Getting Ready For College

[OtStudent]

Hi All,
I am a graduate OT student designing a plan to help High Schoolers with Autism transition to college. Can anyone give me some insight into what was most challenging for them and anything that would of been helpful during the transition period?
Thank you!

 

[JuniperBug]

I'm a female is Asperger's and the biggest issue for me was group work. I often offered to do entire projects on my own, doing 5 people's worth of work to avoid working with others. When my teacher's let me do that it was such a relief and I ended up learning a lot and, of course, working really hard. Being in control of my own grade and getting to work on my terms was so important to me.

It was the teachers who refused who baffled me. If a person is willing to do 5 times the work to get out of a group projects, why not just let them?

Orientation was also a really tough aspect. After my ice-breaker filled group-focused orientation I was drained and anxious beyond belief. It made me consider doing college online or something. If I could have done orientation online or opted for a smaller or shorter less "fun" orientation then I would have been really grateful.

Something that really helped me learn people skills was having on-campus jobs. They're really accommodating with your schedule and they teach you how to be a working adult. If you mess up your people skills (and oh I did) you're much more likely to get a lesson than a scolding and even on the off chance you get "fired" it's not the kind of fired that messes up your resume. College jobs are like practice jobs and a great introduction to the workforce, especially for people who find functioning in the power dynamics of, say, an office confusing like I did.

 

[OtStudent]

Thank you so much for your response. On-campus jobs is a great idea for practice during college. I hope to incorporate all of your advice!

I'm a female is Asperger's and the biggest issue for me was group work. I often offered to do entire projects on my own, doing 5 people's worth of work to avoid working with others. When my teacher's let me do that it was such a relief and I ended up learning a lot and, of course, working really hard. Being in control of my own grade and getting to work on my terms was so important to me.

It was the teachers who refused who baffled me. If a person is willing to do 5 times the work to get out of a group projects, why not just let them?

Orientation was also a really tough aspect. After my ice-breaker filled group-focused orientation I was drained and anxious beyond belief. It made me consider doing college online or something. If I could have done orientation online or opted for a smaller or shorter less "fun" orientation then I would have been really grateful.

Something that really helped me learn people skills was having on-campus jobs. They're really accommodating with your schedule and they teach you how to be a working adult. If you mess up your people skills (and oh I did) you're much more likely to get a lesson than a scolding and even on the off chance you get "fired" it's not the kind of fired that messes up your resume. College jobs are like practice jobs and a great introduction to the workforce, especially for people who find functioning in the power dynamics of, say, an office confusing like I did.

 

[clg114]

Hi All,
I am a graduate OT student designing a plan to help High Schoolers with Autism transition to college. Can anyone give me some insight into what was most challenging for them and anything that would of been helpful during the transition period?
Thank you!

When I was a kid, nobody knew much about AS. I think it would help to consul young people so that they could better deal with their weakness's and take advantage of their considerable strengths. School is a very social experience and very hard on AS kids with poor social skills. I think that addressing the problem before they get very far in school could make a big difference later, when it's time for college.

 

[Naturalist]

It took me fourteen years to finish my bachelor's degree, because I could not handle many aspects of college life and at the time, did not have a diagnosis. So I was not even aware that I could ask for certain accommodations with regard to classwork, testing, housing, etc.

Although I found it quite stressful to have a roommate, I think having a roommate who was understanding and supportive could be helpful. So I wouldn't automatically suggest requesting a single room; in fact I would encourage students with ASDs to try a roommate, but to really take advantage of the opportunity to get to know your assigned roommate via email well in advance of the move-in date. (The college usually supplies contact information.) I think it would be especially helpful if the student eventually felt comfortable disclosing their diagnosis to the roommate, but NOT at the beginning--you need to know that the person is trustworthy and supportive. After a series of difficult roommates, I was assigned a single room, which would have been a good arrangement except that the girls across the hall were terribly mean, and were always playing pranks on me and screaming "psychbitch" whenever I had a meltdown in my room. I wish I had known that I could have gotten help in dealing with them, by approaching the Resident Assistant or anyone in the Residence Life office. Instead, I quit college until I was a few years older and was allowed to live off-campus (different colleges have different policies about that).

I was also reluctant to approach tutors because of social anxiety, so it would have been great if I had had a diagnosis, because the Disability Services office would have helped me by recommending specific tutors and arranging meet-ups in advance of the tutoring time. I also probably felt that because I was smart, I shouldn't need a tutor--in the lower grades, only the kids who were really struggling continuously used tutors. Such a misconception, because tutors are a really good resource, just as the books in the library are! Tutoring is also a good way to develop interpersonal skills, because it is one-on-one and the tutor's goal is to help you. If you try one tutor and that person is not effective, ask at the study center for another--I had a bad habit in college of dismissing services such as counseling because the person I met with had been ineffectual for me, and I assumed that everyone else in the office would be equally ineffectual.

Community college for the first two years is a great option for saving money and easing into the college environment, since students can often live at home while attending class locally before transferring to a four-year institution elsewhere. Again, I wish this had been suggested to me--the guidance counselors at my high school insisted I was "too smart" for community college and that the classes would bore me. That may have been the case, but I still had to take certain courses for my diploma and they were just as boring at the four-year college, and much more costly! Plus, you can't come home to the family environment afterward to "decompress".

Group work was also difficult for me. I had an especially difficult time with lab classes, because the fluorescent lights and constant talking and activity in the lab was confusing. I often couldn't finish my lab work. I would have loved to have come in to do the lab in advance, if I had known that I could request such a thing. Instead, I wrote off studying science even though I ended up working for a biology professor! Similarly, one can usually request a solitary room for taking a test and I very much recommend it, to minimize distractions and anxiety.

I would really recommend scheduling a meeting with every professor whose class the student might wish to take, in advance of registration each semester, and discussing his or her specific needs and abilities as well as the requirements of the class and the expectations of the professor. This says to the professor "here is a really dedicated student" and they are more willing to help (for the most part). If the prof doesn't take that view, the student should consider taking the class from another professor if possible, or if it isn't, making a list of things they anticipate having difficulties with, and partnering with a tutor or classmate who can act as a supportive "ally".

Now, I supervise interns at a small college and I find myself frequently advising professors about their students who have ASDs. Sometimes, the profs don't recognize that they are missing opportunities to help a student find a niche. For example, one lab professor recently complained that an autistic student was always trying to dismantle the lab equipment to see what each component did. I immediately thought of a pile of broken microscopes in the corner of the attic, and suggested the student might be able to get a work-study position in the department, attempting to repair the microscopes. (Still working on this possibility!) This would curb the need to tinker in class, but would give the student a great job opportunity while allowing him to learn about the equipment. So when you are developing your plan for students, you may also need to develop options for professors to help them think creatively about solutions for students with ASDs.

 

[OtStudent]

Thank you very much! Community college is a great option that perhaps some of the students will consider. I will definitely use your feedback, I cannot tell you how much its appreciated!

It took me fourteen years to finish my bachelor's degree, because I could not handle many aspects of college life and at the time, did not have a diagnosis. So I was not even aware that I could ask for certain accommodations with regard to classwork, testing, housing, etc.

Although I found it quite stressful to have a roommate, I think having a roommate who was understanding and supportive could be helpful. So I wouldn't automatically suggest requesting a single room; in fact I would encourage students with ASDs to try a roommate, but to really take advantage of the opportunity to get to know your assigned roommate via email well in advance of the move-in date. (The college usually supplies contact information.) I think it would be especially helpful if the student eventually felt comfortable disclosing their diagnosis to the roommate, but NOT at the beginning--you need to know that the person is trustworthy and supportive. After a series of difficult roommates, I was assigned a single room, which would have been a good arrangement except that the girls across the hall were terribly mean, and were always playing pranks on me and screaming "psychbitch" whenever I had a meltdown in my room. I wish I had known that I could have gotten help in dealing with them, by approaching the Resident Assistant or anyone in the Residence Life office. Instead, I quit college until I was a few years older and was allowed to live off-campus (different colleges have different policies about that).

I was also reluctant to approach tutors because of social anxiety, so it would have been great if I had had a diagnosis, because the Disability Services office would have helped me by recommending specific tutors and arranging meet-ups in advance of the tutoring time. I also probably felt that because I was smart, I shouldn't need a tutor--in the lower grades, only the kids who were really struggling continuously used tutors. Such a misconception, because tutors are a really good resource, just as the books in the library are! Tutoring is also a good way to develop interpersonal skills, because it is one-on-one and the tutor's goal is to help you. If you try one tutor and that person is not effective, ask at the study center for another--I had a bad habit in college of dismissing services such as counseling because the person I met with had been ineffectual for me, and I assumed that everyone else in the office would be equally ineffectual.

Community college for the first two years is a great option for saving money and easing into the college environment, since students can often live at home while attending class locally before transferring to a four-year institution elsewhere. Again, I wish this had been suggested to me--the guidance counselors at my high school insisted I was "too smart" for community college and that the classes would bore me. That may have been the case, but I still had to take certain courses for my diploma and they were just as boring at the four-year college, and much more costly! Plus, you can't come home to the family environment afterward to "decompress".

Group work was also difficult for me. I had an especially difficult time with lab classes, because the fluorescent lights and constant talking and activity in the lab was confusing. I often couldn't finish my lab work. I would have loved to have come in to do the lab in advance, if I had known that I could request such a thing. Instead, I wrote off studying science even though I ended up working for a biology professor! Similarly, one can usually request a solitary room for taking a test and I very much recommend it, to minimize distractions and anxiety.

I would really recommend scheduling a meeting with every professor whose class the student might wish to take, in advance of registration each semester, and discussing his or her specific needs and abilities as well as the requirements of the class and the expectations of the professor. This says to the professor "here is a really dedicated student" and they are more willing to help (for the most part). If the prof doesn't take that view, the student should consider taking the class from another professor if possible, or if it isn't, making a list of things they anticipate having difficulties with, and partnering with a tutor or classmate who can act as a supportive "ally".

Now, I supervise interns at a small college and I find myself frequently advising professors about their students who have ASDs. Sometimes, the profs don't recognize that they are missing opportunities to help a student find a niche. For example, one lab professor recently complained that an autistic student was always trying to dismantle the lab equipment to see what each component did. I immediately thought of a pile of broken microscopes in the corner of the attic, and suggested the student might be able to get a work-study position in the department, attempting to repair the microscopes. (Still working on this possibility!) This would curb the need to tinker in class, but would give the student a great job opportunity while allowing him to learn about the equipment. So when you are developing your plan for students, you may also need to develop options for professors to help them think creatively about solutions for students with ASDs.

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

Hi All,
I am a graduate OT student designing a plan to help High Schoolers with Autism transition to college. Can anyone give me some insight into what was most challenging for them and anything that would of been helpful during the transition period?
Thank you!

Coping with sensory overload at a new school, with a strange room mate. And coping with unexpected, first-time ever popularity. I had upwards of 15 friends as a freshman--we were all too bright, and had our quirks and interests and goals, and many of us were unpopular in high school.

 

[James K Trefethen]

Transitioning from high school to a junior college while living at home can be easier than transitioning from one grade to another in a giant high school. If you still live at home, you'll find that the people are much kinder than in high school. The kids who don't want to be at school aren't a school. This eliminates many of the bullies that take their frustration with school out on other students. I found that I just needed to concentrate on doing my work and not worry about everybody else. If I chose not to hang out, I didn't have to. No need to go to the lunchroom to eat, either, which cuts out a lot of the interaction with people.

Professors are often quirky people (read: some may be autistic) and colleges generally have an accepting perspective of others who are odd. You don't have to feel that you are weird in college.

The difficult areas are always interactions with other people- especially fellow students. Roommates and such.

 

[Jakob Burto-Sundman]

I went to college without any real knowledge taht I have Asperger's/HFA wichever you want to college. But it was known that I have trouble with large groups and taking notes and other things. All they had was notetakers. I eventually suffered burnout and quite possibly a neverous breakdown. I now know that I have Asperger's and am trying to get back to school online one class at a time. (I forgot to mention I had to fake a full course load.} Because no one knew I had it there was no way toe prepare for it. Maybe you could find some way to get resources for people.