<p>Re: double major in computer science and political science</p>
<p>It is probably doable at a school where computer science is not in an engineering division (which would likely require extra physics and engineering courses).</p>
<p>However, in most cases, a second major does not add much value (either intellectually or job/career wise) over taking the most interesting courses in the second subject. Of course, if the student happens to take enough courses in the second subject to acquire a major (or minor) in the subject, that is fine, but it probably should not be a priority compared to the first subject.</p>
<p>Not to paint a picture of doom, I have a friend with a son who is possibly on the spectrum (but was not really diagnosed ). This very bright young man went to a school several hours a way, and, while I don’t know the details, did not do well. He returned to attend a school in driving distance. His mom visits and provides support- including helping with household things like laundry or cleaning when he gets stressed. Some people would consider this too much helicoptering, ( and it would be for a typical child ) but it gave him the freedom to focus 100% on school, and he was successful, which helped his self esteem. As he got more independent, he was able to participate in an internship several states away. Yes, mom checked in on him a few times, but he was basically on his own.
I think some people may have thought this mom was too involved, but she “got it”- that her son was ready for college intellectually, but not emotionally, so she provided extra support until he was ready. I know of another very bright student on the spectrum who is attending school an hour away. There are so many good college choices, and I have heard of kids who are successful leaving home, but I tend to favor the idea of college not too far from home supports.</p>
<p>I do not believe that going to certain UG is very important for Computer Science. However, the best fit to personality and wide range of interest in UG is very important. I would advise to choose based on this. Many CS professionals are hired locally. They are hired by various companies in various industries and it is not possible to predict where CS graduate will end up working. The job is very interesting no matter what company/industry. The program will require great time management skills no matter where kid is going for UG, including CC. They will spent anourmous amount of time on writing and debugging computer programs. Aside from that, it is not as hard as some other majors though. Absolutely any UG that kids personally prefers is OK.</p>
<p>You might want to take a look at the University of Denver (actually, the debate is there tonight!). It is relatively easy to double major in unrelated areas there.</p>
<p>It offers a lot of academic support programs and coordinates with the CLE…you can contact the poster CardinalFang for more information on that.</p>
<p>Pennylane, your comment is probably what I needed to see. DS is a junior and we are starting the college search. I go round and round in my mind as to whether he will be able to go far from home. But honestly, he will probably need me to do what your friend did for her son.</p>
<p>Pennylane and college_mom (and anyone else who could contribute): I’m curious as to what you think about distance from your perspectives. We are looking at distance vs. all other considerations with my son, who is on the spectrum. The best schools for him as far as majors, academic rigor, size, and disability support are 4-5 hours away. The closer schools (1-2 hours) offer a fine education, but they are either too rigorous (we don’t want him overstressed), too big, or don’t offer majors that he might consider. What would you do?</p>
<p>Marsian, you know your child, and a little distance for the right fit might not be bad. You could drive there within a day. The child I mentioned was a good 6-7 hours drive from home. I would also be concerned about a school a great distance from an airport- where he/she would be taking cab/bus to an airport and a whole day to get home. Also, how independent is the student? Can he/she handle laundry and other day to day things and an academic load?
I know one child on the spectrum who went to school on the other coast, and I was curious how his parents made that decision. The nearest school was not a good fit. The school he attended was a great fit- and right near his aunt. That was key- someone supportive nearby. The other student I know about an hour from home has a single and a car. His mom knows he needs to come home and unwind sometimes.
Then there is the student. Of course he/she has a say in what major interests them- and they can be very focused. This is often what motivates them, so certainly- a supportive school with their major a few hours a way could be better than one without, or a rah rah big party school nearby.
Being on the spectrum is just one more thing to consider with “fit”, but kids are definitely so much more than that- it has to be a decision that takes everything into consideration.
I have also seen advertisements for private coaches in some areas willing to coach local college students on the spectrum, and laundry/cleaning services/ food delivery that could be potential supports.</p>
<p>I spoke to the author, and he described my son’s problems at college without me saying anything. The issues raised in the article are not just common for those with Asperger’s, but also executive function disorder and ADD.</p>
<p>One more comment on college choice. Take a close look at what type of academic assistance is available. The large, not selective state schools have big tutoring centers, with free tutoring and assistance available to all students. Son’s CTCL LAC had nothing. A student was on his own to find a tutor and hire him or her. You can imagine that a student on the spectrum wouldn’t be great at that.</p>
<p>You may ask why a smart student would need to be concerned about tutoring. Many students need assistance with a concept or two. Quite a few will ask other students on their floor, or come to the prof’s office hours. Many students on the spectrum just withdraw into themselves, don’t seek help, stop coming to class and the problem snowballs. A place called a tutoring center gives the student place to go for help that is socially “easier”.</p>
<p>“what you would suggest for a kid just like the OP’s son, but who excels in subjects like Latin, history, and social studies?..Unfortunately, my D does not excel in math or science or anything highly analytical, so that wouldn’t work academically, though it might be very good socially. She much prefers boys and their interests, to girls and their interests.”</p>
<p>There are many engineering-focused schools that need women and humanities majors. Some of these schools (MIT, Ga Tech) require a heavy STEM curriculum of their humanities majors, but others (Purdue, VA Tech) do not. She’d have thousands of engineering guys to hang out with at a school like that, and still be able to take humanities classes to her heart’s content.</p>
<p>To OP… Does your son generally get very excited about things? My son simply does not show much emotion, and even when I brought home a like new car for him to drive, he wasn’t excited or even interested in checking it out. I get the impression your daughter may be more “passionate” about things. He may be just fine and simply not be particularly hard to please, at least relative to college. Does he feel let down at this point? Sometimes we beat ourselves up when there really isn’t a big issue.</p>
<p>The college has to have sufficient CS course offerings. A college without sufficient CS offerings is unsuitable for an intended CS major (the same applies for any other subject that a student wants to major in).</p>
<p>Of course, this is not the same as general reputation or prestige. In a certain five college consortium in Massachusetts, it is the low prestige state school that has the best CS offerings, while the highest prestige LAC has very limited CS offerings.</p>