<p>Most of you are probably familiar with it, but if not, read: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome</a></p>
<p>I would say it has affected me in very serious ways. Should I mention this in a college application or not? If your answer is yes, how should I do it?</p>
<p>Just don't sound whiney or apologetic. Don't be negative about your condition. Use it from a position of strength.</p>
<p>If you will be expecting accommodations at college, you will need to mention it. If you have good SAT scores and good grades and feel you can be admitted to the colleges that interest you without any special considerations, then you should probably not mention it. In other words, if AS has not affected you academically to any great extent--even if it has affected you socially-- you should not mention it. But if you feel that your greatest strengths as an applicant result from how you have coped with AS and managed to make a success of high school in spite of the difficulties, then it could help your application. I would then make this information part of your personal essay or attach it as an "extra" essay if your schools asked for some other topic on the essay. If your recommending high school teachers know about your AS, it might make sense to discuss with them how you should handle this topic. Your apporach should be: in spite of weaknesses in this or that area, I have great strengths in these other areas that have enabled me to compensate and perhaps gain additional insights....</p>
<p>I agree with pywacket; this is exactly what my S did for some of his applications last year; although he does not receive any services he had a low verbal SAT that we really felt should be explained. In addition to writing about his strengths and passions and contributions he hoped to make to society as a result of his unique viewpoints, etc, in his own essays, he had his GC who was also the gifted program teacher do a recommendation that could address his academic potential and successes more objectively.</p>
<p>I also agree with Pyewacket. I think it's important for you to talk to your teachers writing recs about this, too. Some rec forms ask how the applicant gets along with or is respected by peers, and some forms ask about challenges the applicant has overcome. If you don't want your teachers to mention it, or if you are limiting the amount of information you want schools to have, you should discuss this with them.</p>
<p>I would take a little different approach. I would make it a point to meet with the disabilities service office at each college (in person or by phone) and ask whether you need to - or should - disclose your disability in the application process. I have talked with a few disabilities service directors who pointedly told me that it is not necessary to do so in order to receive accomodations, and others who have told me that "the admissions committee likes to know." I may be cynical but I can't help wondering if the admissions committee "likes to know" because they want to week out potential problem students from the get-go. So, talk to the disabilities office at every school and ask them about school policies. They may not all be honest with you, but I would think those that are open about admissions issues should get extra attention as strong possibilities.</p>
<p>I also thought I'd pass along these links to resources related to college planning for Asperger's students in case you haven't already found them on your own.</p>
<p>The first is an invaluable resource for Asperger's students. Written by a professor with asperger's it's entire focus is on college planning and college issues specifically for aspergers students. It includes links to colleges with asperger-specific support services:
<a href="http://www.professorsadvice.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.professorsadvice.com/</a> </p>
<p>Supporting students with Asperger's Syndrome in College: <a href="http://www.tcd.ie/disability/docs/pdf/Asperger.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.tcd.ie/disability/docs/pdf/Asperger.pdf</a> </p>
<p>Asperger's Confounds Colleges - A surge of students diagnosed with autism-related disorder poses new challenges: <a href="http://www.grasp.org/media/chr.edu.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.grasp.org/media/chr.edu.pdf</a></p>
<p>Autism Spectrum Disorders and Choosing College Courses (mother's view): <a href="http://home.att.net/%7Ecoultervideo/collegecourses.htm%5B/url%5D">http://home.att.net/~coultervideo/collegecourses.htm</a></p>
<p>mother's view of the first year of college for son with AS: <a href="http://www.aspennj.org/coulter.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.aspennj.org/coulter.html</a></p>
<p>Difference in High School and College for Students with Asperger's Syndrome: <a href="http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:kJz2AJ1AsIoJ:ds.umn.edu/disabilities/Aspergers/Differences%2520in%2520High%2520School%2520and%2520College.doc+Asperger+Syndrome+college+accommodations&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=29&ie=UTF-8%5B/url%5D">http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:kJz2AJ1AsIoJ:ds.umn.edu/disabilities/Aspergers/Differences%2520in%2520High%2520School%2520and%2520College.doc+Asperger+Syndrome+college+accommodations&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=29&ie=UTF-8</a></p>
<p>Best of luck in your college search and admissions process!</p>
<p>Wow, carolyn. I am impressed! </p>
<p>I'll be thinking about all the suggestions.</p>
<p>I know this is far from Asperger's...but I am a juvenile diabetic, and rather than writing an essay that could verge on being whiney and empathy-driven, I wrote for my EC's about my involvement in JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and the ADA (American Diabetes Association) because most of my community service was through them. I assumed they figured I had the disease or was closely tied. If you have any involvement with Asperger's or even Autism...obviously mention it within your EC's</p>
<p>Christalena,</p>
<p>Diabetes is as you say, very different from Aspergers. You probably do not have to overcome preconceived negative impressions about diabetics when people read your application. </p>
<p>Carolyn, amazingly helpful information as usual. </p>
<p>Although I am not a lawyer, I am quite sure students do NOT have to disclose disabilities in their applications in order to receive accomodations in college. Talking to the disabilities service office is probably a good idea to get an impression of the support available, but this would be available to any student, regardless of what was or was not said in the application.</p>
<p>For any diagnosis, this is private health information, and should be shared with others only if they have a legitimate need to know. For someone whose life revolves around their condition, and the random anonymous applicatin reader is unlikely to have a negative reaction, they may as well mention it. For other conditions, it is none of their business.</p>
<p>i have a nonclassified PDD(includes aspergers,rhetts syndrome, and autism in that group) im a combo of autism and aspergers but im high functioning my good friend has autism...i do act up a little like her but i do it at home i havent acted up in public since i was 3 i went to Cheeburger Cheeburger the other day w/ her b4 a movie and she was like EXSCUSE ME WAITER! to get the check she cannot control her volume and everything but i love her...shes my good friend... I also have tourettes(its very minor) and adhd
im on no meds for nething and im fine but i do need accomidations...</p>
<p>Although I am not a lawyer, I am quite sure students do NOT have to disclose disabilities in their applications in order to receive accomodations in college. >></p>
<p>Afan, Perhaps you should be an attorney, because you are absolutely correct. You do not have to disclose disabilities in admissions in order to receive accomodations. Of course, colleges do not have to guarantee specific accomodations for individual students either.</p>
<p>okay, not to be morbid or anything, but in the news is the suicide death of Burt Bacarach's daughter, who had Ausbergers. I am not suggesting by any stress the OP is in that arena, BUT as this is making the news, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor...timing is everything...on the other had, some enlightened people would be able to understand asbergers syndrome as n ot diabilitating or scary or a "threat" to the ability of the student to excel in college, but I am not saying hide it or anything, I am sayng be careful how you approach the subject in light of the news</p>
<p>recent magazine articles are very postivie regarding the various forms of autism, but when a negastive aspect hits the news, sad as it is, a person afflicted needs to really think aboujt how to broach the subject</p>
<p>Here's an extra thanks to Carolyn for assembling those research links. I forwarded them to my brother-in-law who has 3 very bright sons; the eldest at a fine university, the younger twins age 13, one with diagnosed Aspergers Syndrome. My bro-in-law manages his family's needs exceptionally well, including advocacy for his son with Asperger's and the feelings of the twin who was spared this disease.
At this time, the boys attend different schools but I hope both will be able to attend college someday. I'm sure you helped that family today, so THANK YOU CAROLYN!!</p>
<p>Paying, you made my day. Anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows that I have college information coming out of my ears, so it is always great when I get a chance to share something that might help someone. :)</p>