PREPARING TO BE NERDY
WHERE NERDY CAN BE COOL
College planning for the high functioning student with autism
Lars Perner, Ph.D.
Introduction
For many high functioning individuals on the autism spectrum, college can be about as close as you can get to Heaven
on Earth (and, let’s face it, for the time being, the latter is
where most of us are stuck!) But it is also a place that many raise
some challenges that we should plan for. In this article, I have
attempted to offer some ideas based on both my experiences as a
student and as a college professor. I must emphasize, however, that
as with any other autism related issue, college choices must be
based on the unique circumstances and characteristics of the individual,
and no simple formulas can be offered.
We should recognize that in many cases, the experiences
that high functioning individuals with autism (HFIWAs) will face
in college are not entirely different from those of our more “neurotypical”
peers. Many students must adjust to living away from home for the
first time, to the responsibility for time management that comes
along with a less structured schedule, to the changed social roles
and expectations, and to the greater academic challenges that college
will “dish” out. Nevertheless, we must be careful not to dismiss
too easily many of these potential problems merely because they
affect others, too. The HFIWA will frequently need—or can at the
very least benefit from—some more “tailor made” coping strategies.
Many of us have learned that a sense of humor
has been essential in coping with life. I hope not to disappoint
you here!
Areas of Concern
The HFIWA faces several potential areas of problems
with higher education:
Gaining admission to a desired college; Moving
away from home, if needed, and handling emerging social situations;
Handling pragmatics such as time management, budgeting,
and transportation;
Completing the required course work;
Securing needed services; and
Planning for and actually transitioning to life
after college.
We will consider each, though not strictly in
the chronological sequence presented above. Since other sources—such
as Liane Holliday Willey (1999), Stephen Shore (2000), and Jerry
Newport (2001)—provide advice for navigating the college scene once
there, I will focus more on preparations that should preferably
begin years before the start of college. Issues of particular emphasis
will be handling high school course work in a manner that will best
facilitate college admission and success, preparing for standardized
tests, and selecting the most appropriate college. Alternatives
to traditional universities, such as community colleges and trade
schools, are considered with their pros and cons. The theme of maintaining
one’s motivation and as much enthusiasm as possible throughout the
process recurs through the paper.
College is a tremendous opportunity for many individuals
on the autism spectrum. Little has been written on preparing for
college, as opposed to surviving once there. This preparation should
ideally have an early start. Based on the speaker’s own experiences
both as a college professor and an individual on the autism spectrum,
strategies for selecting colleges, handling high school course work,
and taking standardized exams are discussed. Using strengths to
compensate for areas of difficulty is emphasized.
My own experience
First a bit about my own case. It wasn’t until
many years after I graduated from college that I was actually diagnosed
with Asperger’s Syndrome, and no one—myself included—had been particularly
worried about what college would have in store for me. It was true
that my quantitative skills did not seem to match my verbal ones,
but even for college bound students, I was probably at or above
average. In any event, as a pre-law student, I was going to major
in political science anyway. (Fortunately, it took me only one quarter
to realize that being an attorney was not for me, and I then set
out with the more palatable objective of becoming a professor).
Luck also had it that I did not have to move away. Cal Poly State
University—which seemed to me and to my family as the best there
ever was—necessitated only sixteen miles of driving in relatively
light traffic. Going away somewhere else just did not seem to make
either economic or academic sense anyway.
It is true that we worry about many HFIWAs’ abilities
to handle such pragmatics as taking notes in class—even when we
are talking about some of the more intellectually able ones (see
Attwood, 1998; Myles and Andreon, 2001; and Stanton, 2000 for a
discussion of this issue). As it happens, I never cared much for
handwritten notes. They were messy (particularly when created in
my handwriting), imperfect, and incomplete. I just took those notes
as a matter of convention, frequently to barely glance at them again.
I relied instead on the textbook for actual studying. The problems
I had with time management and a possible overly literal interpretation
of test questions were probably not much different from those of
most ordinary students.
As an eccentric of sorts, I by and large enjoyed
studying and was enthralled with the diversity of subjects to be
considered. When I did have to take a survey biology course that
dealt with such nonsense as the meiosis cycle, I knew that getting
that “garbage” was part of the rules for completing my college education,
and I accepted the drudgery of this course (which I took on a “credit/no
credit” basis). Again, not an experience different from those of
most other students. I would eventually face the sheer terror and
frustration of matrix algebra—something no sane person would do
by hand outside the classroom anyway—but that was the exception
rather than the rule.
In my own case, what was most dreadful was probably
what the great majority of students look most forward to. It was
bad enough that there were breaks between sessions: I can sympathize
with Madonna, who asked about the stay at her childhood playground,
“Why did it have to end?” But it really turned out not to be so
bad. What saved me from certain misery was that I could go straight
into an M.B.A. program. None of that “nonsense” of getting practical
experience before going on! And, although the road was frequently
tumultuous, I eventually managed quite a “pull-off.” When I got
my doctorate, I merely had to switch sides in the classroom! So,
please beware that this is written from the point of view—and with
the occasional unapologetic bias—of someone who found college more
of a “refuge” than anything else. (By the way, when some people
talk about the “real world”—what’s so real about it anyway? [Watch
out what happens when you let someone with autism loose on philosophy!])
Gaining Admission to a Desired College
College admissions officials and committees face
the unenviable task of having to select which students to admit
based on a limited number of criteria varying in objectivity. For
the most part, however, colleges tend to base their decisions on
some combination of high school grades, test scores, and sometimes
a student’s extra-curricular activities. Occasionally, schools will
tend to consider more individual factors, but as a side-effect of
the decision by many states to limit affirmative action as a consideration
in college admissions, affected colleges are facing tighter mandates
to base their decisions on relatively more “objective” measures.
Unfortunately, what could be more “objective” than clear, numerical
grades and test scores?
Standardized tests
Let’s consider test scores first. For some individuals,
of course, these criteria can be quite favorable. Some HFIWAs have
high test and IQ scores. Thus, many actually gain admission into
quite selective institutions, often with impressive scholarships,
and actually staying in those colleges turns out to be the real
challenge. For many of us, however, performance is somewhat uneven,
so we many excel in one area—either the quantitative or the verbal,
for example, but not both. Some of us take standardized tests well
and some of us do not. In my own case, I was able to get admission
into my college of choice despite rather mediocre SAT scores, but
then I had relatively consistent good grades (save for a one semester
“C” in Algebra II!). The bad news for those who follow me today
is that by now, “grade inflation” has caused marks to lose credibility
as an alternative measure of potential.
Most universities today weigh one of three standardized
tests heavily in their admissions process. The SAT—an acronym that
used to stand for “Scholastic Aptitude Test” a title that has now
been removed, leaving the test to be surrounded my an aura of mystique—is
a multiple-choice exam that is supposed to measure “aptitude”—or
a student’s “promise” with respect to performing well in general
college course work. The American College Testing Assessment (ACT)
and the SAT II—a variant on the original SAT both consist of multiple
choice questions that purport to measure “achievement”—i.e., what
one has actually learned in classes. The reality is that these tests
do have some predictive power as to how students will perform in
school, but they are imperfect (and in my view, highly overrated)
measures of ability learning.
At this time, I will spare you all but a relatively
brief (by my standards, anyway!) diatribe on the intellectual bankruptcy
of standardized tests. By their very nature, multiple choice exams
are intended to measure success based on the pathetic criterion
of whether one can arrive at one preferred “correct” answer. This
rewards those inclined toward unimaginative convergent thinking—that
is, seeing things as they are seen by most people. Ugh! Those of
us gifted with the much more important skill of divergent thinking—seeing
things in imaginative and unique ways—are deprived of our rightful
reward. Ugh!
There is some question as to whether one can improve
one’s score on aptitude tests by studying since the tests are supposed
to measure some kind of “innate” ability rather than knowledge.
It is, however, my opinion that the Candy Man is not the only one
who can!
First of all, everyone will agree that at the
very least, one should be prepared for the type of questions that
will be asked. Going through one or more sample tests will make
one more familiar with the type of exam questions, and it is crucial
to get this practice to learn how to manage time in tackling a sequence
of questions.
The real controversy is whether one can significantly
improve a score by studying beyond these basics, or by taking the
exam over. A number of commercial firms, which will go unnamed,
offer preparatory courses that often cost thousands of dollars,
and a recent study has suggested that the average gains made by
students taking one of the more expensive ones appear to be at best
limited. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers
the SAT, also has a strong interest in not having people retake
the exam since this may undermine important statistical properties
of the test.
My own experience with the Graduate Management
Aptitude Test (GMAT), the business graduate school equivalent, has,
however, led me to believe that one can boost a score by thorough
preparation. I never attended any of the expensive seminars, but
I did buy a very useful book by Gary Gruber, who taught strategy
rather than rote test taking. (Some items on one section could,
for example, be answered based on the grammatical tense of a question.
Not very intuitive, but a great edge! On another test, it is really
not necessary to actually multiply two four digit numbers completely
to rule out all but one multiple choice option). Dr. Gruber (2001)
also has a book available for the SAT. A great motivation for me
to practice was bringing a software tutorial to a computer lab where
a beautiful woman often hung out. Hey, whatever works!
I am not going to belittle the challenge that
may be involved in having the find the motivation to prepare for
the test, and this is an issue that will tend to depend on the individual.
Parents and/or mentors may be able to help by studying manuals and
attempting to convey the information to the student in the most
palatable way.
In principle, individuals with certain specific
medical diagnoses (e.g., Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD]) that
may coexist with autism may be eligible for extra time to complete
the exam. Unfortunately, the Educational Testing Service’s (ETS)
policy statement on the issue (http://www.ets.org/distest/psyplcy.html)
is notoriously vague, and there appear to be rather onerous documentation
requirements. The only condition that appears to be mentioned explicitly
as a justification for accommodations is attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), and an expert on special education that I consulted
told me of a case of sometime with ADHD having extreme difficulty
getting anywhere with the ETS. You may want to consult with a physician
and/or a high school counselor. However, be prepared for a major
battle!
Many HFIWAs are not morning people, but unfortunately
the schedulers typically have been inconsiderate enough to begin
relatively early. If you have to do any kind of travel to get to
the test site, that may mean having to get up especially early,
and at that time, a substantial breakfast may not be that appealing.
You should, however, be sure that you are well fed before you start
the exam. Working on an empty stomach tends to impair performance
even more than one might imagine. This point in particular is serious
business!
Grades
Depending on the student’s age, the die may already
have been cast by the time you read this. Typically, colleges will
consider grades received from the ninth or tenth grades through
the first semester of the senior year. Some colleges will be more
diligent than others in weighing the nature of the courses, giving
credit for taking the more challenging ones. Nowadays, “honors”
or “advanced placement” courses may help boost a grade point average
(GPA), since these courses often carry one more point (e.g., an
“A” would count as 5.0, as opposed to 4.0). We will soon consider
motivational issues in getting through college course work. Many
of the ideas that will come up then are relevant here, too.
Many HFIWAs may have accumulated certain bad grades—perhaps
overall, through a frustration with school in general, or specifically
in less-liked, or less understood subjects. Although the effect
of these grades can be “diluted” by better performance and honors
courses later, they cannot be entirely removed from the student’s
record, which can be a problem in applying to more selective universities.
This, of course, is a problem shared by a large proportion of “normal”
peers.
Certain institutions—usually the more selective,
or higher priced private schools—may require student essays, portfolios,
or letters of recommendation. The first two are opportunities to
show off special skills, abilities, or talents. A sympathetic teacher
may be able to put a positive “spin” on a student through the latter.
(The issue of whether autism and/or other conditions should be disclosed
in the application is a highly individual question that I cannot
address effectively in the general sense). It is worth noting here
that a letter that shows itself to have been written specifically
for the student in question will be taken more seriously than a
“form” letter that gives the appearance that the recommender merely
inserted the applicant’s name. The letter should say something clearly
unique about the student. It may be particularly useful to mention
specific projects and/or accomplishments. You may get some inspiration
from the information I ask from my students seeking a letter (http://www.larsperner.com/misc/ltrsor.htm
).
Choosing a College
It is tempting to consider getting a start at
a community college (CC) rather than at a university, and there
are situations where this may be useful. While I have to admit that
there are a lot of potential advantages to this strategy, I will
be up-front about the fact that I am personally quite biased against
the idea. However, this is very much an individual question, and
one mother reports that her son’s experience at a community college
has been very positive. So, my bias is just that.
Temple
Grandin (1985, 1996)—a hero to many of us!—has very insightfully
recommended that high school students with special interests and/or
greater advancement in certain subjects take courses at a CC during
the school year and/or over the summer. If the student is already
familiar with the CC that way, the transition may be smoother. CCs
frequently are much more “forgiving” of a seemingly unimpressive
high school record, and a major advantage here is that the student
may be relatively free to focus on courses that interest him or
her—an excellent opportunity to develop a superior GPA “unpolluted”
by grades in “nuisance” subjects. A CC may also be located more
conveniently, allowing the student to live at home, or at least
closer to home.
However, you need to keep in mind that a CC will
involve an additional transition to a new campus. Again, this is
not a problem for everyone, but for those of us to whom the college
experience is a haven, it seems a shame to “squander” an opportunity
for four uninterrupted years in one place! Change has been quite
uncomfortable for me, but now that I think about it, but maybe it
is a good experience that will be help one move on when it is time
to leave the four-year college. It should also be noted that not
all course-work will transfer, so completing the degree this way
may take longer. (This is especially the case if the student takes
special interest courses, as opposed to those aimed at filling the
general education requirements, since the there is a greater chance
that a university will not allow transfer credit for courses whose
content is not clearly identifiable as part of the general education
curriculum).
The quality of instruction at both CCs and four
year colleges varies widely, so it is difficult to say whether substantive
learning will suffer. Students will probably get more individual
attention at a community college than they would at a research oriented
university where many of the freshperson and sophomore courses are
taught in the infamous four hundred student lecture halls. The flip
side of the lower level of competition that enables a student to
get good grades is that he or she may be unprepared for what is
to come. Finally, community colleges, deservedly or not, frequently
carry a sort of stigma and presumption of mediocrity among college
students. This is the last thing a fragile self-esteem needs!
One option is to consider a technical program,
or trade school, rather than a traditional university education.
Here, the student will have the opportunity to focus more explicitly
on his or her interests. It may be possible to learn some technical
skills that would be highly valued in industry, so this could be
a good career move. It is my personal bias—a natural one for a college
professor—is that this does not provide the same opportunity to
become a “well rounded” person, but if it allows one to focus on
passionate interests, that may ultimately be most important. To
paraphrase Mark Twain, one should not let school get in the way
of an education.
The military does offer a number of great technical
programs, but it is probably painfully obvious that the military
aspect would not be very suitable for most HFIWAs…
A number of factors relevant to the neurotypical
population—both the boring majority and the thin ranks of worthy
ones—have significance for us, too, in selecting a college. One,
obviously, is cost. Cost is not determined entirely by the “sticker”
tuition price alone. It is affected, too, by any scholarships received
as well as the cost of room, board, and other expenses. (By the
way, textbook prices may provide quite a “sticker shock!) For reasons
discussed below, it may be dangerous to rely on a scholarship, which
may be lost or reduced in the event of uneven academic performance.
The highly intelligent HFIWA may well be attracted
to some of the more prestigious schools that seem to boast of attracting
the best and the brightest—a group to which many of us have a strong
claim to membership. The trouble with some of these schools is,
of course, that many of them are highly research oriented, a situation
that tends to foster little individual attention to the individual
student. Even the graduate students who teach many of the courses
may be too busy with research to give any one student much attention.
(This is the case even in some private institutions with twenty-thousand-plus
annual tuitions!) And the infamous lecture halls with several hundred
students are likely to be a frequent experience. Some individuals
will, of course, relish in the anonymity and seeming freedom that
this situation provides, but exam time may provide a sobering reality
check.
Many private colleges provide significantly smaller
classes and more individual attention. However, the price tag can
be quite prohibitive, often approaching or exceeding twenty thousand
a year, before we add room and board. Their course offerings may,
of course, be more limited. Without getting too alarmed, also realize
that meager library holdings could prove quite a disappointment
for those consumed with special interests that, for some strange
reason, are not matched in intensity by librarians (who have a severely
misguided propensity to “stretch” their budgets among other subjects,
too).
A number of public teaching oriented universities
may provide a good solution. I was fortunate to go to the Cal Poly,
which provided an excellent quality of education. A guidance counselor
may be able to offer some good advice on available options within
an acceptable distance from home.
For a list of colleges that responded to a survey
I sent out about their services and experiences working with students
on the autism spectrum, see http://www.larsperner.com/autism/colleges.htm
.
Coping With College Course Work
Now, let’s examine challenges that the HFIWA may
face. First of all, we have to consider why we are talking about
college in the first place. Some individuals—for example, those
who had an all-consuming interest in video games—may see college
as little more than a “ticket” to a job as a computer programmer.
This individual will likely face some rather serious adjustment
issues. Others of us are thinkers who are driven more by a curiosity,
or we may recognize academics—by default—as the domain in which
we have been most successful all along. And others—probably including
the vast majority of neurotypicals as well—have little idea what
goes on in college, but it is “natural” thing for individuals from
upper middle class families to do at time (and I would be the last
to discourage that idea!)
Understanding our motivation for going to college
will help make informed decisions. A big problem faced by many bright
HFIWAs is a very uneven distribution of intellectual abilities.
One young man, for example, had an excellent understanding of “hard”
science, but had considerably more difficulty in more “big picture,”
socially oriented subjects. He simply could not explain the significance
of a major historical character about whom he had just read a complete
book. This could be a problem because almost all colleges have certain
“general education” requirements (let me hasten to “confess” up
front that I am big believer in general education myself!)
Sometimes, it may be possible to fulfill requirements
in creative ways—e.g., I was able to fulfill an “art/music/theater”
requirement by taking a course in computer graphics. A well crafted
and reasonable petition for “deviation from curriculum” might also
pave a route around a particularly disliked course. That is, one
might propose that, given one’s interests and/or career plans, a
different course would be valuable than one specified in the requirements
for a particular major—e.g., one could ask to take a course in logic,
offered by the Philosophy Department, rather than an introductory
philosophy course. The proposal would have to be reasonable and
not “smack” of an attempt to circumvent an unpopular course. (Petitions
to avoid a public speaking course will likely be scrutinized rather
thoroughly!)
For the most part, breadth requirements are here
to stay, so let’s look at how we can tackle the obstacles that they
will eject. Autism is often described as a culture, so we can think
of “obstacle” courses as “foreign.” We now have to make a determination
as to whether to see them as hostile enemies or troops that could,
with the right strategy, be at least partially pacified.
“Suspect” courses can taunt the HFIWA by way of
at least three, often interrelated, sets of problems. First, there
is the simple question of motivation. To many of us—“normal” or
not—some courses are simply not interesting enough to warrant, in
their own right, the amount of effort that they require. That is
why, although the income potential there is relatively great, only
a minority of students major in accounting or aeronautical engineering.
For a person with autism, some courses—particularly those time consuming
ones that take precious time away from what is really interesting—are
just not that inviting. In my own case, I always seemed to be able
to find “nuggets” of fascinating stuff in each course I took—even
when it was far from my favorite—but I will grant this will not
be the case for everyone. So we will have to develop a plan to cope—more
about that shortly.
The second problem is that of ability. Again,
the HFIWA is by no means in a boat of his or her own here (although
it may often seem so!) There were many neurotypicals in college
who struggled as much with math as I did, with little more reward.
Math was never really central to what I wanted to do, but as I decided
to go for my Ph.D., I realized that I would need some advanced statistics
courses.
It is important to realize that someone who is
generally quite bright and hard working may have particular difficulty
in some areas. So we must make some choices and consider how we
can best get through obstacles that we cannot navigate around. I
did take some math courses while keeping a relatively low course
load, and ultimately my lack of math background was probably one
of the factors that kept me out of Stanford and MIT—but I did end
up with a decent Ph.D. and I am (no longer!) complaining.
Finally, then, there is the problem of pain and
frustration that emerges as we combine the two types of problems
above. We know that HFIWAs are often vulnerable to depression and
self-doubt (and in fact, I was diagnosed with depression long before
my autism was ever realized). Thus, again, we must plan for how
we can best prepare ourselves for, and inoculate ourselves against,
the problems before they arise. Again, let me emphasize that although
these problems may be more severe and acute in the case of the HFIWA,
they are not unique.
Now, how can we prepare for the academic side
of the college challenge? At this point, I will be very honest and
say that as unfair as it is, money will make things a lot easier.
Financial flexibility means that one does have to rush to graduate
as quickly and that one will not have to be detracted by having
to work one’s way through school.
Consider the problem of motivation. A student
may be interested in computer programming and little else. English
and philosophy courses are just not that motivating. How can one
respect someone like Shakespeare, anyway? The bozo didn’t even know
how to program in BASIC, let alone make a simple Java script!
Parents could come down very hard and say that
the student “has” to devote a certain minimum number of hours to
certain courses. They could make vivid threats of quite a severe
punishment for non-compliance. Some kind of firmness will probably
be necessary, but there is also a very real limit to how successful
it is likely to be—the disciplinarian is, after all, probably not
going to be around to “enforce” these study habits. Realistically
speaking, however frightening, the enforcer’s power comes into play
when it is too late.
Therefore, what I will tell some parents outright
is that if it is economically feasible, it will help to build in
some “circuit breakers.” For an individual who aspires to get into
a competitive graduate program, or one who hopes to be hired by
certain firms, consistent good grades are essential. However, in
some cases, it is probably better to be realistic up front and set
up a “tolerable” plan of performance.
Course structures vary somewhat between colleges,
but suppose that an institution offers predominantly three “credit”
courses (typically, fifteen credits, or “hours,” are considered
a full time load). With a total five courses in a given term, it
is important to “balance” the load between “rewarding” and “drudgery”
courses. What I outright told one mother, whose son was primarily
interested in computer science, was that if he took three computer
courses and two general education courses a term and got “A’s” and
“B-plusses” in his three computer courses, he would just need to
get a “C” in one general education course and could, if need be,
outright fail the other one without getting on academic probation.
Truth be told, it frequently does not take much to get a “C” in
many general education courses. It is important to note here, however,
that a lot of students are “screened out” during their freshperson
and sophomore years, so this strategy is expressly contingent on
having “compensatory” motivating courses in which one can do well.
If one has to rely on taking a reduced course
load, or retaking courses not passed on the first attempt, this
will obviously increase the time needed to finish college and therefore
the expense, so I am not going to beat around the bush that privilege
is quite helpful here. This problem is compounded for the student
dependent on scholarships that carry an expectation by the grantors
of consistent excellence.
The strategy of “selective excellence” described
above naturally imposes certain constraints on the student’s choice
of available schools for two reasons. First, the need “compensate”
grade-wise in favored subjects may mean that the student would have
to settle for a less selective institution than what would match
his or her areas of strength. For example, even if a student could
match MIT or Cal Tech students in technical subjects, out-excelling
them as a means to compensate for poor performance in other courses
would probably not be realistic—the students there are, after all,
close to superhuman anyway. Another consideration is the rigidity
of the way in which a school’s curriculum is sequenced. Many institutions,
for example, tend to place a great deal of the less motivating general
education courses during the first two years. Therefore, students
may take few if any courses in their majors before their junior
year. Schools that maintain such policies often do this with the
best of intentions, since students frequently do not yet “know”
what they want to study or “do” when they arrive. But roads constructed
with that kind of pavement may lead to poorly climate controlled
destinations.
My college was widely criticized for requiring
freshpersons to declare a major upon application for admission,
with the majority actually changing their majors before graduating.
But it meant that students were usually immersed into the subjects
of their majors early on, allowing them to experience whether this
was really what they wanted to do. This structure does mean, however,
that if a student changes interests, graduation is more likely to
be delayed, and for a longer period of time. Again, as unfair as
it may be, even if one is to accept the rather questionable assumption
that money can’t buy happiness, it sure does help alleviate a lot
of problems.
One unpleasant reality—for some of us, anyway—of
college nowadays is that there seems to be a great deal of group
work assigned. Ugh! To the HFIWA, this can be sheer terror, and
I am grateful that truly hideous trend had not caught on as much
back when I was in college. There is a great deal to learn from
working with other people, but I rather doubt that college course
work is a constructive venue. Student motivations vary tremendously,
so the more naïve, brainy person may get stuck with a disproportionate
amount of work. Work sessions may be scheduled at odd hours, and
a tendency for a group to procrastinate may make the last minute
struggles particularly stressful. And then there is the question
of agreeing on substance. I can’t say that I ever thought very favorably
of those neurotypicals whose thick skulls prevented them from seeing
the correctness—let alone the unquestionable moral superiority—of
my views. I don’t honestly know what to recommend here. It is possible—though
I doubt that such an attempt would entail smooth sailing—that someone
truly distressed might be allowed to work alone, but I am not optimistic.
Moving Away to College and Pragmatics
For some HFIWAs, academics are the easy stuff,
and the real trouble involves moving away from home and coping with
the pragmatics of independent and group living. As I indicated earlier,
I had less experience here myself since I was able to live at home
until my mother moved right before my senior year. But I can offer
some “arm-chair” perspective. And, again, many “ordinary” students
will face many of the same problems.
For those going to a college “far away” (a term
that will have different meanings to different people), one of the
problems is that the transition is so abrupt. You leave one day,
arriving perhaps a week before the start of the term. And many of
the other pressures are likely to start at the same time.
Here, again, privilege can help ease, but not
entirely eliminate, the problem. If a student is within driving
distance, feels comfortable driving, and has a car, he or she can
have the assurance of being able to come home—if he or she feels
the urge to do so—every week-end if need be. The beauty of a safety
net is that its existence does not mean that it actually has to
be used—but it can go a long way in quelling anxiety. Again, if
economically feasible, it might be possible to schedule classes
only on two days a week during the first semester, so that there
is the knowledge that “escapes” can be for a longer duration. For
those who live farther away from home, open-ended bus, train, or
plane tickets or vouchers, for those who can afford them, can provide
a real sense of security.
The telephone, although not quite as comforting,
is a much more egalitarian tool. It is possible to buy pre-paid
phone cards that cost three cents or less per minute. Even if one
never takes advantage of it, it is a relief to know that you can
take a cue from ET and call home for an hour every day for less
than sixty dollars per month! (This may, of course, be less of a
relief to the family member who may be on the receiving end of a
long, daily call, but that is another matter.)
One very important issue is living arrangements.
Traditionally, most students have tended to live in university residence
halls during their first year or two of college. It makes sense
that someone new to a campus would like to live on campus and not
have to “scrounge” for housing. However, it is easy to visualize
how disastrous a residence hall can be to the HFIWA. Having to share
a room with someone else (a reality in most residence halls), lack
of privacy in bathrooms, and the crowded and noisy quarters sound
quite hellish, and I am glad I never had to go through that experience.
Cafeteria food may or may not be a problem. At least there is frequently
a lot of choice, and you don’t have to prepare the food yourself.
Living off campus raises other concerns. Roommate
problems—often quite severe—abound even among ordinary students,
and the HFIWA may be quite vulnerable to exploitation. It may not
be possible to afford a private apartment for the student, and even
where this is a possibility, living alone may become too lonely
for the HFIWA.
If the student has friends from high school going
to the same college, it may help to “join up” with someone the student
already knows, but unfortunately, these others are frequently headed
for dormitories. And then there is the question of food preparation,
let alone house-holding skills. I can’t offer a lot of advice here.
My own experience in college was by and large
quite positive, so it came as a bit of a rude awakening when it
was suggested to me that college can be quite depressing for those
who have trouble coping, either in the academic or social sense.
While some of us would find the idea of missing even a single class
abhorrent, others may withdraw to their home quarters for long periods
of time. Therefore, a regular “check-in” system with a “buddy” of
sorts has been suggested. A word of warning here: The idea must
be presented the HFIWA—who is likely to be rather weary of this
kind of “intrusion” or “loss of freedom”—in a manner that makes
it as palatable as possible.
Securing Needed Services
Individuals with autism vary tremendously in the
help and services they will need to function effectively, and colleges
differ a great deal in what they offer.
The issue arises as to how much a student should
disclose to his or her professors, and what, if any, accommodations
he or she should request. This is an individual matter, and the
answer will vary depending on the individual case and the student’s
relative desire for privacy. Theoretically, in the United States,
the Americans With Disabilities Act requires educational institutions
and employers to provide the disabled with “reasonable accommodations.”
In practice, however, the act has been described as lacking “teeth”
and exactly what it mandates is not at all clear. Many universities
explicitly require that any special accommodations must be requested
through the disabled student services office rather than directly
to a professor. The type of campus involved is likely to make a
significant difference. Faculty in small liberal arts colleges are
likely to be a lot more accommodating than those in big research
institutions, where teaching and individuals are more likely to
be seen as obstacles to research.
Most colleges offer some counseling services,
which are often quite in demand among a large proportion of students
struggling to adjust to various phases of college life. These counseling
services may or may not have staff experienced in dealing with HFIWAs
and even when they do, students may be eligible for only a small
number of sessions. University health centers vary somewhat in what
kinds of required medial services they may offer.
Special accommodations for the classroom tend
to vary. Budget limitations may make it difficult to get a note-taker
for those who have difficulty with this task, and few HFIWAs would
be comfortable asking others for their notes. (The very thought
makes me cringe!) Fortunately, more and more professors (especially
the “with-it” ones like me!) are preparing their slides in PowerPoint
and posting the files online. On a more positive note, an increasing
number of colleges now offer students with various learning disabilities
the opportunity to take exams in a quieter environment rather than
in the classroom.
One problem that haunts a large proportion of
people in all walks of life is organization—keeping track of meeting
times, due dates, and paperwork. Individuals on the autism spectrum
often fall into one extreme or the other—and sometimes, we may fall
on opposite extremes in different tasks. Although I have not been
successful in all areas, I have found that I have been able to impose
a certain orderliness on myself, and one of my fondest tools is
a large number of three ring binders. Unfortunately, professors
will often provide handouts that lack punched holes. The truly proud
“geek” will gladly carry around a hole puncher, but for those less
dedicated, it essential to have plenty of “pocket” inserts in the
binders to temporarily hold handouts.
Liane Holliday Willey, in an appendix to her excellent
book Pretending to Be Normal, provides additional suggestions
on accommodations and services that may be desirable. You may also
want to check out the British based support page for university
students with Asperger’s Syndrome at http://www.cns.dircon.co.uk/index.html
.
Moving Beyond College
The stereotype of the “professional student” is
present even in the neurotypical community, and as frightening as
it sounds, many people have to move on. Some of us are fortunate
enough to have the opportunity to become professors, but that may
not be what some HFIWAs want anyway—then you have to deal with those
pesky students, for example! Some of them treat our course as no
more important than any other! (It gives me a “kick” to have people
who actually pay to hear me talk about my favorite subjects, so
I like teaching, but I can understand that not everyone will). Graduation
can “creep” up on you, and while many ordinary students rise well
to the milestone, it can be quite frightening to those who eschew
change.
Temple Grandin, and many professionals in the
field, recommend that students get practical experience as early
as high school. This may sound as frightening to many others on
the autism spectrum as it does to me, but I have to accept the
practical wisdom of the advice. Many times, internships can help
one get a foot “inside” a firm, potentially paving the way for post-graduation
employment. There is often less risk in taking on an intern, so
firms may be more willing to take someone who comes across as “a
little strange,” and thus the student has the opportunity to present
himself or herself as a competent and reliable asset to the firm.
If employment that matches special interests can be found, it may
even be that someone will finally find the deserved appreciation
on the job! Note, however, that internships take time and energy,
which should be budgeted for in the course load. In particular,
work that involves a lot of human interaction—or other sensory stimulation—can
be quite tiring.
Even ordinary students can benefit tremendously
from training for meetings with potential employers and going through
“mock” interviews. In the case of the HFIWA, however, it may be
more essential than for most to focus on personal mannerisms, and
where interviews may involve a meal, some special tutoring in dining
etiquette may be indicated.
Employment interviews—particularly those held
on campus as recruiters visit—often take place in makeshift accommodations,
and it may be useful to experience a “mock” interview in a matching
environment. In my case, preliminary interviews for faculty positions
have often been held in hotel rooms during conferences. While eye
contact is challenging enough for me when people are sitting next
to each other at a table, things become infinitely worse when a
group of interviewers are spread around a more than a 180 degree
span of chairs, sofas, and beds within a room.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the similarities between the
challenges facing the HFIWA and the “neurotypical” counterpart are
perhaps greater than the differences. Nevertheless, those of us
on the autism spectrum do face challenges which are frequently
qualitatively different and may take on greater magnitudes. For
a variety of reasons discussed in this essay, it is especially important
to begin preparations for college—both academically and psychologically—at
a much earlier time. Realistically, not everyone will find college
the joy that I did, and for those who see college more as a means
to an end, I hope the strategies discussed here will make this phase
as manageable and successful as possible.Again, each person is different,
and plans must take this into consideration.
BOOKS OF POSSIBLE INTEREST
Dawn Prince-Hughes, ed. (2002), Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories
of College Students With Autism, Swallow Press, ISBN: 0804010544
John Harpur, Maria Lawlor, Michael Fitzgerald
(2004), Succeeding in College
With Asperger Syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, ISBN: 1843102013
Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger
Syndrome Ann Palmer (2005), Realizing the College Dream with Autism
or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success, Jessica
Kingsley Publishers, ISBN: 1843108011.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Brenda Myles of the
University of Kansas and several parents for helpful suggestions
on drafts of this article. The responsibility for any errors and
omissions remains mine, however.
References
Attwood, Tony. (1998). Asperger’s Syndrome: A
Guide for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Grandin, Temple. (1986). Emergence: Labeled Autistic.
New York: Spectra.
Grandin, Temple. (1995). Thinking in Pictures
and Other Reports From My Life With Autism. New York: Vintage Books.
Gruber, Gary R. (2001). Gruber's Complete Preparations
for the SAT, 9th ed., New York: Harper.
Holliday Willey, Lianne. (1999). Pretending to
Be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers.
Holliday Willey, Lianne. (2001). Asperger Syndrome
in the Family: Redefining Normal. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Myles, Brenda Smith and Diane Adreon (2001), Asperger
Syndrome and Adolescence, Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing
Co.
Newport, Jerry (2001). Your Life is NOT a Label:
A Guide to Living Fully With Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. Fort
Worth, TX: Future Horizons.
Osborne, L. (2000, June 18). The Little Professor
Syndrome. New York Times, 6:55.
Rourke, B. P. & Tsatsanis, K. D. (2000). "Nonverbal
Learning Disabilities and Asperger Syndrome." In A. Klin, F.
R. Volkmar, & S. S. Sparrow (eds.), Asperger Syndrome, New York:
The Guilford Press
Shore, Stephen M. (2001), Beyond the Wall: Personal
Experiences with Autism
and Asperger Syndrome, Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing
Co.
Stanton, M. (2000). Learning to Live With High
Functioning Autism: A Parent's Guide for Professionals, London:
Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Click here to go to the
home page to view the full range of autism fact sheets at www.autism-help.org
This personal story is under the copyright of the original author,
Lars Perne, and is reproduced with permission. You can visit his
blog at:www.aspergerssyndrome.org
or his site at: www.LarsPerner.com
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