Is Registering With College Disability Services Worth the Hassle?
Research shows that a growing number of students are registering with the Disability Services Office on college campuses. While some writers believe that the rise in those numbers is a grift by upper-middle-class parents, it’s clear that these growing numbers of disabled college students are a byproduct of COVID shutdowns, a generation hooked on technology, and…
Summer Is the Time to Prep for College
Summer means relaxation at the beach, cool drinks in the shade, and family time. It is also the perfect time to help prepare your neurodivergent teen for college and life after high school! A growing number of summer programs help high school teens and college-bound young adults prepare for college. Some of these programs are located on college…
College/College-ish Options
In the old days, college came in two flavors — four-year colleges and two-year colleges. Most young people joined the military or got a job. Going to any college was something for the elite. Few neurodivergent students felt welcome in higher education. Today, there are more options than ever before. There are more ways to…
College Builds Independence
Last fall, my son took a full course load at our local community college. I had a big calendar on the fridge with his college schedule to manage the driving responsibilities and juggle his other appointments. While he did his homework on his own, I supervised everything else. This spring, he went away to an autism…
When Should We Start Career Planning
When should career planning start? When should we start talking to our kids about careers in medicine, business, or car repair? The trend for all kids — neurotypical and neurodivergent — is to begin in middle school. Are 14- and 15-year-olds ready to commit to a career path in law enforcement, food services, or entertainment? Many say no. I certainly…
Get the College Experience Without College Credits
Some kids desperately want to attend college and live in a dorm, even though they can’t handle college-level academics. They are social kids who like to be around other young people. Maybe they want to get away from home and be more independent. They want to stroll across a college campus, get lunch at the…
Alternatives To College
College isn’t the right path for everyone. That might sound like a heretical statement from someone with the word “college” in the title of their business. However, the mission of my business has always been to talk to parents with autistic students about colleges AND the alternatives to college. Beyond my business, I believe that…
College Tours For Students with Autism
Much of the college search and application process is the same whether your student is neurotypical, has learning differences, or has autism. All families have to make tough choices and fill out multiple applications. Last week, Josephine Vonarburg discussed the application process during our evening webinar. (Link to the YouTube video here). However, families with students…
Vacation Soft Skills
There are six days until January 2nd, but who’s counting? [Raised hand emoji] Every parent of a neurodiverse teen and young adult is counting the days until high schools, programs, and colleges begin again. Our kids are creatures of habit. Without some outside force telling our kids to go to English class at 9:00, Social…
College Counseling Services
On top of the accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, most schools offer students access to counseling services, tutoring, and academic coaching. Many neurodiverse students can benefit from that extra help. Let’s talk about counseling services today. Almost every college has a counseling department because college is stressful, and young people live stressful lives. Without…
Thankful
With just a few days until Thanksgiving, I want to say that I’m so thankful for my boys, both quirky and wonderful in their own ways. I’m thankful for other parents that I’ve met on our autism journey. My fellow travelers are awesome people, who taught me how to fight the right battles and how…
Disability Supports in College: The Office of Disability
Every college — both four-year and two-year colleges — has an office that provides basic accommodations for students with disabilities. The name of this department varies from school to school. At Rutgers, it’s called The Office of Disability Services. At NYU, it’s called The Moses Center for Student Accessibility (CSA). At Marist, it’s the Office of Accommodations and…
Timelines for Transitions
Your child could be eligible for financial support from the state and federal government. If eligible, those funds can be used for education, therapy, recreation, day programs, doctor’s appointments, and more. Other funds might go to the parents to coordinate the care of their young adults. Getting through the process is a massive endeavor. It…
Pathways to Employment
Americans do not always agree about the purpose of higher education. Some believe that colleges should be places for building knowledge. Students should read, and even struggle through, thick books written by the smartest people in history. The end goal of college, they believe, isn’t about producing anything tangible or profitable, but about sharing Plato,…
Real Talk About Colleges
Parents often think that colleges offer special education classes, with adapted curriculum, similar to high school offerings. Some assume that they can call professors and have them change requirements for their students. They might believe that their child will continue to enjoy certain rights guaranteed by IDEA and still have an IEP plan. They’ve heard…
Confused? So was I.
On our autism journey, I stumbled through three stages of confusion. The first stage was when my son was really little. He couldn’t talk well, but he didn’t have other telltale markers for autism. His pediatrician, Early Intervention, preschool teachers and my mother insisted that he didn’t have autism. Instead, they told me that he…
Get Your Evals!
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. …
Back to School!
Welcome back to school and to the ACC! We’re thrilled to be back here full time, doing what we love the most — helping parents and neurodiverse kids reach their potential. Summer parenting is never easy when your kids are neurodiverse. Our kids do not always have the same summer experiences that typical kids enjoy.…
Community Colleges: Opportunities Next Door
Odds are you don’t know much about your local community college. Your guidance counselors probably don’t either, because high schools would prefer if students attend 4-year colleges. Community colleges don’t have the resources for glossy pamphlets and other PR. You might not know anyone that attended a community college. Yet, these schools offer many low-cost…
Pausing Before College
Some kids are ready for their next adventure right after high school. Others need more time to grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Often a developmental delay is just that — it’s a delay; some kids need an extra year or two to catch up to their peers. Luckily, there are options. Students, who need a…
How Do You Prepare An Academically-Solid Autistic Kid For College?
With the right help in school and at home, most autistic students should be thriving in mainstream classrooms by the time they get to high school. A few may even be in the top tier of their student body with straight As in AP classes and top flight SAT scores. Their schools may have decided…
Can My Child Receive Government Support AND Attend College?
My favorite path to college for young autistics adults — though certainly not the only one — is to attend an 18-21 transition program after high school, and then go to college. I like transition programs because they are a free way for your student to retain the benefits of IEPs, polish social skills, and get job training.…
Hot Topics
“When kids have a better understanding of the condition that affects their learning, they tend to have a better self-concept, and they are more likely to feel empowered and motivated to self-advocate. These keys unlock a child’s potential, resulting in better academic performance and better mental health.” Scientific American “More companies are tapping a reservoir of talent the…
Are There IEPs in College?
IDEA, the federal legislation that guides public education for students with disabilities, only protects students in public education. Once your student graduates and leaves the public school system, either at age 18 or 21, those protections end. IDEA is a powerful set of laws that safeguards our children. Prior to its passage in 1975, schools…
What Lane Is Your Student On?
Like a busy California highway, there are many routes to adulthood after high school. In addition to transition programs in public and private high schools, more and more opportunities are opening up in higher education for students with autism and similar disabilities. Not all these college programs are the same. To pick the right program for…
Mastering Self-Disclosure: An Essential Skill for Autistic Individuals
Self-disclosure has become an essential skill for all autistic people at school and work. Not only does the label lead to group cohesion, it is a necessary tool for gaining access to accommodations and certain rights. And really, there’s no hiding it. Autistic differences, like many similar disabilities, are obvious to others, so it’s really…
What Does It Mean to “Fall off the Cliff?”
Parents often describe the time after a student finishes with high school as “falling off the cliff.” What do they mean by that? Every child in this country has a guaranteed right to an education, regardless of their disabilities. In my early twenties, I worked as a special education teacher in the South Bronx at…
What Are the Three Levels of Autism?
Because every autistic child is unique, researchers no longer assign different names to the varieties of autism. Now, it’s simply Autism Level 1, Autism Level 2, and Autism Level 3, based on functioning level. These functioning levels will determine options for the future. Children with the lightest needs and average IQs — which represents more than half…
What’s a Transition Program?
Sometimes our kids need to cook for a year or two after high school before they’re ready for their next adventure. They might need more time to grow socially, emotionally, and academically, so they’ll be more ready for their first job or college. Luckily, there are options. Students, who need a little more time, might…
April 8, 2024
The most frequent questions that I hear from parents are about finances. Will my child qualify for government benefits if I’m middle class? (Yes, provided your child doesn’t have more than $2,000 in assets.) If my daughter has an average IQ, will she still qualify for benefits? (Maybe.) If my son is going to college,…
March 18, 2024
What’s the latest, Laura? Oh, there’s a lot… March 20th 7pm – Laura McKenna, Phd, CEO of The Autism College Connection, “The Great Leap: Learning about Life after High School” March 27th 7pm – Teresa Serio, Bergen Community College, “An Overview of The Program and Paths for Students with Disabilities at Bergen Community College” Save…
February 15th
So much going on here this week: Sign up for: February 28th, 7pm — Josephine Vonarburg, consultant, “Prepare Your Neurodivergent Student for College” Save the dates: March 20th 7pm – Laura McKenna, Phd, CEO of The Autism College Connection, “The Great Leap: Learning about Life after High School” March 27th 7pm – Teresa Serio, Bergen…
February 12th
We gave our first webinar last week. Laura McKenna, CEO and Founder of The Autism College Connection, gave an overview of the options for students with autism and discussed her own journey to knowledge. Due to the popularity of this webinar, she will repeat this webinar on March 20th. Free tickets are here. On February…
February 2, 2024 News
We’re continuing to work behind the scenes to create the best resources on the Internet for parents, students, and schools who are looking for great information about college (and alternatives to college) for students with autism (and related issues.) Sign up for our MailChimp newsletter. We’re building a new resource page. And we have two…
The Autism College Connection 