What colleges in addition to Marshall U are best for Aspies?

Post Reply New Topic

My 21-year-old son was recently, finally, diagnosed with Asperger's. He has up to 69 transfer credits and wants to get a degree where at least someone will understand Asperger's and help provide life skills training while at college. Any ideas?

I have heard that Ithaca College is good...

thanks! have you known aspie students who have been happy there?

University of Texas at Dallas has some Aspie support groups and such for their students (and non-students alike). I didn't have much luck there, but that was nearly 10 yrs ago and apparently lots have changed. Maybe look into it to see if it's a good fit. (It's an awesome tech school and I still maintain friendships I made during my time there.)

thanks! am googling the school...

I went to Colorado College, loved it. Alternative schedule and small class size is perfect. Lots of outdoors stuff too.

thanks...physics major?

Has any Aspie out there attended Marshall U.?

Here are some sites that might be interesting to you:

http://www.professorsadvice.com/

http://www.aspfi.org/college/esu.htm

Good luck. I am keeping tabs on this question as it is of great interest to me.



The other thing that you need to be aware of is that the fit of the student to the school is very important regardless of the services. For example: Fort Lewis College is located in a very small and accepting town and is very willing to help those with Aspergers.

Ellen... thank you... great sites i would not have known without your help. And, I appreciate your insight. My son did (barely) make it through 4 semesters at Wake (i.e. "Work) Forest in NC before a total breakdown (by the way, the school was wonderful with counseling, etc. to help him leave with medical excuse three times with no academic penalty). Asperger's, though mentioned earlier, was only finally diagnosed after this too successful son finally failed. I am grateful to have the label now rather than even later to understand and help find what works for this guy. We are perplexed regarding: pick the college with the major you might actually like a little versus pick the college with the most services and let them tell you the best major and just do it. You are interested in this topic... any further ideas?

I have two sons.

One is 18 yo not diagnosed, but probably will one day, or he has enough social skills to hide his problems - who knows.

The other is 16 yo and I have known there were serious problems with him since birth.

Both skipped 2.5 years before graduating high school. So intelligence was never a problem.

F (18 yo) is a junior at a college that has only 400 kids and only one subject - great books (Aristotle, Plato, etc.) He loves it because it really makes him think and there are only 400 kids he has to deal with. There could not be a more perfect campus for him. Most people at the college end up being attorneys - which is fine - since F wants to be a research attorney (not a court room attorney) or perhaps the idea person behind a good politician - someone who never talks but has all the great ideas.

Joshua (16 yo) has just graduated from online high school with 12 college credits from the local college. The local college is small in college terms, but no where near the littleness of F's school. Joshua loves it. He finds the school to be exhilarating. It has lots of majors and many ways to get a degree. After a long hiatus from people, he is very ready to be with people and get the group dynamics going. Plus he talks at school and doesn't at home. I think it is because school has more rules about what to talk about and when, whereas home - anything goes - so how do you figure out what to say.

Joshua looks and has the intelligence of a 22 year old, the hormones of a 16 yo, and the social/emotional age of a 8-10 year old (except for some things at school).

I would suggest that you talk to your son and ask him what he wants. Maybe all he wants is to learn and doesn't care about the goal (our current stance with Joshua but he is 16), maybe he really cares about the course of study and ignores the people, maybe he needs lots of support and doesn't care about the subjects. All these have different outcomes. I say this (knowing what a joke this is) because Joshua has absolutely no idea what he wants or why - except he does know whether he likes it or not - so that becomes a little bit of an expensive guessing game. So then, you have to go with what you know about your son.

I would go to your local college and propose that they make some accommodations to fit your son.

Below is a great article (that is very hard to find that Marshall University told me about) that perhaps you can find someway to print it out and ask the Disability Office to make the accommodations suggested in it.

Oops. I can't find a way to upload this pdf document to wrongplanet on this site. My husband is a great computer programmer and he is going to set up a web site for me to publish a link to the article. But this will take some time. I will post a link when this is available.

Perhaps you can get the article from your local library:

From: Journal of autism and developmental disorders
Volume: 38
Issue: 7
Month: August, 2008
Pages: 1359-1370
Article Title: VanBergeijk "Supporting More Able Students on the Autism Spectrum; College and Beyond"


In the meantime, you can check out Innercept in Idaho for a special program or "College Living Experience" (various places) for really supportive programs attached to colleges. and REALLY expensive!

Let me know how things turn out - I am right there with you wondering what to do .

--Ellen

Thank you, Ellen. Wondering if you happen to speaking of St. John's College re your older son... none of my business...I grew up near the Annapolis campus and love the idea of studying the great books. FYI was able to print out the article by googling the title and paying $34 to print it out. Worth every penny as I add to a beginner's Asperger's library. Thanks. My son is in the midst of extensive interest inventory testing with his therapist to try to find out what major, etc. might result in finishing a degree, which he says he'd like to do. After 3 years away at college most of the time, he has ruled out lots of areas and we finally understand that he just can't make himself study something that is not of extreme interest to him, no matter how capable re intelligence. We also know he needs to live away from home again, but this time, with some level of help. Lots to figure out and a long way to go. Will be interested in hearing what you find for son #2. -Lynn, Sarasota, FL

Shoot, I didn't want you to spent $34. My husband is in the process of setting up the website as we speak. Damn. Oh well.

I will private message (pm) you regarding my other son.

As far as Joshua, time will tell, and I will tell you as time goes on.

Hey, I have a survey where I am collecting data from other Aspies between the ages of 16-25 or older - but it is about their life between 16 and 25. Can you have your son take it?

You can find it on the Parent's Forum under "Mom wants help with transition to adulthood"

Thanks - will keep in touch,

--Ellen

I belong to several listservs from Yahoo.

One of them posted the following list of college resources. i don't know if I already sent a link to this to you already, but here it is:

Here is a list I got of colleges with special programs for students with autism
and some with dd. Maybe one near you...


Autism/Asperger's College/University Support Programs

I just got this list from a wonderful program director in Wichita Fall, TX, she
sent me this list of resources. Hope it will help someone who is looking, Sue

• AHEADD, based in Pittsburgh, PA with other locations nationwide:
http://www.aheadd.org/about.html
• Asperger's Syndrome Adult Transition Program, New Haven, CT and Tucson, AR:
http://www.ct-asrc.org/docs/aspergersbrochure.pdf
o http://www.iser.com/resources/young-adu ... rgers.html
• Bridges to Adelphi Program, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY:
http://students.adelphi.edu/sa/dss/bridges.php
• College Living Experience, based in Nashville, TN with other locations
nationwide: http://www.cleinc.net/home.aspx
• The College Program for Students with Asperger's Syndrome, The West Virginia
Autism Training Center, Marshall University, Huntington, WV:
http://www.marshall.edu/coe/ATC/modelcollege.htm
• College Internship Program, The Brevard Center, Melbourne, FL:
http://www.brevardcenter.org
• COMPASS, Farleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ:
http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=5051
• Kelly Autism Post-secondary Program, Bowling Green, KY:
http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Org/other/kapro ... ovided.htm
• UA-ACTS Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL:
http://www.collegewithasd.com/page1/files/ua-acts.pdf
• Vanguard Living for Success, Vanguard Preparatory School, Dallas, TX:
http://vanguardlivingforsuccess.com
• Program coming in the fall: Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center, TRIAD:
Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Middle TN:
http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/triad/index.html

• Upcoming program: Asperger Support Program, Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA:
http://www.mercyhurst.edu/news/press_re ... hp?id=1106

Other:
• [PDF] "Programs for Young Adults with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning
Autism":
http://www.adnetonline.org/:/Papers/Gut ... or%20young%2\
0adults.pdf
• ALAW: Autism Living and Working, Philadelphia, PA:
http://www.autismlivingworking.org/cont ... ot-program
• Center for Adaptive Learning, Concord, CA:
http://www.centerforadaptivelearning.org
• CSAAC, Montgomery, MD: http://www.csaac.org/ Check out their "Residential
Support Program" and "Vocational Support Program"
• Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell, Roswell, NM. While they may be
serving individuals with more profound disabilities, you may see something there
you like:
http://www.roswell.enmu.edu/special_ser ... rogram.php
• Minnesota Life College, Richfield, MN:
https://www.minnesotalifecollege.org/Programs.php

Thank you, Ellen. Very generous of you to share this very helpful list. Will explore all with my son.

Not sure what your geographical considerations are, but I heard a couple years ago that Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA was good in a behindthescenes kind of way - they have psych professors doing research on ASD. Heard similar stuff about Carnegie Mellon and U. Pittsburgh which also might have the majors (physics?) of interest to your son, but these schools are larger which might be tough for a transfer student.