We have a junior in high school that has high-functioning autism. She has a 504 plan but only uses the extended time for testing accommodation. Outside of school, she sees a social worker and an executive functioning coach. She takes a mix of regular and AP classes getting As +Bs. She loves field hockey, lacrosse, Women in STEM and community service clubs. In addition, she is an assistant teacher at religious She does have a lot of social anxiety and has no friends in high school which leaves her very lonely and isolated. She is very excited about going to college and has been actively looking at schools that have education and science programs bc she thinks she may want to study both. She wants the following out of her college experience:
live away from home (she has attended sleepaway camp since 5th grade)
strong school spirit
lots of clubs and campus activities
lots of choices for majors and classes
She is interested in:
• Michigan State
• Colorado College
• UC Boulder
• Providence College
• University of Vermont
• Boston U
• Boston College
She is also exploring gap year programs. If anyone has a child with a similar profile who has had experiences in pre-college programs, gap year programs or some of the schools listed above I would love to hear more. When I search autism on this site most of the posts are very old. TIA! I know it is a long post!
I worked as a 1-on-1/tutor/academic coach for a student who fits the profile of your daughter. Based on the experience my student had, i would focus on the smaller schools on your list. They don’t have to be podunk, but schools that are cities unto themselves can steamroll students who don’t already have a niche. I would look for a school with small/smaller dorms. When there’s 80+ people on your floor, it’s overwhelming and more difficult to make friends. Also think about how your daughter would be on a co-ed floor vs all girls. She will need an understanding roommate, both to be non-judgemental and academic-minded. A focused living/learning community (LLC) dorm might be a very good fit.
Good activities for her might be joining APO- a co-ed service fraternity, a bible study group, and most campuses have some sort of youth outreach programs. Most schools also have some form of intermural sports.
I don’t know much about gap-year programs, but one thing to think about would be for her to take a class or two at community college over the summer, maybe even this year. It would give her a better idea of what college is like and if she’s ready to go now or wait. Plus, it’ll look good on applications if she does it this summer.
Since she’s interested in both, what about doing a science ed. major? Women for high school sciences are in demand, and she could get certified in multiple divisions, so no having to choose only one to major in, If she’s absolutely set on STEM, consider specialty schools like Rose Hulman in Indiana.
Has a college transition plan been done for your daughter? If not, ask for one. You’ll be able to take that transition plan to the schools and flat out ask what they offer that could help your daughter.
I don’t know anything about your daughter, but keep in mind the student that can function well at home with support is often lost when they have to do everything on their own at college (getting up on time, meals, homework planning, etc.)
University of Puget Sound comes to mind. Small school, strong academics. Saint Olaf might be worth a look too. truth be told my younger D is on the spectrum and while looking at schools for older neuro typical I am taking notes. Oh and check out Whitman. I am not super sure on what systems are in place at these schools just that they seem like welcoming accepting places. The Pacific Northwest has a strong community of spectrum people and companies out here have programs set up with Microsoft and some others for job placement and internships. University of Washington is a huge school but might be worth a look as well.
OP, I have a high-functioning autistic D18 (aka Aspie) who is, fingers crossed, going off to college next year (was accepted ED to Haverford). I thought Colorado College might be a good place for her, but she has a difficult time transitioning (and the biggest transition will be to college in general!). She also likes structure and routine a lot. Given all that, she quickly decided that having to transition from one course to another every month or so at Colorado College would be a nightmare for her. Have your daughter seriously consider how well she thinks she will do having to restart with an entirely new teacher/students/classroom etc as often as she would at Colorado College. It may well be no issue for your daughter (as they say, if you’ve met one person with Aspergers you’ve met one person with Aspergers), but definitely something to think about.