What Kinds Of Support Do You Get in College?
Parents worry - it's just what we do.
Parents of autistic teens worry even more.
We have questions about the future, but often no place to ask the people who really have the answers - autistic adults.
As the mother of an autistic teen I wanted to solve this problem so in June 2015 I published a survey with questions that were suggested to me by other parents.
The survey was directed at autistic college students and I received over 50 responses.
I want to thank all of the participants who took the time to respond.
The answers were enlightening and contained several surprises. Over the course of the next 2 months I will be publishing articles to share the responses to each of the 6 questions. The first question is:
What kind of supports do you receive and how does it compare to high school?
Some Surprises
First I was surprised at the number of people who responded that had not been diagnosed in high school, but later received a diagnosis. Secondly I was surprised at the variety of supports and accommodations students received in college. One respondent stated,
"College is surprisingly supportive if you are willing to look. There are so many resources and tutoring options that many people just aren't aware of. In high school you are given things, but in college you have to seek them out."
Common Themes
There were several themes in the responses. The most common accommodations and supports were additional time for tests, quiet environment for testing, note takers, meeting with counselors regularly and extensions for completing assignments.
There were also other supports that I had not realized were possible:
- · Excused lateness
- · Breaks as needed
- · Early course registration
- · Permission to self-manage in class (stim, move around, fidget etc)
- · Permission to type work instead of hand write
- · Permission to record lectures
There is however a difference between supports and accommodations. As one respondent replied,
"I've learned that there is a distinction between supports which I am responsible to figure out, and accommodations which are a legal right in college."
Lessons Learned
Students who require accommodations need to work with the college directly. Getting accommodations will require self-identifying to the college, supporting documentation and a process to receive accommodations. It will be a formal process and once the student has accommodations in place the college is legally required to provide them.
Supports are less formal and students can work directly with professors, classmates and others as needed. Student's who don't want to go through a process with the university, don't want to identify themselves as autistic or simply don't need formal accommodations may be better served by getting support directly from the people they interact with.
Communication with others is important. Letting professors know what to expect can help everyone. For example as one student responded,
"I've been open with my professors, I stim during classes, I'm not called on to speak because they know that if I'm quiet it's because I can't discuss things that day. When I work in groups my classmates let me choose the time/place of our meetings."
Another student said,
"If you are open and honest with the professors and express from the beginning that you're interested and dedicated then, if the time comes that you need help, they will fight for you and offer you additional resources."
Most participants indicated they received more help or more effective help in college than during high school. However not all students have had good experiences as shown by these responses:
"A lot of promises, but no actual support."
"Almost none, and I had to avoid the disability services department just to get the few accommodations I was granted."
Every student is different and they will have a different experience, even at the same school. It is important for students, parents, teachers and counselors to understand what each student needs to be successful at college.
Recommendations
After reviewing the responses there are several recommendations that shine through.
- Students need to be willing and able to self-advocate to get the support and accommodations they need to be successful.
- Students and parents need to understand what academic supports are needed but separate them from life skills and executive function skill supports
- Student's needs change over time
Understanding accommodations and supports is just one part of successfully attending college.
Do you want to see all of the responses? Click below.
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