Aspergers and Reach Schools

Parents Forum
41

<p>Son is very similar. Top 5% of class, 36 ACT etc. but chose schools based on support rather then prestige. Also he did identify in the admission into as he did not want to attend a school that would reject him based on his Aspergers. He also preferred a smaller school and like schools that were more math and science oriented as the student population were more like him. We really were impressed with both Missouri Science and Technology and Case western as both had people in the disability office that truly understood Aspergers and would set up an individualized program.</p>

<p>He decided on Missouri S and T and will be starting in the fall. He will be living in a single suite (4 singles that share bathroom), and will initially meet with the disabilities person 1-2 x week to go through his work schedule and to help him plan. They will also give him a letter to give to his professors outlining his needs. They also help guide him socially. We will visit regularly at the beginning and communicate via Skype. He is excited and nervous as ore we, but I feel that the supports he has in place should help him be successful.</p>

42

<p>Arabrab - No. He can study and do homework in the library or some other quiet, distraction free area. He’s learning that his work space and fun space can’t be the same one. And there are degrees of unorganized and forgetful, hence my question. I don’t “think” my son’s are that severe. But at the same time, I’m looking hard at the academic support that’s available to the students. He probably won’t need tutoring so much. But time management and study skills training/coaching? You bet.</p>

43

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<p>What can happen is that when they don’t understand something, they withdraw and perhaps even stop going to class. So where another student would go see the prof during office hours, or ask another student on their floor for help, or drop by the tutoring center, the Aspie may just do nothing, get more and more lost, get more anxous about it, stop attending class, then fail. One little academic bump, a concept not understood, that probably happens to most college students, can snowball for the Aspie.</p>

<p>[Note that some Aspies exhibit the exact opposite behavior. When they don’t understand a concept, they try to stop the class/lecture right then and there and bug the teacher for an explanation. That is more socially stigmatizing, but those kids tend to do okay academically.]</p>

44

<p>I agree with lmkh70 that there is no obligation to disclose a disability when applying. But it’s possible that the HS transcript will be misinterpreted (unfavorably) if the applicant does not disclose. For example, a student might make a weak showing in foreign language study in HS, and if it’s made clear on the application that the student has dyslexia and has overcome it well enough to be strong in their intended fields of study, it might be understood better than if this back story is not conveyed.</p>

<p>Ultimately, I think an empowered consumer of higher ed may want to confirm that the environment and services are in place for needs to be met, before committing to the school. So at some point before committing to the school (maybe after applying and getting accepted) it’s probably wise to be forthright about the learning differences, talk with the people in the school’s disabled students’ office (or whatever euphemistic name they have for it) and do some critical thinking about what life will be like at that school.</p>

<p>All schools claim to offer at least the required legal minimum of not discriminating against the disabled. Some schools do far more. As a consumer, it pays to find out who is who, before you commit.</p>

<p>The disability rights movement is a subset of the civil rights movement. Tremendous ground has been broken in all areas of civil rights by people who found a way into a place where they were not wanted, and held their ground. We are all in their debt. And yet I do not believe that every kid going off to college with neurological differences is honor-bound to move forward in that spirit, keeping quiet about the disability, and seeing how it goes. It can be an expensive disaster that limits the student’s transfer options going forward. So for some applicants, the better option is to be forthright, early on, and shop for a school where he or she is really wanted, disabilities and all.</p>

45

<p>One more thought, further to #44 – higher ed is a business, and disabled students have market power. The colleges will only begin to respect the scope of that market power if applicants or admittees disclose their concerns, ask pertinent questions about the culture and the supports that are in place at the school, and then pick and choose schools in part on that basis.</p>

<p>It has come to my attention that some college disabled students’ offices are unwilling to discuss supports with prospective students. They prefer to wait until the students enroll. That attitude is very telling. Neurotypical peers are not asked to “buy a pig in a poke” when selecting a college (or at least, not to the extent that a very important office will refuse to speak with the prospective student).</p>

46

<p>At my college, we (faculty) get a paper that lists accommodations for students. The sheet does not say why the student needs the accommodations because of privacy. As an instructor, it would be helpful for me to know more than just a student gets extra time for a test. This past semester, the young man in my class told me that he had Asberger’s and that helped me out when he said things that made the other students laugh and he did not know why. It would be really helpful to have more direction on how to be helpful.</p>

<p>For example, on this thread, parents have said students might stop coming to class. Although I do not normally call students when they miss, it might be something I would do if I knew it was a likely reaction for an Asberger’s student.</p>

<p>I am all for disclosing although some of us are more accommodating than others.</p>

47

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<p>OMG, MD Mom, if you ever do such a thing, you will have earned your spot in heaven at the right hand of God and I’m only exagerating a tiny bit. </p>

<p>Son wanted to go to a small school and we really supported the small LAC route. We bought all the “students get individual attention” “the faculty really gets to know the student” lies that the College That Changes Life school fed us. I later realized that a student can be utterly ignored in a class of a dozen students just as much as he can be ignored in a large lecture hall. Son disclosed to some profs - he was a Psych major, so he was disclosing Aspergers to clinical psychologists. There were such tiny small things they could have done that would have been so helpful.</p>

<p>There is nothing that* requires *faculty to care about their students. But if you become the one person on campus who does care about some Aspie, it will make all the difference.</p>

<p>Edited to add: Wow, more than two years later, the wounds are still so fresh!</p>

48

<p>It is difficult to help those who need it and give the boot in the behind to those who need it. I do think that the privacy laws are not helpful in every situation. I also have vey few kids who are on the spectrum who land in my class. I try.</p>

49

<p>At a bare minimum, I’d probably insist that I have access to the kid’s on-line school account.</p>

50

<p>As we’ve been touring Midwest LACs for our son, I’ve been disclosing privately to one or two professors when DS is not present. I’ve always received confirmation that other Aspergers students have succeed at these small LACs, that professors are experienced w/these students in their classrooms, and that a wide spectrum of such students are present on campus. DS is high-functioning, but can be quirky in social contexts.</p>

<p>I was particularly impressed w/Knox, where a biology professor spent more than an hour w/my son and I in conversation. When I later disclosed when DS left to shadow a class, the professor was surprised, and noted that there were a number of Aspergers students on campus with a range of disability-related accommodations and concerns. She noted that professors always appreciate knowing the students’ specific issues, so that their classroom expectations/responses are appropriate. She noted that some students were very successful, while others truly struggled despite the support systems in-place. </p>

<p>“Fit” is extremely important for DS’ success. I’m looking for confirmation not only of a competent Student Services Disabilities Department but also evidence of empathy. Our son needs only two accommodations (seating near teacher and extended time for exams). No HS IEP, but he receives those two accomodations plus has a wonderful guidance counselor to monitor and advise him. His private college prep HS’ teachers’ empathy (and not excuses) have allowed him to flourish and succeed in a manner we thought not possible when he was in elementary school with an IEP in-place.</p>

<p>I’d caution against “not telling”. A college or university that may decline admission to such a student for disability concerns would not be a good fit either. Admissions experience is a revealing encounter w/operating philosophy and atmosphere of a school still marketing itself to your child. If there are problems or reservations then, it’s likely those problems will escalate later.</p>

<p>Another mother recently recounted her DS’ experience at a prominent Midwest LAC included in K&W Learning Disabilities guidebook’s listings. Yes, it had a student disability services office providing a range of services. But when her son had serious MH crises two semesters in a row, professors and disability office weren’t communicating about his chronic class absences and missing work. Disability Office also never contacted professors directly regarding student’s disability accommodations. Student himself contacted parents for help each time, two semesters in a row. Student received no credits for either semester. </p>

<p>I appreciated hearing from four colleges so far that professors monitor all students’ performances, and contact Student Services if any students are missing two classes in a row, chronically missing work, or AWOL from a test. I appreciate the professors’ ancedotes about calling missing students, or knocking on students’ dorm doors, and hearing from adminstrators that “it’s difficult to hide from professors” at their schools. For us, that added layer of monitoring is worth the cost of a private LAC.</p>

51

<p>Missypie: I’ve been reading your posts all along with great interest. I’d greatly appreciate a PM noting which LACs we should avoid.</p>

52

<p>Sorry in advance for the long response. A lot of interesting things have been said in the last day.</p>

<p>Frazzled2thecore
[Getting back to OP - I think that adding an explanation (that may or may not include the term “Asperger’s”) to the application can help if there are issues that raise eyebrows, such as "course selection freshman year.]
This is exactly the issue. DS spent 6 years in public Special Education schools prior to being returned and fully mainstreamed into his home public high school. Both parents and educators where unsure how the transition back would go, so the only advanced course he took was math. He also did not have room for a social studies or a foreign language because of a tutorial class and an engineering class. He also got more B’s then A’s freshman year. </p>

<p>He has gotten all A’s and 1 B (Honors World History) sophomore and junior year. He also took a American History Class at the CC (got an A) so he will have 4 years of social studies on his transcript. He will have 3 yrs of a language, which should be enough for an engineering kid. In addition to competing the PTLW program he will have 6 AP course (5 on AP Gov’t sophomore year, expected 5’s this year for Physics C and Calc AB and next year AP Econ, Physics B and Calc B/C) and all honors classes except 10th grade English (11 and 12th grade English will be honors not AP).</p>

<p>His test scores are close to perfect. SATs 1600/2320. Math 2 SAT 800 and Chemistry 800 (with only GT chemistry, no room for AP chem.) I want schools to know that he has worked hard and his comparatively low unweighted GPA 3.78 weighted 4.2ish is not from being lazy, but from hard work and adapting and copying with his Aspergers.</p>

<p>Adamon – Nice to hear good things about Case’s disability services because DS really enjoyed his visit last spring and plans to apply. Skype is a great idea for keeping up in between visits.
Missypie</p>

<p>[Note that some Aspies exhibit the exact opposite behavior. When they don’t understand a concept, they try to stop the class/lecture right then and there and bug the teacher for an explanation. That is more socially stigmatizing, but those kids tend to do okay academically.]
This is a good description of my son. However, he has learned to wait for the end of the class and corner the teacher or send an e-mail or write down all his questions and save them for the later.</p>

<p>Fieldsports
[The disability rights movement is a subset of the civil rights movement. Tremendous ground has been broken in all areas of civil rights by people who found a way into a place where they were not wanted, and held their ground. We are all in their debt. And yet I do not believe that every kid going off to college with neurological differences is honor-bound to move forward in that spirit, keeping quiet about the disability, and seeing how it goes. It can be an expensive disaster that limits the student’s transfer options going forward. So for some applicants, the better option is to be forthright, early on, and shop for a school where he or she is really wanted, disabilities and all.]</p>

<p>Very well said.
Higgins2013</p>

<p>[“Fit” is extremely important for DS’ success]</p>

<p>I agree 100%, but I think fit is very important for both the school as a whole and the disability services which is what seems to make the search so hard.</p>

53

<p>Sorry, I guess I don’t know how to quote.</p>

54

<p>I’ll do one that’s wrong and tell you how to fix it to be right.</p>

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[quote]
Sorry, I guess I don’t know how to quote. [/quote</p>

<p>If you put the close bracket at the end of the second word quote above, it does it.</p>

55

<p>… To help him understand the ups and downs he might face in college. Did you all let yoir kids read thecmaterial or did you guide them withoutboo much history forvthem to fixate on?</p>

56

<p>Hi all,
I am following this thread with great interest. DS is a junior on the spectrum. We are just now asking ourselves how far away to attend school is too far. I will appreciate seeing updates on how your kiddos are doing.</p>

57

<p>Son is currently in his first semester at Missouri S & T which is about 6 hrs from home. It has not been easy for him socially, as he has significant social anxiety, and he still spends a lot of time alone. However his growth has been amazing. He is taking care of himself, doing laundry etc. He has also joined a couple clubs and a design team and partakes in an Aspergers group once a week. He set up his own appointment with the counselling office when he needed help. Academically he is doing great and seems to be on top of things and has chosen not to meet with the disabilities coach weekly, but this can be resumed anytime if he needs it. We have visited twice and talk to him daily sometimes just by phone and sometimes via Skype. Overall it has been more positive then negative and is preparing him to be more independent.</p>

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@adamom I know this is an older post but would appreciate hearing more about your sons Missouri S&T experience and how the school is for someone with aspergers

59

Unfortunately @adamom has not gotten on CC in about a year. You can try to PM her if she has PMs going to her E-Mail.

60

Just want to mention that RIT has a Spectrum Support Program: http://www.rit.edu/~w-ssp/