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You’ll need to eat at college and that can get complicated, especially if you’re looking for safe foods and quiet spaces. Quincy Hansen will graduate from Colorado State University this year, and he’s a great guide to navigating the dining hall scene. One pro tip: you might want to invest in earplugs or headphones. Plus strategies for when to eat and where to eat and how to plan meals and stock your dorm room or apartment if you’re not eating in the dining halls. Sensory eaters, this one is definitely for you.
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Ryan says he wanted to start college with "a blank slate and kind of do it on my own." In his college search, he didn't look at schools through the lens of what kind of supports would be available for him as a neurodivergent student. He didn't disclose to any professors in his first quarter. He shares how he arrived at UCLA and dove in headfirst, took a full load of classes, got his first taste of dorm life, loved meeting new people, going to tons of events around campus. But keeping up the momentum proved impossible; Ryan needed more downtime, more space to unmask and relax and be himself. He took a break from school during freshman year and came back with the sense that his success in college would hinge on being true to his identity as an autistic - even, embracing it. Soon he was creating the space he was looking for by launching the Bruin Neurodiversity Collective- a student-run social and support organization he envisions on college campuses everywhere. Hear how Ryan’s doing as he winds down his sophomore year and expands his advocacy.
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Quinn loved almost everything about her time at Southern Oregon University. When she went to check out the school as a high school senior, she fell in love with the town of Ashland. And the range of support services available for her as a student with an AU/ADHD dual diagnosis made choosing SOU an easy decision. Along the way she had some great roommates, loved her classes in the arts and managed her math dyscalculia, graduating last May. She also encountered an ableist professor, some jerky suitemates, and navigated distance learning for a while during the pandemic. For all the details and some advice about how she did it, take a listen!
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Career Training Centers offer students on the spectrum experiential learning in ways that can prepare them for college or work. At Miller CTC in Los Angeles, high school graduates or students with a GED can explore training in everything from auto detailing and repair to professional baking and food service, retail, landscaping, and even media arts - including behind-the-camera work and digital editing. Bryson is in his second year at Miller, an LAUSD public school, where he says the programs are excellent, the social opportunities have been extremely beneficial and he's already enrolled in one class at Pierce College, with the goal of transferring there next year. Bryson talks about his experience, along with one of his teachers Cindy McGee, who explains the range of what the school and Miller community has to offer to students on the spectrum looking for their next step.
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Students on the spectrum often decide that because college is a fresh start, they aren't going to ask for accomodations before classes even begin. Instead, better to see how it goes, and ask for accommodations if needed. That makes sense, but in real life, it's sometimes hard to fix a situation or make it work better on the fly. That's the observation of Dr. Maria Keller, Associate Director of Disabled Student Services at UCRiverside. Better, she says, is to put the accommodations in place from day one, and if it turns out you don't need them, that's great. Getting accommodations in a hurry can be more of a challenge, and can't change previous academic outcomes - like test scores. Dr. Keller was in the documentary film Autism Goes to College, and she says since the film was made, campus culture has really shifted. Hear all about how UCR is evolving programs and policies focused on inclusivity for neurodiverse students and even modeling campus cultural shifts for other colleges.
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Preston looked at four-year colleges, but he was hearing about typical students getting overwhelmed by the course load and the adjustment to college life. So he decided to start out at a community college and take two classes to start. He chose one language arts class and one math class for the first semester, and he joined the Media Arts Club, which is giving him hands-on experience producing a news show. This winter, he's adding a part-time job. He's gotten the hang of commuting by bus five days a week. In this episode, Preston talks about what made his fall semester a "perfect experience." He says he's feeling confident about adding another class this winter and starting to think about how his credits will transfer to a four-year school to finish his bachelor's degree.
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Data recently collected from over 400 college students on the spectrum shows that most feel protecting their mental health is often as important as getting good grades and graduating. The typical college goals are not so surprising, according to Professor Brett Ranon Nachman, an autism self-advocate and education researcher at the University of Arkansas. "But the findings about prioritizing mental health, finding friends, and avoiding burnout are significant. Students are saying success is important but not at the expense of their mental health." In the first wave of the study, Nachman's team, led by Dr. Brad Cox at Michigan State University, has collected data from students on the spectrum at over 100 colleges and universities around the country. It’s one of the largest data sets provided by students on the spectrum to date. But it's not just academic. The team plans to use the data to help colleges and faculty understand what autistic students are looking for in their college experiences and how to help autistic students find success. One goal, Nachman says, is to help universities see the growing number of students with autism on campus as an opportunity, not an issue.
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Gerry Campbell is working his way towards a bachelor's degree at Lethbridge University in Alberta with wit and determination. A little more than a decade ago, when Gerry was in high school, Canadian students on the spectrum were segregated into special ed classes and left high school with a certificate, with no option for a diploma. But Gerry wanted more and enrolled first in Lethbridge College in Alberta where he could start chipping away at required courses for college entry to bring his basic skills in English and math up so he could find success in college. Along the way, professors have helped him with study strategies and even with the transition to a four-year university this fall. He has enjoyed a lot of academic success. Gerry is a huge history buff and a rugby player, he served on the student council, and he's a guy with a loom who has made dozens of peace and reconciliation scarves for indigenous classmates. Gerry has been on this path towards his bachelor's degree for about 8 years. He loves learning, the community, and sharing his story in hopes of inspiring others.
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Aubry Mintz teaches animation at Cal State Long Beach. He's great at supporting neurodiverse students, and if you've seen the documentary, Autism Goes to College, his voice and approach in this ep will be familiar. Among his colleagues, Aubry's been advocating for more awareness of how to best support neurodiverse students for years. Now he shares how his campus has grown its services, broadened approaches, and gone further to encourage every faculty member to have conversations with students about what would be helpful. As Aubry says, it's not all about pointing people towards the students' services office. It's about what teachers can do in their classrooms by getting to know their students better.
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Jake G. is heading into his final year at Concordia College in Austin, TX after a very busy summer taking a class and doing a remote internship. Jake figured out early on in college that the best way for him to maintain his high GPA was to get a reduced class load accommodation. He's taken 10 credit units each semester, and that's made the workload manageable. Now as a fifth-year senior, he's taking a few more classes in his marketing major, continuing to pursue his music, and focusing on building a strong network to help him land a job after graduation. For everyone headed back to school this fall, Jake has a hack he's used that could be helpful: if possible, get a look at the class syllabus even before classes begin, and start studying. Summer is over.
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For college students on the spectrum, it's hard to predict what might be challenging. Some folks are academically capable, feel comfortable with accomodations, and find social stuff difficult. Others may be easy with social interactions, but find it hard to manage time and keep classwork organized. Procrastination can create stress and anxiety. One way to get extra support is to find an OT. OTs are occupational therapists - trained to help anyone navigate their days by figuring out what's not working and collaborating with you to come up with strategies to make it easier. Karen Keptner is an OT and a professor of OT, and in this episode she talks with Katharine about what kinds of support OTs can provide, how to find one on or off campus, and how to pay for services with insurance.
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If you've been following Tony's college path, this episode will be a satisfying listen.
In short: He was admitted to St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. and it feels good. He switched majors from Business to Econ. He's got an apartment. He cooks. Well, sometimes. He admits there might be a GrubHub addiction starting, due to a student discount. But mostly he has a lot to say about the accommodations at St. Mary's which have been great for him. So good that he wanted to bring Julie Scaff, Director of Student Disability Services on the podcast with him to talk about the peer student success mentors, internship opportunities and other supports the school offers to students on the spectrum, and others with learning differences. Hear how Tony navigated his way to the right college after a couple of false starts.
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River was pretty clear about the kind of school that would work for them: Strong academics and a school community aligned with their intention to make a difference in the world. Also important: affinity and support groups for them as a student with autism who identifies as LGBTQ. With a short college list that grew -and later contracted- there were high hopes, some rejection, an Early Decision 2 application, a safety school that came through with a scholarship, and a final decision that feels like a great fit. One bit of advice they heard, but didn't take- Start on your personal statement essays during the summer. River talks about that, and their whole high school senior year in the college application and decision process.
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Taylor aged out of school-based programs last summer. Finding a path to college has been challenging, so far. But her mom, Eraina Ferguson is determined. Taylor uses American Sign Language to communicate. Right now, she is working on life skills and soon starts a part-time job at Howdy's Homemade, an ice cream shop chain that intentionally trains and hires employees with disabilities. And all along Eraina and Taylor are keeping their sights set on a college experience when the time is right. Already Taylor has taken some online classes through Wake Tech Community College in North Carolina. Next, she may attend some classes in person, and eventually hopes to transfer to Gallaudet, a college for deaf students in Washington, D.C. Hear Eraina and Taylor explain their steps, and the inspiration they drew from the first screening of the documentary film Autism Goes to College.
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Dom Z. is a student at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. He’s a commuter student now and looking forward to moving into the dorms in the fall. He loves college and says he owes his college success so far to two ways he got himself ready: A semester at a community college, and his part-time job at Target. Dom shares that in the past he’d had a hard time controlling his emotions, but learning how to navigate co-workers, customers and his bosses was great practice for college life. Dom talks with Katharine about how his work experience led to social successes on campus, and his academic goals.
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Looking back at her undergraduate experience, Katharine O'Brien says it's a lot easier, now, to understand how it was going. Overall she had a wonderful experience at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Academics were challenging but in a good way. Social experiences were often challenging, too, but often in a not-so-good way. That's partly because Katharine didn't have an autism diagnosis until after she graduated from college, and never had the insight that she might need extra support- or the opportunity to ask for it. She graduated, worked in the medical field for a while, then decided to pivot from her original professional aspirations and go back to school for a master's degree at the Harvard School of Education. The experience changed Katharine's path in many ways, and in this episode, Katharine explains the decision to go back for more college, and eventually pursue a Ph.D. focused on the education, and post-school life of young adults on the spectrum. O'Brien says that so far, there are no maps for neurodivergent young adults to mark the way and milestones of success. At UCRiverside Katharine is researching these questions, and talks about her college experiences, and her work.
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College admissions have changed in some significant ways since the pandemic. Hear important updates from Eric Endlich, a college admissions counselor who works mostly with students on the spectrum. He's got new insights about the relevance of standardized tests now; what colleges are looking for; application and essay strategies and what students on the spectrum should look for when they start applying and visiting schools.
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The questions and stresses around college applications, essays, and admissions get a lot of attention every fall. Students on the spectrum may feel especially anxious or challenged about how to approach the process, and whether or not to reveal or even write about their diagnosis. Other questions students have might include: Are there accommodations that kick in as early as the application process? And what about the pros and cons of an in-person visit? To demystify the process and offer insights especially for students on the spectrum, this episode features conversation with admissions officials from two very different colleges. Emily Engleschall is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services and longtime admissions advisor at UC Riverside and Cathy Finks is the Executive Director of Admissions at the College of Wooster, a smaller private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio.
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David Teplitz was determined to go to UCBerkeley, and he did it, graduating in May with a degree in political science. David is on the spectrum and has severe apraxia. That means -- in his case-- he is verbal but doesn't speak. Hear David explain how he got in and managed his class load with the help of many aids and communication devices. David also offers insights about academics, connecting with professors and peers on campus and online, and how he navigated his college experience. He does mention Stanford, too. Spoiler alert: Cal won that game.
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PerI Abrams just got back to campus to start her sophomore year at Hamilton College in upstate New York. Her freshman year was amazing...sort of. She had a great first semester (you can hear all about that in Episode 12). But second semester was rougher. She says little things derailed her and she wound up sleeping in some, skipping a few classes, avoiding social situations, and worrying about disappointing her parents, and herself. And then...she got covid. The forced break helped her reboot, though, and have some epiphanies about what she needs to do differently this year. One strategy Peri talks about is making sure there's a support network in place *in case she needs it. She might, she might not, but knowing you have relationships with people on campus who can help makes a difference, Peri says. Hear more of Peri's story and insights, plus, how the chocolate milk supply is flowing.
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