The Autism College Connection

Parents frequently tell me that they haven’t had a full evaluation of their child in many years. They don’t have recent documentation from medical, educational, or therapeutic professionals, which details diagnoses, strengths, and weaknesses. Some students graduate from the public school system without a neurologist-psych, education, behavioral, or a functional assessment from their school district. 

I totally get it. Life is so busy. Also, those formal diagnostic labels for our kids can be very upsetting and not very important during the high school years. 

However, whatever path your young person travels after high school, they will need that information. That documentation is essential in helping your young person gain services and accommodations in the adult world. 

They will need evaluations to get accommodations at colleges. When registering with Office of Disabilities, college will want to see evaluations that were conducted in the past three years. If the student has the right paperwork, they could be entitled to extra time on tests and more. 

You’ll also need that information when applying for the government disability system. Because the government gives more support to individuals with more complex problems, make sure that you have information on all aspects of the disability, including OCD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and so on. 

Parents who put off those evaluations for many years sometimes struggle with long waitlists when they realize that they need that paperwork. So, don’t forget to request that information from your medical and school teams and give them ample time to arrange the tests!