Positive changes are happening at colleges across the country.  There are more and more programs being set up to meet the needs of students with an autism spectrum diagnosis.  It is great to see!  People are talking about this issue and stepping up to create change.  This 2014 article from Forbes is a great example.  It talks about a variety of schools that are setting up programs to better support students with ASD.  The article also emphasizes the importance of finding the right fit for each student.  It makes the excellent point that is worth restating.  It is very important to not only know what services a program will provide, but also what they will not provide.  In order for this to be meaningful, parents and students should have a list of what the student will need regarding support.  No program will meet 100% of a student’s needs.  Being aware of the needs of the student a program will not meet, is just as important for success as being aware of the services that will meet the needs of the student.

For example, a student might plan on attending a college where they provide excellent academic support and organizational support to ensure the student is meeting his or her classroom expectations.  This may be the main reason why the student chose this school, because of these wonderful supports.  But the student might also struggle socially, and may benefit from a mentor to check in with around making connections with other students, clubs, etc.  If the college does not provide this service, it might be a situation where a student is keeping up with academics but becoming isolated. 

If you find a college that seems like a great fit but does not meet all of the needs of the student, talk to the disabilities office at that college.  Find out about services in the community that can meet the student’s needs.  If you are dealing with a college or university that has taken the time to set up a program to meet the needs of students with autism, chances are they are familiar with service providers in the community who can work with you to see if the needs of the student can be met.  It is certainly worth a try in order to create the best program possible for each student. 

  

During the past several months, I have spent a great deal of time on the internet.  I have been learning about resources around issues of college counseling, as well as resources that offer information regarding autism and college planning.  I am excited about all that I have discovered, and many of the resources can be found either on this blog page or in the resources section of this web page.  In addition, I have also become more familiar with social media, and learned how to use it to uncover articles and programs related to my interest of college counseling for students with autism.  For example, I created a twitter account @thrivecollege1.  At first I felt overwhelmed by the process and needed some support to get comfortable, but now I see all of the great articles and blogs that people post on topics that matter to me and the families I work with.  It turns out that Twitter is an amazing resource!

With this in mind, I encourage you to explore the internet as well.  Each child with an autism spectrum disorder is different, and has different goals for their future and different needs to meet those goals.  Because there is no one-size-fits-all model, families and students must do their research in order for students to be set up in the best situation as possible after high school.  The internet is an important place to start.  Research the disabilities offices of colleges you are considering to see what they have to offer.  Explore articles about how families work with their children to support them in taking the SAT or the ACT.  Research the differences between the rights of students with disabilities in high school versus college.  Find local or national scholarships that meet the unique needs of each student.  The list goes on.  I am very grateful to my newfound use of the internet, and I hope to be able to continue to share what I am learning on this blog! 

When preparing to apply to college, it is important to consider what colleges and universities look for when deciding who to accept.  It is commonly understood that many colleges prioritize a student’s grades, the strength of the curriculum, and the admission test scores  Here is a link to more specifics about what colleges look for in accepting students to their school.  http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/articles/Pages/Factors-in-the-Admission-Decision.aspx

Often students wonder about the amount of time, effort and money they should be putting towards preparing for admission tests such as the SAT or the ACT.  Based on the strong consideration schools give to these scores, it is an important point to consider.  There are many resources available to explore in order to get an idea of what is the best match for you.  For example, there are several free web based resources that allow a student to take sample tests, get test taking tips and pointers, and view video lessons to name a few.  There are also many fee based on-line courses that students can take where they can work with a tutor and receive lessons, test practice, etc.  Depending up on the level of support a student feels he or she needs, it makes sense to start with the free services and determine from there if additional support is needed.  Please see the resources section of this web page for more information on web based test prep options.

There are often local test preparation resources available in communities.  These can be a good option for students as well.  They will likely be more costly, but depending on the needs of the student and the family circumstances it might be an option.  Before embarking on spending large amounts of money on test prep, students and their parents should be aware of the research regarding the impact of test preparation on a student’s scores.  Here is an excellent article that addresses this issue.  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/20/testprep

An area for students on the autism spectrum to consider are accommodations and special preparation that can help a student be at their best during the test.  Here is a link to an article with a great deal of information, as well as links to resources to learn about accommodations and how to apply for them. http://www.asd-dr.com/index.php/high-school/26-college-preparation-for-high-school-sophmores   Finally, here is a link to an article written by a parent about their experiences preparing for the college entrance exams.  https://autismsocietyofnc.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/college-admissions-testing-and-autism/  It is wonderful to read about the experiences of other families, and the article also includes helpful resources for students and their parents.

Paying for a college education for most people can be a challenging process.  It is often an issue of managing college savings with understanding all that is involved with loans, grants, scholarships etc. There is a pretty steep learning curve in applying for financial aid, as well as a lot of paperwork.  Therefore, spending time educating yourself about the process will be enormously helpful to students and parents.  An excellent web page to begin learning about financial aid is https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college  Allow yourself to spend some time with the material on this site.  You will learn about the different types of aid programs available, as well as preparing for college through information such as checklists for academic and financial preparation.  The website will also have the steps you need to take to complete your FAFSA form.  All very valuable information.  In addition, under the link for “Who Gets Aid”, you will find information on programs for individuals who have intellectual disabilities.  There is the CTP program, which is the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program.  There are many colleges throughout the country that participate in this program, and it is worthwhile exploring for many families.

In addition to learning about financial aid, it is also important to explore scholarships.  There are scholarships for many things, but this post will focus on scholarships for students with an autism spectrum disorder.  This web page has an excellent list of scholarships for students with autism.  http://www.top10onlinecolleges.org/scholarships-for/autism-spectrum/  Many of those listed are specific to a state, but there are others that are more general.  It is definitely worth exploring.  Another site is from OAR, the Organization for Autism Research http://www.researchautism.org/news/otherevents/scholarship.asp  Check it out to see if it would fit your situation.  Finally, this blog post is another good resource.  The information does overlap with the previous links, but it is still worth a brief review. http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-scholarship-coach/2014/04/17/find-college-scholarships-that-support-students-with-autism

The process for paying for a college education can be made easier with awareness of financial aid programs and scholarships available.  It is hoped that these initial resources will help you start your journey to paying for and succeeding in a postsecondary school environment.