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8 Autism Goes to College: Supporting High-Functioning Autism and Aspergers in Higher Education

Friday, July 11, 2008

Florida Exhibit Hall A (Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center)

With earlier and improving intervention, a growing number of students in the Spectrum are now considering higher education. As colleges across the country attempt to accommodate this population, many are turning to third-party programs to enhance their level of support. This poster will explore how AHEADD, in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Equal Opportunity Services, developed a best practice model of support that is now being expanded to post-secondary environments across the country.

Aging with autism presents an abundance of new challenges and successes, particularly in the world of higher education. As more and more adult children with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome consider college, the gap between public school services and traditional college accommodations is becoming increasingly obvious. This poster aims to educate the audience about post-secondary integration options and present parents, students, and professionals with best practice models for successful transition and support.

Through the use of student-, parent-, and school-specific case studies, this poster will explore the road to independence in the college environment and the AHEADD Model for support. The audience will learn about higher education program options, as well as specific strategies to ensure a seamless transition.

The poster will deconstruct the AHEADD Model to address issues of social, communication, and organizational difficulties in higher education; and concrete measurements—from GPA increases to retention rates—will be supplied in order to detail its effect on students. Parent, student, and university reflections will accompany the findings.

About AHEADD:

AHEADD provides coaching, mentoring, and personal advocacy for college students with Asperger’s Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, High-Functioning Autism, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. Originally developed in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Equal Opportunity Services, the AHEADD Model is quickly expanding to post-secondary environments in the District of Columbia, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Texas.

Unlike other private programs for students with disabilities in higher education, AHEADD supports students in the college environment, itself. In addition to regularly communicating with campus faculty, AHEADD conducts twice-weekly individual meetings to help students develop individualized strategies for managing all aspects of their college careers, including:

• Professor/classroom communication

• Organizational skills/time management

• Social skills development

• Campus resource utilization

• Independent living skills development

A peer mentoring component, which pairs AHEADD students with local student volunteers, also serves as a compliment to the program.

Summary of Results:

• 100% of students enrolled in AHEADD for one semester improved their GPA by at least .5 (and as much as 2) points.

• 90% of students who were on academic probation were able to successfully continue their college careers with support through AHEADD.

• During 2005-2007, 100% of students enrolled in AHEADD were satisfied with their support, as demonstrated by 80% retention and 20% transition to independence.

• The program’s success was featured in the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

• Counselors across the nation have identified the AHEADD Model as a best practice standard of excellence.

Carolyn Komich Hare, M.S., SpEd
Founder and Director
AHEADD (Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities)

Carolyn Komich Hare is the founder of AHEADD, a program developed to support students with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome in higher education. Carolyn has her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction for mild to moderate disabilities and is also a research clinician for the Autism Tissue Program.