<p>SUNY Binghamton has a very well-regarded autism program that trains professionals to work with autistic children. I do not know about the others, but one thing you might want to consider is proximity to professionals who are up-to-date and could provide therapy or coaching to your son if necessary. Of course, College of New Jersey is in close proximity to lots of professionals as well. </p>
<p>And, again, I would look carefully at the dorm situation, outlets for socialization (clubs, volunteer organizations, etc.), and the strength of the Placement Office in helping students find appropriate part-time jobs and internships. Have your son spend some time on campus and see if he feels like he “fits in.” I would caution against any school where fraternities form a big part of the social scene.</p>
<p>As for distance, one of my friends remarked, “Far enough away that your child won’t be running home every time there is a problem, but close enough that you can get there in half a day or less to keep an eye on things.”</p>
<p>Hi,
I’m very interested in the Clark University ‘Terrible Response’ as well. My son has applied and is awaiting a decision from Clark currently. I did make a call to their disability services office to ask some questions, and after some staff debate and with me being on hold, I was transferred directly back to admissions, since ‘they didn’t talk to people before they were admitted’. I found this quite odd. Admissions, while ‘nice’ about it, had very little information to offer in regards to what Disability Services would/could do to help. It was frustrating, especially given they are listed as one of the ‘Colleges that Change Lives’ and tout a ‘quirky’ student body, etc. </p>
<p>I am quite worried about all of this. Choosing the right college is hard enough, let alone not knowing if help is needed once there, how accessible it truly will be. All the research in the world does not always equate to what reality will bring. RWU did seem to have a good program for support.</p>
<p>On our college visits, I’ve tried to measure plain old living logistics [from academic registration to housing], how friendly the administration was, how happy the students seemed, and how responsive they were in general to questions. If things don’t seem kosher when they are trying to entice you to apply or attend, then once they have you, it’s doubtful that things would improve. Several colleges sent up red flags to me, and one we simply dropped from the list altogether, while the jury is still out on two others my son is awaiting decisions. </p>
<p>Would love to hear positive/negative experiences from others. My son has chosen to not self-identify with the app. process, and only plans to seek services if he needs help. Given the struggles at the start of his senior year, we also decided against any colleges that were too far away, so he could come home on weekends to de-compress whenever he needs to, in fact some are close enough to come home for supper. It may take that in order for the adjustment to go more smoothly, to be honest. But we’ll have to wait and see!</p>
<p>This makes so much rational sense! And while this principle may not be true in this case, do keep it in mind: It is very common for schools to be really good at teaching/training/research in an area; but at the same time, not apply it to their own environment. Examples might include a top comp sci school that has crap websites and computing facilities campus-wide; unis with top business schools that are poorly managed; the best finance programs that have terribly managed their endowments. </p>
<p>It’s a paradox, but there is often a completely and total disconnect between what professors and research centers do on campus, and the infrastructure staff and management that run the university. Really two very different entities that do not necessarily communicate.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree with the disconnect between the school’s rep & some the services that may/may not be provided. USC is pretty well regarded in engineering, but S is VERY unhappy with it’s website & e-mail. He finds it odd that they don’t offer their alums a chance to keep their USC accounts, unlike Harvard & many other Us. He says with his experiences, he’s not sure he’d keep it.</p>
<p>We did consider proximity to good quality medical care in our S’s U, as well as proximity to close friends/family. There was no school he was interested in that was w/in a close distance to our home.</p>
<p>May I ask why you are very interested in Clark? We went to tour the U. of Texas at Dallas and thought it was a great school. Everyone gets their own bedroom as part of apartment style housing. There is no need to apply for a single room. The buildings were new, airy, spacious–very comfortable for a child who needs quiet and space. There were plenty of fun things on campus (pool tables, ping pong tables, basketball nets, etc.) which were socially engaging without pressure. The students were studious and there was no wild party atmosphere. My main problem is being out of state-more expensive tuition for OOS and harder to get in as a freshman (easier as a transfer student). This school is on our list and I think anyone who has Aspergers should look at the academics to see if there is a fit.</p>
<p>Hi mdcissp,
The reason I was asking Ms. P is because she withdrew her application from Clark which raised a red flag for me. I had previously called the Clark Disabilities Office to ask about resources and after hearing my questions, they put me on hold, then decided to transfer me back to admissions, telling me that they don’t talk to anyone until they were admitted. Admissions could only say that ‘yes’ they’re ‘pretty sure’ that they’ve had students with AS be successful at Clark. I was not happy with the whole thing and thought it a bit unprofessional that the Disability Office would not answer questions for a prospective student’s family. I’ve never encountered that at any of the other colleges. </p>
<p>As far as distance, yes, we are looking at schools within a 4 hour drive of our home that would allow weekend visits.</p>
<p>Often a university or even a Disabilities Office will not know how many students diagnosed with AS have been successful at their school, although I suppose they would know if students have had to leave because of AS-related issues. (Heck, even our high school had no idea…)Many students who had iep’s all the way through school do not declare themselves, and others choose a “less stigmatizing” label such as ADHD, specific LD, or NVLD. Still others prefer to handle matters informally, class by class, and see professionals privately on their parents’ insurance.</p>
<p>A Disabilities Office should know how many have gotten specific accommodations, though, even if they do not know whether students are getting help privately.</p>
<p>Once a student has been accepted, it can be helpful to have a trusted professional familiar with a student make some phone calls to colleagues at or near the schools in question, to ask about “fit” and availability of help both within and outside of the Disabilities Office if needed.</p>
<p>Yes, but I wasn’t asking any real pointed or specific questions… I just told them I was wondering about the process, for a student who does or does not self-identify, etc. My son did not identify on his applications, and will only seek services if needed. That’s not to say we would wait until things fell apart, if it appeared things were amiss.<br>
Places like Roger Williams were very upfront about their tutoring services, and even had a break out session for students and parents to ask questions during the Open House. That was all before we even applied!<br>
Having this be the second time around with the college process, I’m pretty intuned to taking note of the little things that can come back to haunt you. Don’t need to have any Buyers Remorse next November or Monday morning quarterbacking guilt.<br>
When it all comes down to it, this whole thing is a business and we as parents have a responsibility to do our homework, and also get what we pay for …which right now is way out of whack at some schools. Hope that doesn’t sound cynical. Having a bad week with both parents in two different hospitals! [sigh]</p>
<p>Hi my daughter will be attending SUNY NP. Have been in touch with Dis Ofc and Counseling Center. She may need some outside resources like a life coach. Does anyone know of any specific person in NP that lead me to AS resources there?</p>
<p>I am starting to look at colleges for my son with Asperger’s. He is entering 11th grade next year. He is an avid reader, loves drawing and computers. He is interested in majoring in Graphic Design.</p>
<p>I would suggest looking one thats closer to home. Mine is about 60ish miles from home, far enough that i have to stay on campus yet close enough that i can visit on the weekends. Also, contact the head of the DA office, more likely then not they may be willing to answer any questions you may have.</p>
<p>First, I suggest you start a whole new thread for your needs. Each kid who has Asperger’s, as you may guess, has unique needs. Just hit “Start New thread”. </p>
<p>Second, I suggest you take a look through one book that’s rather helpful, Colleges That Change Lives, by Loren Pope. It lists a number of colleges mentioned here, including Clark University.</p>
<p>Although it doesn’t sound like mdcissp’s son needs this level of support, another program to consider is the College Internship Program, which provides tiered levels of support for developing independent living skills for students with AS/ADD & other LD’s. The program is run in several locations in the country and feeds in to a variety of community colleges, state colleges, etc in each region. The program is expensive although some of the fees can be offset by health insurance, etc.
[Comprehensive</a> College Support Programs for Asperger’s and Learning Differences](<a href=“http://www.collegeinternshipprogram.com/]Comprehensive”>http://www.collegeinternshipprogram.com/)</p>
<p>Thanks for pointing this out, but the Support Program is way too expensive for us. I am also a bit concerned that a school which supports “Aspergers” is suggesting you consult your tax accountant to see if you can get a medical deduction for a school which serves physically and mentally disabled students. Asperger’s is NOT a physical or mental disability. Asperger’s is a social skills need. Of course, it is possible to have an Asperger’s personality plus a physical or mental disability.</p>
<p>mdcissp: Some additional clarification here: The CIP program is not in itself a college but rather a supported living environment that teaches independent living and social skills development. They are located in college communities with access to 3 or 4 different local colleges. Each participant in the CIP program would be expected to apply and enroll in one of the local schools.</p>
<p>It sounds like your son may only be dealing with the social skills aspects of AS. If so, he is very high functioning and you are very fortunate. There are a number of other elements to AS, including sometimes profound executive function and LD impairments. AS is considered a psychiatric disorder and has a DSM-IV diagnostic code. Because of this, educational expenses for specialized schools and/or therapy programs (such as social skills programs) can be either covered by your health insurance or be medically deductible expenses on your tax return.</p>
<p>My S is entering his sophomore year at one of the few high schools in the country (I believe there are only 5) that work exclusively with kids with AS and NLD. With proper medical referral and authorization, we are able to claim his tuition expenses as medical deductions on our taxes.</p>
<p>Aside from CIP, the Asperger’s support program at Marshall U. is substantially less expensive and tuition at Marshall is pretty reasonable as well. The university seems to have a very strong commitment to supporting many types of LD, including a program to assist LD students through medical school.</p>