The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

1.       Problem: We have had to turn away bright high school graduates because they did not understand that their high school transcripts were unacceptable for admission to college. They had good grades in their areas of interest, but poor grades in other areas.

a.       Solution: Work hard to excel in high school.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

2.       Problem: We have had to turn away potential students because they had not taken the ACT/SAT.  Colleges require minimum ACT/SAT scores, and this is not an option for entering freshmen. The tests should be completed while still in high school.

a.       Solution: Schedule ACT/SAT tests during senior year.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

3.       Problem: We have had to turn away academically capable students because they did not complete a college-prep program, opting instead for taking special education classes that did not prepare them. We have also worked with students who had taken a college-prep curriculum, but who omitted some classes that could have better prepared them for their major.

a.       Solution: Students and their Transition Specialists should visit a college campus during the 8^th grade  to ensure that appropriate courses are completed during high school. 

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

4.       Problem: Some students falsely assume that colleges must provide the same accommodations that they received during high school. Colleges seldom implement all of the accommodations a student received in high school, and colleges never alter the curriculum or grading schema for students with disabilities. 

a.       Solution: By registering and working with the college’s Office of Disability Services, the student may be provided some accommodations, such as taking exams in a quiet place or having extended time on tests.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

5.       Problem: Some students have “helicopter parents” whose over-involvement causes professors to think that the students are incompetent.   

a.       Solution: Parents, special educators and transition specialists must prepare students to self-advocate and communicate on their own behalf, and parents need to back off and allow their students to accept the responsibility for their own behavior.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

6.       Problem: Co-morbid conditions that are not under control can derail college students with ASDs.  Serious sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, etc., must be well managed. The more serious the disorder, and the larger the number of disorders, the greater the obstacles to college success. 

a.       Solution: Students need to have co-morbid disabilities well under control before they enroll in college.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

7.       Problem: New students can make problems for themselves by not taking advantage of the advice of experienced faculty advisers. For example, advisers know that students find 8:00 a.m. classes difficult during the first year of college and that some faculty are more autism-friendly than others; they know which courses are better paired with others, and which courses tend to be more difficult for students with ASDs.

a.       Solution: Students should follow the advice of their advisers.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

8.       Problem: Faculty may be irritated by students with ASDs whose behavior they interpret as being rude.

a.       Solution: Students should ask to meet with professors the first week of classes to explain the disability and whatever behaviors they may find troublesome.  For example, if students must stim in some fashion, they should explain what they do and why they do it. If they tend to talk too much and cannot read nonverbal signals, they should agree on a cue that the professor can give to help them realize that they need to stop talking.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

9.       Problem: Students may create problems for themselves by missing the first day of class, frequently missing classes or being tardy. When no one forces students to go to class or to leave in time to get to class before it starts, they may quickly find themselves in academic trouble. In addition, because many students with ASDs have low frustration tolerance, they may begin skipping classes in subjects they dislike or that are taught by professors they dislike. 

a.       Solution: Attend all classes and always be early. In addition, students whose tuition is paid by DARS must understand that they are being paid to attend school, and that skipping classes constitutes stealing tax dollars.

b.       Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

10.     Problem: Students may create problems for themselves by skipping assignments or taking Incompletes. Writing assignments tend to be challenging for many students with ASDs. Even students who like to write may dislike writing the papers they are assigned under the constraints that professors provide. Because university faculty do not query students who fail to turn in assignments, students may incorrectly think that they can make good grades without doing assignments. Students who find themselves at the end of the semester with a failing grade often ask the professor for an Incomplete. This is a poor solution because students who could not complete their assignments during the course will seldom complete them during school holidays. They then start the new semester with the old tasks hanging over them, and thus do poorly on the new semester’s tasks as well as failing the class for which they received the Incomplete.

a. Solution: Complete all assignments on time. Do not ask for or accept an Incomplete.

b. Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

11.   Problem: Students may try to force others to agree with their opinion. While the university is a bastion of free thought and free speech, students with ASDs may express their opinions in such a manner that they alienate peers and faculty. In addition, they may keep bringing up a subject after the professor has instructed them to stop talking about it and move on to another subject. Students must understand that the professor determines how much time is given to each topic, and the professor may drop them from the course if they do not comply.

a.     Solution: Develop appropriate opinion-expressing and disagreement skills; learn to drop a topic when directed to do so.

b.     Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

12.   Problem: Students may find making friends difficult.

a.     Solution: Universities have hundreds of clubs that address an enormous variety of interests. Students should join several and attempt to make friends with other members who share their interests. Students should also be aware that they need to spend far more time listening to the opinions of other club members rather than expressing their own opinions.

b.     Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

13.   Problem: Students may not realize that they must maintain a 2.0 in order to stay in college, and those whose career goals require advanced degrees may not realize that admission to graduate school is contingent in part upon undergraduate GPA. Students often think that they can make low and failing grades, yet stay in college because they are paying tuition. Colleges place students on academic probation if they do not keep a 2.0 GPA and expel them after two semesters in which their grades are below 2.0. In addition, many programs do not accept a grade of D, and others require a C or better in courses that are prerequisites for other courses. Finally, admission to graduate school is highly competitive. Students do not get into graduate school simply because they wish to go. Graduate schools expect students’ transcripts to be primarily A’s and B’s, and some admit only a fraction of the students who apply.

1. Solution: Study hard and complete all assignments. Most universities allow students to raise their GPAs by retaking courses in which the student made a D or an F, and this is the quickest way to raise a GPA; however, DARS does not pay for retakes, so this money must come directly from the students’ pockets. 
2. Planning response: Students will write a goal on their planning page to address this area.

Conclusion: Students will identify and star 3 of the 13 goal statements that they can begin immediately addressing.