Just because your child struggles with autism, doesn’t mean he (or she) can’t go to college. If he’s a high functional autistic student, chances are he can experience college life, as well as earn a degree. In fact, more and more high functioning autistic teens are being accepted into college, although they do have challenges adapting to college life. As each autistic child is unique, there’s no basic formula as to what works.
Start Early Preparing Your Autistic Child
If you child is diagnosed with autism at a young age, it doesn’t mean he can’t have share the same educational opportunities as other children.. Although your child may be high functional, you need to start early focusing on his strengths so he’ll be ready for college when the time comes. As a special education paraprofessional, I often worked with autistic students who were brighter than their classmates in some subjects.
How can you know your autistic child is college material? Get your child tested in the early elementary grades and then work with special education teachers developing a plan, suited just for him, preparing him for college.
Also, start early focusing on social skills so your child will be better prepared to mingle with other students when he is old enough for college. Besides working with him at home, also take advantages of opportunities that include your child with “normal” students. For example, encourage him to join organizations such as Scouting where you can find special programs for him to earn badges and awards. I know of a Florida woman who helped her special needs son go as far as achieve the Boy Scouting Eagle Scout award. What’s more, she made sure he was the water boy for her son’s high school football team. Not only did he learn social skills, but these experiences helped his self esteem.
As College Approaches….
Seek support services—-Locate the college disability support services on college campuses, which helps students get the needed accommodations to do well in their courses. If you do online searches as well as be in touch with your child’s school counselor, you can discover many services that can help your child advance to higher education.
Choosing a College
Technical or trade schools—-Instead of a traditional university, technical schools can help autistic students center more clearly of their interests, where they can learn technical skills suited for them. Although a technical school may not afford the same opportunities for experiencing normal campus life, it does allow autistic students to focus on careers where they have potential, as well as a passion. Therefore, technical or trade schools may be a better choice.
AHEADD is Helping Autistic College Students
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prenvention (CDC), one in 175 school-age children has autism. That’s more than 300,000 students. As a rising number of autistic teens are approaching college age, several colleges and university have begun specialized programs, as well as support systems to help autistic students.
High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in higher education, (AHEADD) explicitly focuses on the challenges autistic students face in social skills, as well as problems with communication and organization. AHEADD works with not only with high functioning autistic students, but also with students who struggle with attention deficit disorder, asperger’s syndrome, and non verbal learning disorder. Their staff and peer mentors work as liaisons and personal advocates, as well as meet with students, helping them work out personalized plans for handling college. Support includes training in self-advocacy, time management, social skills, utilization of campus resources, and independent living skills.
Currently, AHEADD serves students who attend college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but plans opening other programs in the fall of 2008 in areas such as Northern Virgina, Albany, New York, and Ft. Worth, Texas.
As a final note, don’t despair if you find your autistic child isn’t suited for college. Not all “normal” students are college material. Just try and direct them to fields where they show potential and interest, so they can become successful and happy in their career paths.
