The Autism College Connection

Some kids leave high school ready to thrive in college or work. Others take longer to find their purpose. They fail classes. Maybe they get fired from a job. They live at home, dependent on their parents for funds and transportation. 

Disabilities, including autism, might interfere with success. Some kids lack academic skills or the ability to focus. But for others, something more basic gets in the way of success. They can’t get out of bed on time. 

Every teen needs to develop the skill to wake up independently at 7:00 am, eat breakfast, and go out the door for work or school. They need to do all that without a parent overseeing them. 

In the freshman year of college, when students have the least discretion about their schedule, they might be placed in 8:30 classes. Professors are very unhappy with students who stroll in late to class. Some lock their doors and do not admit late students. A student with more than two absences will find it difficult to gain a good grade in a class. 

When I’m talking to a family to determine if their student is ready yet for college, one of my first questions is about their wake-up abilities. If they are on the school bus on time, I’ll move on to other questions about academics. If not, then we’ll have a long chat about sleep. 

In the work world, students need to build in time for a commute with extra time to protect against problems like traffic or detours. Bosses are even less tolerant than professors. 

Waking up on time is a skill that needs to be built over time with practice, routines, and rules. Some young people need multiple alarms, and that’s okay. They must be disciplined about going to sleep at 10 or 11, and not stay up late reading Reddit threads on Pokémon history. 

If your high school student cannot wake themselves up independently for school, it might be time to revisit ABA therapy. More and more ABA companies have staff who specialize in older students and independent living skills. ABA is covered by insurance, so it’s a low-cost way of getting help. 

Summer college programs and transition programs can also build independent living skills. 

Last year, we did a webinar with Beth Felson from Spectrum Transition Coachingon the soft skills that are necessary for college readiness. 

You’ll also have to institute some family rules about technology in the bedroom and “lights out” policies. It’s not fun to put rules on teenagers — they can be very annoying — but it’s important for their future success. 

Originally published in the April 27th newsletter. Subscribe for more!