6), 1575–1585. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318822498

Vincent, J., Potts, M., Fletcher, D., Hodges, S., Howells, J., Mitchell, A., Mallon, B., & Ledger, T. (2017). ‘I think autism is like running on Windows while everyone else is a Mac’: using a participatory action research approach with students on the autistic spectrum to rearticulate autism and the lived experience of university. Educational Action Research, 25(2), 300–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2016.1153978

Walsh, L., Lydon, S., & Healy, O. (2014). Employment and Vocational Skills Among Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Predictors, Impact, and Interventions. In Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Vol. 1, Issue 4, pp. 266–275). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-014-0024-7

Ward, D., & Webster, A. (2018). Understanding the Lived Experiences of University Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Phenomenological Study. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 65(4), 373–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2017.1403573

Wehman, P., Schall, C., Carr, S., Targett, P., West, M., & Cifu, G. (2014). Transition From School to Adulthood for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: What We Know and What We Need to Know. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207313518071

Wehman, P., Taylor, J., Brooke, V., Avellone, L., Whittenburg, H., Ham, W., Brooke, A. M., & Carr, S. (2018). Toward Competitive Employment for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: What Progress Have We Made and Where Do We Need to Go. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 43(3), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796918777730

Wei, X., Yu, J. W., Wagner, M., Hudson, L., Roux, A. M., Shattuck, P., & Blackorby, J. (2018). Job searching, job duration, and job loss among young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 48(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-170922

White, S. W., Elias, R., Salinas, C. E., Capriola, N., Conner, C. M., Asselin, S. B., Miyazaki, Y., Mazefsky, C. A., Howlin, P., & Getzel, E. E. (2016). Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 56, 29–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2016.05.010

Yusof, Y., Chan, C. C., Hillaluddin, A. H., Ahmad Ramli, F. Z., & Mat Saad, Z. (2020). Improving inclusion of students with disabilities in Malaysian higher education. Disability and Society, 35(7), 1145–1170. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1667304

This material may be protected under Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials.
You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research.

Back to previous page