Emerging Practices for Supporting Students
on the Autism Spectrum in Higher Education:
A Gu i d e f o r
H igher Ed u c a t i o n
P ro f e s s i o n al s
EmergingPracticesforSupportingStudentsontheAutismSpectruminHigherEducation:
AGuideforHigherEducationProfessionals
LeadInstitution
RochesterInstituteofTechnology
CollaboratingInstitutions
EasternUniversity
MercyhurstUniversity
RutgersUniversity--NewBrunswick
TheUniversityofTennesseeatChattanooga
UniversityofWestFlorida
WesternKentuckyUniversity
Consultant
CollegeAutismSpectrum
GuideContributors
LaurieAckles,Director,SpectrumSupportProgram,RochesterInstituteofTechnology
MartyBoman,Director,KellyAutismProgram,WesternKentuckyUniversity
JaneThierfeldBrown,Co-founder,CollegeAutismSpectrum
DouglasCornman,Coordinator,CollegeSuccessProgram,EasternUniversity
PamelaLubbers,ProgramCoordinator,CollegeSupportProgram,RutgersUniversity–NewBrunswick
BradMcGarry,Director,AspergerInitiativeatMercyhurst,MercyhurstUniversity
MichelleRigler,Director,TheMosaicProgram,TheUniversityofTennesseeatChattanooga
OtherContributors
NicoleBoulais,RochesterInstituteofTechnology
JoshuaBauroth,RochesterInstituteofTechnology
LornaBusch,RochesterInstituteofTechnology
VanneeCao-Nguyen,Director,StudentDisabilityResourceCenter,UniversityofWestFlorida
Disclaimer;Theviewsandideasexpressedhereinarethoseofthecontributorsanddonot
necessarilyreflectthoseofAutismSpeaksoranyotherinstitution.
FundingforthispublicationprovidedbytheAutismSpeaksFamilyServicesCommunityGrant.
TableofContents
WhatIsAutismSpectrumDisorder?............................................................................ 2
UniqueStrengthsandChallengesofCollegeStudentswithASD................................. 3
ExecutiveFunctioning
AcademicSkills
Self-Care
SocialCompetence
Self-Advocacy
CareerPreparation
UniqueOpportunitiesandChallengesintheCollegeEnvironment............................. 5
RightsandResponsibilities
IndependentFunctioning
TakingAction:MitigatingStudentandEnvironmentalChallenges................................ 7
IndirectSupport:CreatingaWelcomingandSupportiveCampusClimate
RaisingAwarenessandAcceptance
TrainingtheCampusCommunity
DevelopingCampusExpertise
EnhancingExistingProgramsandServices
DirectSupport:DevelopingTargetedServicesforStudentswithASD
CoachingandMentoring
TargetedInstruction
TransitionProgramming
SupportedLiving
SocialProgramming
StudentEmpowerment
Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students with ASD.................................. 12
GettingStarted:AssemblingaTaskForce
IssuesofDisclosure
ProfessionalDisclosure
StudentDisclosure
ConsiderationsfortheDevelopmentofaComprehensiveProgramModel
EstablishingProgramAdmissionCriteriaandIntakeProcess
ProgramStaffing
ProgramFunding
EvaluatingProgramSuccess
SupportModelPlanningWorksheet........................................................................... 18
References................................................................................................................. 23
ExistingComprehensiveProgramModels................................................................... 24
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Currently,onlyalimitednumberofcollegesacrossthenationofferspecializedsupportsthat
addresstheneedsoftheincreasingnumberofcollegestudentsontheautismspectrumpursuingpostsecondarydegrees.However,the1in125childrendiagnosedwithanautismspectrumdisorder(ASD)in
1996arestartingtoarriveatcollegecampuses,andmorerecentnumbersindicatethediagnosisratehas
risento1in68,overhalfofwhomwillhaveaverageoraboveaverageintellectualabilityandbecollegebound(CDC,2014).Thesedramaticallyincreasingnumberswithinhighereducationwillchangethenatureofhowwesupportstudents,yetthereisalackofinformationavailableconcerningeffectivesupport
models.Toaddressthescarcityofinformation,thisguideincorporatestheideasandsuccessfulpractices
ofhighereducationprofessionalsatpostsecondaryinstitutionswhohaveworkedwiththeiruniversities
toestablisheffectivesupportsforstudentswithASD.Itisthegoalofthiscollaborativeefforttofacilitate
thedevelopmentofpostsecondaryinitiativestoensurethatstudentswithASDwillfindsupportincampus
communitiesnationwide.Thisguidewillprovidehighereducationprofessionalswithasystematicand
practicalresourcetoguidetheminthedevelopmentofauniversityspecificsupportmodelforstudents
withASD.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Thetwomaindistinguishingfeaturesofautismspectrumdisorder(ASD)aredifficultywithsocial
communication,andrestricted,repetitivebehaviorsorinterests(DiagnosticandStatisticalManualof
MentalDisorders;DSM-V,2013).Characteristicscommoninautismspectrumdisordersincludearelianceonrigidroutines,heightenedsensitivitytosensorystimuli,anddifficultyregulatingandexpressing
emotions.Thesetraits,whichareunderstoodtohaveaneurodevelopmentaletiology,varygreatlyinpresentationandintensity,makingthisahighlyheterogeneouspopulation.Thisheterogeneityisalsoreflectedintermsandlabelsusedovertime.Forexample,thetermsAsperger’sSyndrome(AS)andhighfunctioningautism(HFA)havehistoricallybeenusedtoreferencethoseonthespectrumwithmildautistic
traits.ASDwasofficiallyrecognizedasadiagnosisinthe1990s,afterwhichtheincidencehascontinued
torisedramatically.Therecentsurgeindiagnoses(to1in68)maybeduetoarisingawarenessofASD,
broaderdiagnosticcriteria,or,assomehavespeculated,possibleexposuretobiologicalandenvironmentaletiologicalfactors(Boyd&Shaw,2010).Whatevertherootcause,thegrowingprevalenceofASD
coupledwithincreasesinK-12supportsforthispopulationhasresultedinrapidlyincreasingnumbers
ofstudentswithASDenteringpostsecondaryinstitutions.Whilethesestudentsareoftenintellectually
capableofmasteringcollegelevelcoursematerial,thechallengeswhichstemfromthecommoncharacteristicsofASDcanposesignificanthurdlestothesuccessfulcompletionofapostsecondarydegree.In
addition,itisimportanttonotethatmanystudentswithASDenteringcollegealsofallinthetraditional
18-25yearoldcollegecohortandbringwiththemthesamedevelopmentalchallengesfacedbytheir
peerswithoutASD(typicallydevelopingpeers).Theseincludeidentity,cognitiveandmoraldevelopment
challenges.Therefore,itisessentialtokeepinmindthecommondevelopmentalneedsofthisagegroup
whileunderstandingthedistinctneedsofthispopulationinordertohelpthemsucceedinpostsecondary
education,pursuetheircareergoals,andcontributetothediverseandskilledworkforceofthefuture.
It is the goal to ensure that students with
ASD find support in campus
communities nationwide.
3
Unique Strengths and Challenges of College
Students with ASD
Unique Strengths and Challenges of College Students with ASD
IndividualswithASDpossessuniquestrengthsthatcanhelpthemexcelinacademicsaswellas
otherliferealms.Thesecharacteristicsoftenincludeahighmotivationtolearnwithinfocusedareasof
interest,apropensityforvisuallearning,skilledrotememory,andsuperiormathskills.Inaddition,they
bringadiverseperspectivetoproblem-solving,canbemeticulousaboutperfectingtheirwork,haveaneye
fordetail,andoftenhaveauniquelylogicalwayofthinkingthataffordsthemtheabilitytoarriveatpracticalsolutions.WhilestudentswithASDarriveatcollegewithmanyfavorablequalities,certainskillsetsare
typicallyunderdevelopedandthereforenegativelyimpactthetransitionintoandpersistencethoughcollegeaswellastheirpost-collegeplacementintheworkforce.Theseskillsetshavebeencategorizedand
groupedintosixdomainsinordertohelpthereaderbetterunderstandtheprominentareasofchallenge
andultimatelytoassisthighereducationpersonnelinchoosingpracticesthatmightmosteffectivelyhelp
studentswithASDreachtheirpotential.Thesixdomains,whichhavebeenidentifiedbyreviewingexisting
literatureandbyconsultingwithexpertsinthefield,include:ExecutiveFunctioning,AcademicSkills,
Self-Care,SocialCompetence,Self-Advocacy,andCareerPreparation.
Executive Functioning
Executivefunctioningreferstothecognitiveprocessesthatallowforgoal-directedactivity.
Theseprefrontalcortexcapacitiesincludeorganization,workingmemory,complexproblemsolving,
sustainedattention,andself-regulation(Parker,D.R.&Boutelle,K.,2009).Deficitsinexecutivefunctioningcanmakedailytasks,suchasorganizingacademicwork,challengingandcanalsomakeitdifficultto
controlemotionalandbehavioralimpulses.
IndividualswithASDpossessvaryingdegreesofexecutivefunctioningdeficit,whichcanmakeit
difficulttoadapttotheorganizationalaspectsofindependentlivingandself-directedlearningrequiredfor
collegesuccess.Whileoftenfullycapableofmasteringcoursecontent,thesestudentssometimesstruggle
tocarryouttheactions(e.g.,planning,prioritizing)necessarytoinitiateandcompleteacademicwork.
Duringhighschool,consistentsupport,oversightandguidancefromfamilyand/orschoolpersonnelmay
havefacilitatedsuccess;however,inthepostsecondaryworld,theseexternalsupportsareoftenlimitedor
nolongerreadilyavailable.
Academic Skills
Academicskillsrefertospecificstrategiesandtechniquesthatenablesuccessfullearningandacademicprogress.Examplesincludetestpreparation,note-taking,textbookreading,library/researchskills,
writingcompetency,andworkingwithinone’slearningstyle.
Foralltransitioningcollegestudents,aninitialadjustmenttotherigorofcollege-levelcoursework
iscommonandexpected.Typicallydevelopingstudentsadaptbymonitoringacademicprogressand
applyingnew studytacticswhennecessary.Ontheotherhand,studentswithASD,manyofwhomhave
successfullynavigatedhighschoolacademicswithrudimentaryacademicstrategies,canstrugglewitha
rigidtendencytostickwiththefamiliar.Thistendencycanlimittheflexibilityneededtochangelearning
methodsandapplynewstrategiesinresponsetovariedteachingstylesordiverseacademicdisciplines.
Althoughtheyoftenpossessstronglanguageskills,collegestudentswithASDmaystrugglewithcollegelevelwritingduetoproblemswithorganization,abstractlanguage,andperspectivetaking,aswellas
practicallimitationsresultingfromunderdevelopedfinemotorcoordination.Withoutspecificinstruction
intheseareas,studentswithASDcanstrugglewithlearningandapplyingthestrategiesnecessaryforacademicsuccess.
Self-Care
Self-careinvolvesmaintainingone’spersonalwellness,includingsleep,hygiene,exercise,nutrition,sensoryintegration,stressmanagement,medicationmanagementandbudgeting.Inessence,this
domaincorrespondstocultivatingoptimalwell-beingandtakingresponsibilityforone’shealth.
Whilethetransitionfromchildhoodtoadulthoodrepresentsatimeinwhichindividualsgradually
takeownershipofprovidingfortheirownneeds,studentswithASDmayneedadditionaltimetodevelopindependenceintheareaofself-care.StudentswithASDfrequentlystruggletomaintainconsistent
4
Unique Strengths and Challenges of College
Students with ASD
hygieneandsleeppatternsandmayhavedifficultyindependentlymanagingmedicationsnecessaryfor
focusandstabilityofco-occurringconditionssuchasattentiondeficitdisorders,anxiety,anddepression.
Asaresult,studentswithASDmaystruggletofunctionadequatelyenoughtomeetexpanding
academicresponsibilities.Collegelifeisalsofullofnewandvariedstimuli(e.g.,firealarms,crowded
dininghalls,constantsocialization,etc.)thatmakeitparticularlydifficultforthosewithsensoryintegrationchallenges.Withouteffectivewaystohandlesensoryoverloadandotherstressors,studentswith
ASDcanbecomeoverwhelmedandmayresorttofamiliarself-soothingtendencies,suchasrockingor
pacing.Thesetendenciescouldbeperceivedassociallyinappropriate,leadingstudentswithASDto
becomeincreasinglyisolatedfrompeers.
Social Competence
Socialcompetencereferstotheabilitytorelatetoothersandisaffectedbyhowanindividual
understandsandrespondstoverbalandnonverbalcommunication.Includedinthisdomainarethe
interpretationofothers’thoughtsandfeelings,socialreciprocity,andcomprehensionoflanguage
pragmatics(Tager-Flusbert,1999).Inessence,socialcompetenceistheabilitytogetalongwithothers;
acriticalskillforestablishingandmaintainingpersonalandprofessionalrelationshipsbothduringand
afterthehighereducationexperience.
Whilemostpeopledevelopmasteryoftheintuitivenatureofsocialinteractioninearlychildhood,thoseontheautismspectrumoftendon’tformthesameunderstandingofsocialrelatednessor
possessthesamesocialskillset(Stichter,et.al,2010).Thisdeficitmakesnavigatingthesociallyladen
atmosphereofcollegeparticularlydifficultforstudentswithASD.Challengeswithinitiatingconversationsandtheinabilitytoreadsocialcuesleadstofailedattemptstoconnectwithpeersandultimately
contributestoisolationandloneliness.StudentswithASDalsotendtointerpretcommunicationliterally,makingitdifficulttounderstandsarcasm,aswellassocialandclassroomnorms.Additionally,
studentswithASDoftenpossessexcellentvocabulariesandcanappearhighlyarticulate,whichcan
leadothers(peers,faculty,oradministrators)tomisinterpretsocialdifficultiesasdisrespectorindifference.
Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacyreferstoknowingandcommunicatingone’sneedswhileunderstandingcorrespondingrights,responsibilitiesandresources(Brinckerhoff,L.C.,1994).Paramounttosuccessinthis
domainareself-awareness,thecapacitytoanticipatechallenges,andtheabilitytoaccessappropriate
resources.
Throughouttheprimaryandsecondaryeducationalprocess,parentsand/orschoolpersonnel
oftenidentifyandplansupportsforstudentswithASD,providinglittleopportunityforthesestudentsto
developandpracticetheself-advocacyskillsnecessaryatthecollegelevel.Thisbecomesachallengein
thecollegeenvironmentastheprocessforrequestingaccommodationsandaccessingsupportservices
requiresassertiveindependentactiononthepartofthestudent.Additionally,difficultieswithplanning,
personalflexibility,andsocialcommunication,makeithardforstudentswithASDtorecognizehow
andwhentoaskforhelp,oftenresultinginafailuretoaccessadequateandtimelysupport.
Career Preparation
Careerpreparationreferstovocationalexploration,thejobsearchandapplicationprocesses,
aswellasgainingappropriateworkexperience.Includedinthisdomainaretheskillsofnetworking,
resume-writing,interviewing,andnavigatingthesocialworldofwork.Theimportanceofcareerdevelopmentduringthecollegeyearscannotbeunderestimatedgiventhatsecuringfulfillingemploymentis
oneoftheultimategoalsofhighereducation.
Whilepostsecondaryinstitutionsareintegratingcareerpreparationinitiativesatearlierstages
ofthecollegeexperience,theseinitiativestypicallyfailtoaddressthespecificchallengesofindividualswithASD,whooftenfindthemselvesunderemployed(Wehmanetal.,2014).Collegeeducated
5
Unique Opportunities and Challenges in the
College Environment
studentsontheautismspectrummaystruggletotransferknowledgeandskillstoemploymentsettings.In
addition,theirsocialinteractionstylecanunderminetheirchancesofsuccessinaninterview,wherecandidatefitisoftenbasedon“soft-skills”(e.g.,personalcharacteristicsandinterpersonalrelations)rather
thanmeasurableskillsoreducationalbackground.Oncehired,theindirectsocialcontextofworkcanbe
confusingandsensoryintegrationissuescanmakeitdifficulttofunctioninworkenvironmentswithout
appropriateaccommodationsandsupportivemanagement.
EachindividualstudentwithASD,liketheirtypicallydevelopingpeers,enterscollegewith
a uniquesetofstrengthsandchallenges.Thedomainsdescribedaboverepresentsomeofthemost
prevalentareasofconcernasstudentswithASDtransitionintoandstrivetofindsuccessincollegeand
beyond.Additionally,it’simportanttoconsidertherealitiesofthecollegeenvironmentthatmaypresent
furtherchallenges,addingtothedifficultiesthatsomestudentshaveinearningapost-secondarydegree.
Someofthesefactorsareaddressedinthefollowingsection.
While students with ASD arrive at
college with many favorable qualities,
certain skill sets are underdeveloped.
Unique Opportunities and Challenges in the College Environment
Institutionsofhighereducationhavedevelopedsupportstructuresandcommonpracticesin
responsetothevaryingneedsofcollegestudents.Forexample,manycollegeshavewritingcentersto
aidstudentsinthedraftingprocessforcourseassignments,tutorservicestoassiststudentsinmastering
collegelevelcontent,andcounselingcenterstoaddressthementalhealthneedsofstudents.Campus
disabilitycentersensureequalaccessforstudentswithdisabilitiesandmulticulturalcentershelpenhance
thecollegeexperienceforstudentsfromdiverseethnicandculturalbackgrounds.Evenwitharobust
frameworkofservices,studentswithASDoftenstruggletoadjusttothecomplexitiesofnavigatingacollegesystemandthereforedon’tbenefitfromthetraditionalsupportstructures.Addingtothechallenge
forthispopulationisadjustingtothecomplexshiftfromhighschooltocollege.Thistransitionincludes
changesinlegalmandatesthatimpactastudent’srightsandresponsibilitiesaswellasadjustmentstoa
newandincreasedlevelofindependentfunctioning.
Rights and Responsibilities
Therightsandresponsibilitiesforstudentswithdisabilitieschangeconsiderablyuponentering
postsecondaryeducation.Inhighschool,theIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA)emphasizesstudentsuccess,andguaranteesafreeandappropriateeducationintheleastrestrictiveenvironment.Schooldistrictstakeresponsibilityforidentifyingstudents’needs,determiningmodificationsand
implementingaplanforsuccessbasedonastudent’sIndividualizedEducationPlan(IEP).Inhighschool,
accommodationsmayincludesignificantmodificationstocurriculum,testingformatorgrading.Additionally,schooldistrictscoverthecostofevaluationanddocumentationandparentsorcaregiversplaya
primaryroleasadvocates.
Uponenteringcollege,IDEAisreplacedbysupportfromcivilrightsmandates,theAmericans
withDisabilitiesAct(ADA)of1990,ADAAmendmentsActof2008andSection504oftheRehabilitation
Actof1973,whichemphasizeaccesstoeducation.Postsecondarystudentsmustseekoutservicesby
self-identifyingasastudentwithadisabilitytotheappropriateoffice,providingdisabilitydocumentation
andsubmittingarequestforaccommodations.Whileparentsplayanimportantroleinpreparingtheir
6
Unique Opportunities and Challenges in the
College Environment
studentsforthecollegeexperience,studentsmustinitiatetheaccommodationsprocessandcommunicatetheirownneeds,withlimitedparentalsupport.Accommodationsinthecollegeenvironmentdonot
altercourseworkordegreerequirementsandaremeantonlytoremovebarriersandensurethatanotherwisequalifiedstudenthasanequalopportunitytoparticipateinacademicprogramswithlittletailoring
toindividualneeds(Thomas,S.B.,2000).
Inadditiontochangesinlegalmandates,theremayalsobepracticaldifferencesintheway
servicesareofferedinhighereducation.Whilesomesupportsmaybeofferedintheformofapproved
accommodations,otherneedsarecommonlyaddressedthroughself-accommodationormaybecovered
bynoncompulsory,supplementalstudentservices.Forexample,astudentwhoreceivedanaccommodationforpreferentialseatinginhighschoolmaybeexpectedtoarrivetoacollegeclassearlytosecure
apreferredseatlocationontheirown.Forsomestudents,theaccommodationsreceivedaspartofa
highschoolIEPmaynotbedeemedreasonableinthecollegesettingandmayinsteadbeaddressedby
non-mandated,supplementalsupportservicesinthepostsecondarysetting.Forexample,astudentwho
receivedhomeworksupportorindividualizedinstructionfromaspecialeducationteacherorpersonal
aidaspartofanIEPmaynotreceivesuchsupportasanaccommodationincollegebutinsteadwillbe
expectedtoseekoutthetutoringoracademicsupportservicesavailabletothegeneralcampuspopulation.WhileinstitutionsofhighereducationhavedevelopedpathwaysandsupportstomeetADArequirementsforstudentswithdisabilities,someoftheuniquesupportstypicallyneededbystudentswithASD
areoftennotaddressedwithinatraditionalaccommodationsorcollegesupportservicesframework.For
example,traditionalaccommodationsandservicesdonottypicallyaddressthesocialdeficitsorskill
developmentthatmighthelpenhancetheparticipationandperformanceforstudentswithASD.
Notonlyaresupportslessenedanddecentralizedfromhighschooltocollege,butbehavioral
expectationsandconsequencesfornoncompliancealsodiffer.Forexample,IDEArequiresthatastudent’sdisabilitybetakenintoaccountwhenconsideringdisciplinaryactionresultingfromaviolationof
theschoolcodeofconduct.Thisisnotthecaseinhighereducation,wherestudentsfoundinviolationof
conductrulesareheldfullyaccountablefortheirbehaviorregardlessofdisability.Thiscanbeespecially
problematicforstudentswithASDwhomayhavedifficultyrecognizingsocialnormsandunderstanding
behavioralexpectationsandmaystrugglewithfunctioningappropriatelyinlessstructuredcollegeenvironments.
Independent Functioning
Beyondissuesofdisabilitymandatesandexpectationsforsupportservices,studentswithASD
strugglewiththeincreasedneedforindependentfunctioningrequiredinacollegeenvironment.While
theindependentlivingrequirementsofcollegecanbeadifficultadjustmentforallstudents,studentswith
ASDmayfindthetransitionespeciallychallengingastheyfaceindependencefromcaregiversandeducationalprofessionalswhohaveassistedtheminmeetingmanyoftheirdailyneeds.Collegestudents,workingtowardbecomingfullyfunctioningadults,areexpectedtotakemoreresponsibilityfornavigatingthe
environmenttomeettheirownneeds.ForstudentswithASD,whoareaccustomedtoamorecentralized
highschoolsupportstructure,independentlymaintainingpersonalcareroutines,managingmedications,
organizingdailyschedulesandappointmentsandseekingoutneededresourcesinamoredecentralized
collegeenvironmentcanbeoverwhelming.
Collegeisasocially-ladenenvironmentandthereforedifficultforindividualswhohavebeendependentonadultstoassistwithpeerconnections.Laggingbehindtheirtypicallydevelopingcounterparts
inemotionalandsocialdevelopment,studentswithASDcanbeperceivedasnaïveandbevulnerable
tobullying.Withminimaladultmonitoringofpeerinteractionswithinpostsecondarysettings,victimizationofthosewithASDcanbecommon.Suchchallengesareespeciallyprominentinresidentialcolleges
wherestudentsexperiencehighlevelsoffluidsocialinteractionandlargeamountsofunstructuredand
unsupervisedtime.ForstudentswithASD,unanticipatedsocialandlivingchallengesdistractfromthe
learningprocessandcannegativelyimpactsuccessintheclassroom.
Therealitiespresentedasaresultofchangingrightsandresponsibilitiesandrequirementsfor
increasedindependentfunctioning,makethetransitiontoandsuccessincollegeespeciallychallenging
forstudentswithASD.Significantcollegeresourcesaredevotedtosupportingallstudentsthroughthe
7
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental
Challenges
collegetransitionprocesswithstandardinitiativessuchasfirst-yearseminars,academicsupports,and
cocurricularprogrammingopportunities.Whilethiscommitmenthasbecomeacommonfeatureacross
highereducationandistheresultofmanyyearsofrepetitionandrefinement,thereisagrowingneedto
modifystandardpracticesorcreatespeciallydesignedsupportstomeettheuniqueneedsoftheincreasingpopulationofstudentswithASD.
The scarcity of targeted support services
has a negative impact on the outcomes for
students with ASD on college campuses.
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental Challenges
Asoutlinedintheprevioussections,studentswithASDoncollegecampusestodayfaceamyriad
ofchallengesbasedondiscrepanciesbetweentheuniqueneedsoftheindividualandthecustomary
collegeenvironmentsupports.Thissectionoftheguideservestooutlinewaysinwhichcollegescan
worktomitigatethebarrierstosuccessforstudentswithASD.NOTE: The specific recommendations and
examples provided are based on the practical experience and successful outcomes from the collaborating
institutions and contributors to this guide.
Whetherstemmingfromindividualorinstitutionalrealities,thechallengesfacingstudentswith
ASDcanbecomplexandmostinstitutionslackadequateand/orintentionallydesignedassistance.The
scarcityoftargetedsupportserviceshasanegativeimpactontheoutcomesforstudentswithASDon
collegecampuses,makingitdifficultforthemtoreachtheirpotentialasindependentemployedadults
(Gerhardt&Lainer,2011).EmergingpracticesdictatethatensuringthesuccessofstudentswithASDin
highereducationrequirestwotypesofsupports:thosethatindirectlyimpactstudentoutcomesbycreatingawelcomingandsupportivecampusclimate;andthosethatdirectlyassistindividualswithASD
throughspecificservices.BuildingamoreinclusiveandacceptingcampuscommunitycanhaveasubstantialimpactontheexperienceandsuccessofstudentswithASD.Furthermore,studentswithASDwill
onlybenefitfromspecializeddirectsupportswhenimplementedwithinacampusculturethatembraces
themasimportantmembersofthecampuscommunity.
Indirect Support
Creating a Welcoming and Supportive Campus Climate
OneofthebestwaystoimprovetheexperienceandlearningoutcomesforstudentswithASD
isthroughapositiveshiftinthecampusclimate,withafocusoninfluencingthebroadercommunity’s
attitudesandunderstandingofwhatstudentswithASDbringtothecampuscommunity.Thisapproach
benefitsallstudents,includingstudentswhomaysharesomeofthecharacteristicsofthoseontheautism
spectrum,orthosediagnosedwithASDwhochoosenottodiscloseoridentifythemselvesassuch.Shiftingcampusculturecanbeanarduoustaskandrequiresalong-termandsustainedcommitment–but
developingafocusononeorallofthefollowingareashasbeenshowntoestablishafoundationforthis
change.
8
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental
Challenges
Raising Awareness and Acceptance
IndirectlysupportingstudentswithASDbycreatingasupportivecampusenvironmentcanbegin
withawareness-raisingeventsandintentionaleffortstoincreaseunderstandingandacceptance.Thereis
anoverallmovementinhighereducationtobemoreproactiveinintegratingpopulationswhoaretraditionallyunderrepresentedoncampuses.Amovetowardsincludingpeoplewithdisabilitiesasaformof
humandiversitycanbeaplatformforincorporatingunderrepresentedgroupsintomulticulturalcelebrationsanddiversityappreciationevents.AutismAwarenessMonth(April)canbeavenueforeducatingthe
campuscommunitythroughspecialevents,presentationsandthoughtfuldiscussionsledbyguestspeakers,students,orsiblingsofthoseontheautismspectrum.CampuscommunitymembersinterestedinprovidingsupporttostudentswithASDmayalsobenefitfromtheimplementationofallyorsupportgroups,
creatingaplacewherememberscanshareexperiences,gaingreaterunderstandingandhelppromote
positivecultural change.MediaexposurehighlightingtheachievementsofindividualswithASD
canalsoenhancecommunityawarenessatlittleornocost.Campuslifeleadersandotherswhoplan
communityeventsshouldbeencouragedtoimproveinclusivityintheireventplanningbyconsidering
theneedsofthosewithsensoryandenvironmentalsensitivities,allowingstudentswithASDtobemore
fullyincludedinbroadeducationalandsocialexperiences.
Training the Campus Community
Anothereffectivemechanismthatservesasabasisforaninclusivecollegeenvironmentis
campus-widetraining,whichhasbeenusedinsupportofmanydiverseinitiativesacrossacademia.Such
trainingcanbutneednotbemandatoryinnature.Toensurehigherleveladministrativesupportfortraining,theseinitiativescanbeginwithdirectors,administrators,andmanagers;andworkdowntoinclude
allwhoservestudents(e.g.,labinstructors,teachingassistants,tutors,academicadvisors,campuspolice
officers,“front-line”officestaff,admissionsofficers,financialaidcounselors,campushealthprofessionals,etc.)Position-specifictraininghelpsstaffunderstandthetypesofsituationstheymayencounterwithin
theirroles;writingtutorsmayneedtochangetheirapproachforstudentswhostruggletograspdiverse
viewpoints;andcafeteriastaffcanbemoreawareofdietarysensitivitiesandfoodaversions.
Ideally,campus-widetrainingwilloccurannuallyforsomegroups(e.g.,residencelifeandstudentorientationstafftraining),oronanas-neededbasisforothers(e.g.,departmentalrequestsanddivisionlevelmeetings),oritmaytaketheformofatrainingpacket,sharedelectronically,thatincludesitems
suchasfactsheets,trainingvideosandlinkstorelevantarticles.Providingongoingprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesallowsfortheinclusionofnewemployeesandthosehiredonatemporarybasis(e.g.,
adjunctfaculty),whomayhavelimitedaccesstouniversitytrainingresources.
Therearemanyeffectivestrategiesforthedeliveryofsuchtraining,includinghelpingparticipants
considertheirownpersonalconnectionstoautism.Identifyingpersonalconnectionsallowsparticipants
tomoreeasilyrelatetothechallengesandrealitiesforcollegestudentswithASD,whichcanincrease
empathyandpositiveperceptions.Additionally,studentswithASDorthosewithsiblingsontheautism
spectrumcanbebroughtintothetrainingprocesstosharefirst-handexperiences.Anopendialogue
format,managedwithappropriatesensitivity,encouragestraineeparticipationandisabeneficialmethod
ofemphasizingthestrengthsoftheASDpopulationinadditiontoaddressinganystigmasassociatedwith
autism.
Facultytraining,specifically,canalsoincorporatethebenefitsofstrongpedagogicalmethodologyandeffective,inclusiveclassroommanagementthatwillpositivelyimpactallstudents.Trainingshould
focusonassistingfacultyinunderstandingtheimportanceofdirectcommunication,includingtheuseof
Some of the unique supports needed by students
with ASD are not addressed within a traditional
accomodations or support services framework.
9
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental
Challenges
detailedsyllabi,concretelanguageandclearfeedbackwhenworkingwithstudentswithASD.
Facultyshouldbetrainedtoconsiderthepotentialforsomeflexibilityinthedeliveryofassignedcourse
work(e.g.,alternativestopublicspeaking),aswellasideasrelatedtothefacilitationofgroupwork(e.g.,
designatingclearrolesandmonitoringprogress).Additionalrelevantpracticesmightincludeincorporatingastatementintothesyllabusthatreflectsarespectfordiversityandinclusiveness,utilizingavariety
ofcontentpresentationmethodstoaddressavarietyoflearningstyles.Trainingmightincludeproviding
facultywithtipsforstructuringclassroomdiscussions.
Throughoutalltraining,facultyandstaffshouldbereassuredthatsupportingstudentswithASD
doesnotequatetoprovidingspecialprivileges.Nomodificationstotheeducationalstandardsorcourse
requirementsarerequired;however,directandsupportivefeedbacksurroundingexpectations,including
thoseforappropriateclassroombehavior,cansignificantlyassiststudentswithASDtobecomecontributingmembersoftheclassroom.
Developing Campus Expertise
AnothermethodofindirectsupportinvolvesprovidingconsultativeresourcestocampuscommunitymemberswhointeractwithstudentswithASD.Theavailabilityofdesignatedcampusexperts
familiarwiththeASDpopulationcanaidthecampuscommunity(faculty,staffandstudents)tobetter
understandtheinteractionsorbehaviorsofstudentswithASDthataresometimesdifficulttointerpret.A
specially-trainedgroupwouldideallyconsistofindividualsfromvariouskeydepartments(e.g.,disability
services,residencelife,campuspolice,etc.)whocouldserveasresourcestocolleaguesintheirrespectiveoffices.Campusesmightconsidertheestablishmentofadisabilityliaisonineachacademicdepartmentwhocouldadvisefacultyoneffectivemethodsofinstructionaldesignandstrategiestoapproach
variousscenarios,promotingincreasedflexibilityinteaching.Aliaisonmayalsoassistfacultymembers
ininterpretingunusualbehaviorintheclassroom.Forexample,thebehaviorofastudentwhocontinuallyapproachestheboardduringalecturemaybemisunderstoodasdisruptivebutmaysimplybethe
student’sresponsetoearlierdirectionto“writedowneverythingIputonthewhiteboard”.
Enhancing Existing Programs and Services
Mostcollegeshaveexistingprograms,servicesandsupportnetworksinplaceforallstudents.
Inmanycases,slightmodificationstotheseexistingeffortsmaymakethemmoreaccessibletostudents
withASD,whetherornottheyhavedisclosedtheirdiagnosis.Theappropriatedevelopmentofthese
resourcescanbeavitalcomponentinthesuccessofallstudents,includingthosewithASD.Anexample
ofsuccessthroughthisstrategyinastandardtutoringcentermightbea shiftfromadrop-inappointment
modeltoamodelthatincludesindividualizedrecurringappointments.Thisshiftmightbettermeetthe
needsofallstudentsbutisparticularlybeneficialtostudentswithASDwhothriveonpredictabilityand
routine.Settingupsimilarregularlyscheduledappointmentswithuniversitysupportstaff(e.g.,advisors
oracademiccoaches)canprovideanincreasedlevelofoversightandsupportandprovidetherepetition
thatassiststhesestudents’inmasteringcompetenciesthatmightbemetinasinglemeetingfortypically
developingstudents.
Thisapproachalsocanbeexpandedasadirectsupportforthosestudentswhochosetodisclose
aASDdiagnosis.Forexample,atutoringcentermightbeabletoidentifyspecifictutoringstaffwithadditionalexperienceinworkingspecificallywithstudentswhohaveneedsbeyondthosetypicallyaddressed
bygeneraltutors.Otherexamplesoftargetedservicesforstudentswhoareformallyidentifiedasbeing
ontheautismspectrumareoutlinedinthefollowingsection.
Direct Support Developing Targeted Services for Students with ASD
Inadditiontoindirectapproachesthatbroadlyaddressthedevelopmentofamoreinclusiveand
supportivecampusclimate,somecampusesmayconsiderthecreationoftargetedsupportservicesto
moredirectlyimpactthesuccessofindividualstudentswithASD.Basedonthesizeofthepopulationof
studentswithASDand/orthecomplexitiesoftheirneeds,someinstitutionsmaychoosetoexplorethe
developmentofacomprehensivesupportprogramwhileothersmayrelyuponamoreadhocapproach,
10
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental
Challenges
respondingasneedsarise.Asisthecaseformanyunderrepresentedbutgrowingpopulationsoncollege
campusestoday(race/ethnicgroups,firstgeneration,lowincome,veterans,returningadultlearners,and
studentswithdisabilities)targetedsupportservicescanbeverysuccessfulinincreasingpersistenceand
graduationrates.
The following section provides examples of direct supports drawn from the established, comprehensive support programs of the collaborating institutions which contributed to this guide.
Coaching and Mentoring
Ingeneral,coachingandmentoringallowforthedevelopmentofsupportive,nonjudgmentalrelationshipsthatfacilitatetheidentificationandattainmentofgoals,aswellasthegrowthofcompetencies
throughmodelingandguiding.Throughnon-directivecoachingrelationships,studentslearntocapitalize
ontheirpositiveattributesandareassistedintheidentificationandprogressionofchosengoals.During
theinteractiveanditerativecoachingprocess,frequentfeedbackandsupporteddecision-makingleadsto
a senseofmastery.Althoughoftencarriedoutinaone-on-oneformat,coachingandmentoringcanalso
beofferedintheformofsupportgroupsorsmallgroupseminars.Professionalsorpeerscanserveinthe
roleoflifecoach,socialmentor,etc.,andmeetingsmaybestructured,unstructuredorstudent-led.Peer
mentors,inparticular,canhelpwithself-acceptanceandthebolsteringofself-esteemthroughvicarious
learningopportunities.ObservingandexperimentingwithnewbehaviorsamongstacceptingpeermentorscanbuildconfidenceandpositivefeelingsforstudentswithASD.Withmasteryexperiencesinthese
“safe”environments,studentswithASDaremorelikelytotrynewbehaviorsinothersettings,facilitating
socialconnectednessandfurtheringacademicsuccess.
Targeted Instruction
StudentswithASDoftenbenefitfromtargetedinstructioninthoseareaswhereappropriateskills
orknowledgearedeterminedtobelacking.Suchinstructioncanbedeliveredindividually(e.g.,tutoring)
orinsmallgroups(e.g.,seminars,mandatorystudyperiods,orsemester-longcourses)eitherthroughan
establishedscheduleoronanas-neededbasis.Insomecasesitmaybepossibletomodifyexistinginstructionalmaterials.Inthesecasescareshouldbetakentoensurethematerialismodifiedtoaddressthe
skilldeficitsofstudentswithASD.Thefocusofinstructionislimitlessbutcanincludeexecutivefunctioningtraining,studyskillsinstruction,socialthinkingskillbuilding,leadershipdevelopmentthroughcommunityoutreach(e.g.,speakingatanautismawarenessevent),careerpreparationworkshops,sensory
integrationcounseling,mindfulnessmeditation,socialanxietygroupsorrelationshipskillsgroups.
Transition Programming
ForfirstyearstudentswithASD,theinitialintroductiontocollegeandthenewstudentorientationexperiencecanbeanoverwhelmingandover-stimulatingexperience.ThosewithASDhavethe
addedburdenofattemptingtomitigatefunctionallimitations,suchasadaptingtounstructuredand
socially-embeddedenvironments.Pre-college,specializedorientationorsummerpreparationprograms
canequipstudentswithASDwithtoolstohelpthemacclimatetonewsurroundingsandbegintoestablishpeerrelationships,aswellasprovidethemwithtimetoproactivelyarrangeforappropriateaccommodationsand/orsupportservicespriortothestartoftheacademicyear,whilecampusislesscrowded.
Structuredtransitionprogrammingcanincludeguidanceinnavigatingthecollegecampus,introductions
tokeypersonnel(e.g.,academicadvisingstaff),self-advocacytraining,independent-livinginstruction
(e.g.,navigatingdininghallsorotherfacilities),appropriateprofessionalcommunicationpractices(e.g.,
respondingtoemails)aswellastimemanagementandacademicskill-buildingsessions.Theseprograms
canrangeinlengthfromonedaytoseveralweeks,andthelattermayincorporatethecompletionofa
credit-bearingclasstoestablisheffectiveacademichabitsandpracticestructuringschedules.Manyspecializedorientationprogramsalsoallowforearlymove-indates,affordingstudentsanopportunitytoget
settledintoroutinesandfamiliarizethemselveswiththecampusbeforethearrivalofpeers.
11
Taking Action: Mitigating Student and Environmental
Challenges
Supported Living
DesignatedhousingcommunitiesforstudentswithASDcanprovidethesenseofbelongingoften
lackinginthelivesofthosewithASD,whomayhavestruggledtobeacceptedbypeersthroughoutchildhood.Livingincommunity(eg.specializedorthemedfloor)withpeerswithASDcanprovideopportunitiestobuildsocialconnectionswithinasafeandsupportiveenvironment;aswellasallowforincreased
oversightandearlyidentificationofproblems(e.g.,socialwithdrawalorpoorhygiene)forquickintervention.Thesesupportedlivingcommunitiescanbesupervisedbyspeciallytrainedresidencelifestaff,who
canmorereadilyrecognizethesignsofastudentindistressandworkproactivelytomitigatechallenges.
AssigningstudentswithASDtosingleorlimitedroommateplacementsprovidesanotherway
tocreatesupportivelivingenvironmentswithinastandardcampushousingsystem.Singledormrooms
oftenprovidearefugefromthesensoryoverloadthatcanresultfrominteractingwithabusycollege
environmentonadailybasis.Additionally,somesensoryintegrationissuesmaymakeitimpossibleto
cohabitatewitharoommate,makingaprivateroomaccommodationnecessary.Forexample,astudent
withsensoryissuesmayrequireaprivateroominordertomaintainsleeporhygienehabits.SomestudentswithASDmayconsidertransitioningfromasingleaccommodationtoasharedlivingspaceonce
theyfeelmorecomfortablewiththeadditionalsocialaspectsofcollegelife.Itisimportanttoremember
thateachstudent’ssituationisunique,andprovidingchoicesrelatedtolivingarrangementsrespectsa
student’sautonomyanddevelopsindependentdecision-makingskills.Tohelpstudentsinthisdecisionmakingprocess,itmaybeusefultoprovideachecklistofindependentlivingcompetenciesandpossible
scenariosthatmightbeencounteredinaresidentiallivingsituation.Forthosewhopreferasharedspace
option,residencelifestaffcanassiststudentsinstatingtheirneeds(e.g.,needforquiettimeandspace)
topeersandhelpstudentsnavigatethecreationofroommatecontractswhichsetexpectationsforshared
livingarrangementsandcanminimizeroommateconcerns.
Residentadvisorsarechargedtodevelopcommunityandcanidentifysignsofdistresswithin
theirassignedlivingenvironment.InthecaseofstudentswithASDwhoarecomfortablewithdisclosing,
itmaybebeneficialtoencouragestudentstomeetwiththeresidentadvisortodiscussanysensitivities
orconcernsaboutcommunityliving.Whenresidentadvisorsareawareoftheindividualneedsoftheir
residentswithASDtheyarebetterpreparedtofacilitateday-to-daysupportforthesestudents.
Social Programming
Plannedsocialeventsthatincludementorsandotherknowledgeablestaffprovidestudentswith
ASDopportunitiesforconnection,modeling,andachancetotrynewbehaviorsandcommunication
skillsthatcanbuildsocialconfidence.Thesegatheringsmaytaketheformofcommunityoutings,meal
gatheringsorgroupvolunteerexperiences.Campusesmayconsiderthepossibilityofcreatingadedicated
loungeorstudyspaceforstudentswithASDtogather.Toenhanceintegrationwiththelargeruniversity
community,socialeventscanbepostedandopentotheentirecampuscommunity,orstudentswith
ASDcanbeencouragedtoinvitefamiliarpeers.Additionally,integratedspringbreakprogrammingcan
promotesocialinteractionsamongstudentsbothonandoffthespectrumtofurtherenhancesocialconnectedness,acceptanceandunderstanding.StudentswithASDshouldbeencouragedandsupportedin
participatingincampus-wideprogramming,clubsandevents.MentorscanassiststudentswithASDin
identifyinggroupsandspacesoncampuswheretheycanmeetotherswithsharedinterests.
Student Empowerment
Methodsofsupportthatemphasizeempowermentandself-determination,suchasperson-centeredplanningandstrengths-basedapproaches,areidealforfosteringahealthyself-conceptforstudents
withASD.Developinghigherlevelsofcomfortwithmakingdecisions,andtakingresponsibilityfordecisionsmadearecentraltothegrowthanddevelopmentofallstudents.Suchdevelopmentwillnotonly
increasetheabilityofstudentswithASDtohavesuccessinhighereducationbutwillalsoleadtogreater
successandconfidenceinallaspectsoftheirlives.
Theself-esteemofstudentswithASDcanbenurturedthroughthesenseofbelongingthatspecializedsupportprogrammingaffords.Theestablishmentofcaringreciprocalrelationships,whichhave
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Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
oftenbeenlackinginthesestudents’lives,iscriticaltobuildingtheself-worthandresiliencythatallows
forcopingwiththestressorsofcollegelifeandbeyond.However,itisalsoimportanttobeawareof
potentiallytransferringdependenciesfromparentstocollegefaculty,staff,orpeersasthiscanhinderthe
independencestudentswithASDneedinordertosucceedinthelongrun.
EmpoweringstudentswithASDoftenrequiresempoweringparents,avastmajorityofwhom
havehadalife-longroleastheirchild’sprimarysupportersandwhomaylackconnectionswithothers
whoarelaunchingachildwithuniquechallengesintoindependence.Thus,empatheticallyeducatingparentsonhowbesttosupporttheirchild’stransitiontoadulthoodiscrucialandrequiressetting
clearboundaries.Parentsshouldbediscouragedfromcorrespondingwithfacultyorsupportpeopleon
thestudent’sbehalfandshouldberemindedtoincludetheirstudentinallemailcorrespondencewhen
outreachisnecessary.Awell-meaningparentmightbetemptedtocompleteanonlinetestfortheirchild
duringaparticularlystressfultimeinthesemester,notrealizingtheseriousnessofacademicdishonesty.
Beingclearwithparentsabouthowtheycanempowertheirstudentwillhelpavoidover-involvement
andensurethatstudentsmovetowardbecomingself-sufficientadults.
CampusesseekingtomeettheneedsofstudentswithASD,mayutilizebothindirectanddirect
supports.Regardlessofthespecificservicesandprogramsoffered,thereareanumberofotherfactors
(legal,logistical,ethical)whichmustbeconsideredinthedesignofasuccessfulmodel.Theseconsiderationsareaddressedinthefollowingsection.
A support model can range
from making existing services
more accessible to developing
a specialized program of support.
Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students with ASD
AsupportmodelforstudentswithASDcanrangeinscopefrommakingexistingservicesmore
accessiblebyenhancingcurrentstructuresandpolicies,todevelopingafullystaffedprogramwithspecializeddirectsupports.Whatevertheapproach,it’simportanttorememberthatanASDsupportmodel
shoulduniquelyreflecttheuniversity’sstrengths,mission,andculture,andnotsimplyreplicateanexistingprogram.Itmaybehelpfultoconsideraprogressivedevelopmentofservices,startingwithafocus
oninfluencingthecampuscultureandmodifyingexistingservicestomeettheuniqueneedsofstudents
withASDasfirststeps.Thisprocesscanbefollowedbythefurtherdevelopmentoftargetedorenhanced
servicesorpossiblythedevelopmentofamorecomprehensiveprogrammodel,asdesiredandpractical.
The following section and accompanying worksheet are designed to assist higher education professionals in considering the needs of their campus and the students they serve to determine the scope of
services that can or should be offered.
Getting Started: Assembling a Task Force
Whetherconsideringthedevelopmentofindirectordirectresources,itishelpfultoassemblean
implementationteamortaskforce.Thisallowsforcomprehensiveideas,awidereachofcampussupport,
andtheformationofcollaborativerelationshipsthatwillbecriticaltosuccess.Thisteamcanalsobeben-
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Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
eficialwhenmodifyinginitialplanstoaccommodatechangesincampusstructure,cultureoravailable
resources.Taskforceteammembersmightincluderepresentativesfromstudentaffairs,academicdepartments,anddirectserviceandsupportstafffromacrosscampus.Ifappropriate,thosewhoareknowledgeableandexperiencedwithsupportingthispopulation(e.g.,thosewithfamily/friendswithASD)canserve
aspowerfulalliesandcanbeimportantadditionstothisteam.Taskforcescanalsoseektheexpertise
ofprofessionalconsultantsfamiliarwithdevelopingcollegesupportprogramsforstudentswithASDor
thosewithabackgroundinAppliedBehaviorAnalysis(ABA),anapproachusedtoimpactcommunicationandlearningchallengesforchildrenontheautismspectrum(Rosenwasser&Axelrod,2001).
Ataskforcemayworktogetherforanextendedperiodoftimeduringwhichkeyplanningdecisionsaremade.Onekeydecisionistheintentionalplacementoftheprogramwithinthecampusstructure,whichoftenhassignificantimplications.Forexample,aprogramoperatingwithinthedisability
officewillhaveampleresourceswhenitcomestoaccommodations,butmayhaveadifferentperspective
onsupportservicesthanaprogramhousedunderacounselingcenteroranacademiclearningcenter.
Whatevertheapproach,strategiesshouldmatchtheknownoranticipatedneed,theavailablecampusresourcesandexpertise,andshouldcomplementtheoverallcampusenvironment.Thetaskforcemayalso
helpshapethecampusprioritiesandensurethatsupports(eitherdedicatedorgeneral)alignwithstated
goals,suchasenhancingthestudents’accesstoorincreaseduseofavailablecampusresources.
Taskforcesarealsobeneficialforongoingoversightonceinitiativesaredetermined;ensuringsolid,transparentdecisionswiththeinputofstudents,parents,andcommunitypartners.Regularmeetings
ensureaccountabilityandallowforconsultationandoversightfrominitialplanningthroughevaluation,
fosteringcontinuousimprovement.Additionally,anactivetaskforcemaybechargedwithestablishing
policiesandprocedurestohelpaddresslegalandethicalconcernsandensurethatprogramobjectives
andstudentsuccessremainsapriority.Forexample,aprogramservingstudentswithASDmaybelooked
atasanavailablesubjectpoolforresearchdepartments.Inthiscaseanestablishedpolicyfromthetask
forceregardingresearchmaybebeneficial.Anothersignificantpolicyarearelatestodisclosure,whichis
exploredinthenextsection.
Issues of Disclosure
TheissueofdisclosureimpactshowweservestudentswithASDintwodifferentways.Inthefirst
case,thedeterminationofwhenandhowhighereducationprofessionalsmayshareinformationabouta
student’sconfidentialorprivateinformationisgovernedbylegalandethicalstandardsandmustbemanaged.Inthesecondcase,itisimportanttomakeappropriateguidanceavailabletostudentsaboutthe
decisionofwhenandtowhomastudentmightdiscloseinformationaboutadiagnosisofASD.Inboth
cases,thedevelopmentofpolicyandprocedurestoguideday-to-daypracticewillbebeneficial.
Professional Disclosure
ExtensivelyusingthecampusinfrastructuretosupportstudentswithASDrequirescontinual
interactionandcollaborationacrossthecampuscommunity.Sharingofstudentinformationthrough
thesecollaborationsmustbedoneincompliancewithprivacyprotectionlawsaswellasinternalpolicies
andproceduresregardingthetreatmentofstudentrecords(Gilley,A.&Gilley,J.W.(2006).TheFamily
EducationalRightsandPrivacyAct(FERPA)protectseducationalrecords,whichincludesdocumentation
submittedtoapostsecondarydisabilityoffice.Thisinformationcannotbesharedwithoutwrittenconsent
fromthestudent.TheHealthInsurancePortabilityandAccountabilityActof1996(HIPAA)protectshealth
information,suchasphysicalandmentalhealthconditions,andappliestoentitiesthatincludeuniversity
healthcareprovidersorclinics.Thus,thecollegecounselingcenterorstudenthealthservicescannot
shareinformationwithanyonewithoutthestudent’swrittenpermission.
Cross-campuscollaborationiseffectiveinsupportingthesuccessofstudentswithASD.When
professionaljudgmentnecessitatesdisclosureofstudentinformation,signedconsentformsshouldbeon
fileandspecifywho,what,andunderwhatcircumstancesstudentinformationwillbeshared.Separate
releaseformscanbeusedforinternalandexternalcollaborations.Decisionstodiscloseshouldalsoconsiderwhetherspecificidentifyinginformationisrequired.Forexample,theremaybeaneedto
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Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
collaboratewithappropriateresidencelifestaff.Thedisclosuremaybegeneral(“youmayhaveastudent
onyourfloorwithASD.”)orspecific(“Theresidentinroom24isastudentwithASD”).
Beyondthecampuscommunity,parentscanbeintegralmembersofacollaborativeteamandareoftenin
agoodpositiontoprovidefeedbackabouthowbesttoassistthestudent,particularlyintimesofchallenge.However,theremustbecarefulattentionpaidtoastudent’srighttoprivacy.Furthermore,there
shouldbeafocusonsupportingthestudent’smovetowardindependentfunctioningwhilereducingthe
student’srelianceonparents.Thus,studentsandparentsmustbeprovidedwithclearguidelinesregarding
whenandwhatinformationwillbesharedandthefrequencyofinteractionparentscanexpecttohave
withcollegestaff.Ofcourse,thepolicyforparentalinvolvementandconsenttoshareinformationneeds
toalignwithcampuscultureandpolicy.
Student Disclosure
Thedecisiontodiscloseanon-apparentdisabilityisacomplicatedone.ItisimportanttorememberthatsomestudentswithASDmaynotseethebenefitofdisclosureandmayhaveastrongdesire
toavoidbeinglabeled.Studentscanbeempoweredtomakedisclosuredecisionsbyunderstandingthe
disclosureprocessandthepotentialbenefitsofdisclosure.Role-playingvariousscenariosandinitialassistanceincraftingdisclosureemailstoprofessorsisbeneficialandwillprovidementoringandguidance
tothestudentonhowtoeffectivelyself-advocate.Itmayalsobehelpfultoprovidestudentswithatemplatedisclosureletterandfactsheetsthatmightbehelpfulinworkingwiththeirfaculty.Itisimportnatto
considerthatsomestudentsmaylackanofficialdiagnosisofASDbutnonethelessexperiencechallenges
similartothoseontheautismspectrumthatdisrupteverydayactivities.
Considerations for the Development of a Comprehensive Program Model
ProvidingdirectserviceandtargetedsupportstostudentswithASDbecomesproblematicwhen
studentsdon’tidentifytotheuniversityasastudentwithadisability.However,wherethereisanincreasedpopulationofstudentswithASDwhochoosetodisclosetheirdiagnosisandconsequentlyan
increaseddemandforservices,theremaybeaneedtoconsiderthedevelopmentofacomprehensive
programdedicatedtoservingstudentswithASD.Inadditiontothefactorsalreadydiscussed,the following sections address areas that should be reviewed by campuses considering a comprehensive program
model.
Whenacampusbeginstoconsideracomprehensive program,it’simportanttobeawarethat
somefaculty,stafforadministratorsmayexpressapprehensionaboutthepossibilitythatspecialized
supportscouldattractstudentswithASDtothecampuscommunity.Itisimportanttorememberthatthe
populationofstudentswithASDwhoarequalifiedtoattendinstitutionsofhigherlearningwillcontinue
togrowandstudentswithASD,liketheirpeers,willcontinuetochoosecampusesbasedonoverallfit;
weighingfactorssuchassize,fieldofstudy,academicreputation,cost,andlocation.Developingservices
inanintentionalandmeasuredmannerandtakingintoaccountagrowingneedmayhelptoalleviate
commonconcerns.ProvidingproactivesupportforstudentswithASDallowstheuniversitytousecampusresourcesinamoreintentionalwaybyanticipatingproblemsanddevelopingpreemptivemeasures.
CarefullyconsideredsupportsforstudentswithASDcanalsohelpreducecrisissituationsthatcanarise
forcollegeresidentialcommunities,counselingcentersandcampuspolicewhomaybeotherwiseunpreparedtosupportthisuniquepopulationofstudents.
Establishing Program Admission Criteria and Intake Process
Standardpracticedictatesthatstudentsmustfirstbefoundeligibleforadmissiontothecollege
beforeapplyingforsupplementalsupports.Aftersuccessfuladmission,carefullyselectedprogramadmissioncriteriaallowfortheinclusionofstudentswithASDwhomightmostbenefitfromtheprogram’smissionandavailableresources.Programadmissioncriteriamaytakeintoaccountbothformalandinformal
assessments.Forexample,programsmayassessastudent’sreadinessbasedonsocial,emotional,behavioral,andindependentlivingfunctioning,allofwhichserveasimportantpredictorsofsuccessincollege.
Theprogramapplicationprocessmightalsoincludeawritingsampletorevealthestudent’sabilityto
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Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
synthesizeandorganizeinformation,oritmayrequireinterestedstudentsand/orparentstoparticipatein
aninterviewprocess.Suchinterviews,whichcanbeconductedineitherindividualorgroupformats,can
providevaluableinformationaboutthestudent’sleveloffunctioning,aswellasthefamily’sexpectation,
andinteractivestyle.Someprogramapplicationsmayrequiresupplementalorthird-partydocumentation,
suchasaprimarydiagnosisofASD,whileotherssimplyrequireself-reportedidentificationassomeone
whocanbenefitfromspecializedservicesforstudentswithASD.HighschoolIEP’smayalsobereviewed
tounderstandthescopeofaccommodationsandsupportsthatmayberequiredforthestudenttobe
successfulinthecollegeenvironment.Insomecases,thelevelofsupportthatisindicatedmayhaveresourceimplicationsandbebeyondtheabilityoftheprogramtoaddress.Inthiscase,areferraltoalternativesupportsmaybenecessary.Forexample,previoushistory,includingtheprovisionofaone-on-one
aideinhigh-school,out-of-districtoralternatehighschoolplacements,modifiedgradesorcourses,past
criminalactivityorseriousmentalillness,maywarrantseriousconsiderationaboutprogramadmission
status.Reviewingsuchinformationhelpsensurethatstudentsareultimatelydirectedtothemostappropriateprogramstobestmatchtheirneeds.
Aspartoftheadmissionandintakeprocess,twochallengingscenariosmaydevelopandit
isimportantforinstitutionstoconsider,inadvance,howtorespond.Inonecase,studentswithASD
mayhaveneedsthatcannotbemet,evenwithsupportwithinthecurrenttraditionalcollegestructure.
Thesestudentsmayconsiderparticipationinanintellectualdisabilityprogramormayneedtoseekout
programswithmoreintensiveorspecializedmentalhealthsupportspriortoenrollingincollege.Thus,
itisrecommendedthatthesestudentsandtheirfamiliesbeinformedofpotentialalternatives.Alternativesmay includereferraltomoresupport-intensiveprogramsinthecommunityandtheopportunityto
reapplyforprogramadmissionafteraddressingunderdevelopedskills.Insomecases,theuniversitymay
allowstudentstodefercollegeenrollmentforuptooneyear,makingdeferralandreapplicationaviable
option.
AnotherimportantconsiderationisforthosestudentswithASDwhoattendtheuniversitybut
electnottoparticipateinthesupportprogramofferedbythecollegeorthosewhoarenotacceptedto
thespecializedprogrambasedonmatchorspacebutstillelecttoattendtheuniversity.Inthesecases,
itisimportanttoensurethatthestudentandfamilyhaveanunderstandingofthesupportsthatwillbe
available,includingaccommodationsandgeneralizedsupportservicesthatwouldotherwisebeavailable
toallstudentsatthecollege.
Regardlessofadmissiontoandparticipationinacomprehensiveprogram,animportantmessage
tofamilies,andonethatisoftendifficulttounderstand,isthatastrongacademicrecord,evencombined
withcomprehensivesupports,doesnotguaranteecollegesuccess.Justasisthecasewithtypicallydevelopingstudents,outcomesarenotpredictableandnotallstudentswillfindsuccess
Program Staffing
StaffingmodelsforprogramsdedicatedtostudentswithASDvaryaccordingtomanyfactors
thatincludethelevelofresourcesandexistingsupportsaswellasthenumberofstudentsserved,and
thelevelofindividualsupportprovided.Programsmaybestaffedbydisability
servicepersonnelwhocommitacertainpercentageoftheirtimetoproviding
specializedASDsupports,throughbothdirect-serviceandcollaborationswith
otherdepartments.SomeprogramsutilizeaprimaryASDprogramcoordinator
alongwithastaffofgraduateassistantsorundergraduatestudentvolunteers,
whileothersutilizespecially-trainedpermanentstaff.Inallcasesfundingor
One of the best ways to improve the
experience for students with ASD is
through a shift in campus climate.
Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
theallocationofresourcesnecessarytoprovidesupportforstudentswithASDneedstobeconsidered
withaneyeonefficiency.Itisimportanttokeepinmindthat,insomecases,existingcampusresources
andstaffmayalreadyprovidefullyadequatesupportservicesandtheutilizationoftheseexistingservices
isnotonlyprudentbutalsoservestoempowerstudentswithASDtoutilizesupportconsistentwiththe
generalcampuspopulation.
Staffingmodelsshouldalsoallowforvariance,asstudents’needsmaybemoreintensiveatdifferentstagesoftheircollegecareer(e.g.,theinitialtransitionintothecollegeenvironmentandpreparationforemploymentdesiredpost-graduation).Itisimportanttorememberthatprogramstaffwillneed
tobeavailabletosupportfaculty/staffseekinginputandadvicethroughouttheacademicyear.Finally,
itisimportanttoensurethatstaffhaveappropriateeducationalbackgroundsandexperience.Strong
candidatesmayhavepreviousworkinsocialwork,counseling,specialeducationorotherrelatedfields.
Additionaltrainingspecifictocampusrequirements,services,andcampusandprogramphilosophieswill
furtherenhancestaffingsuccess.
Program Funding
Asisthecaseformostsupportservices,allocatingsufficientresourcesistheresponsibilityof
thecollege.Thefundingsourcesofexistingcollegeprogramsvaryandmayconsistofanycombinationoffederalorfoundationgrants,endowments,studentfees,andinstitutionalsupport.Programsmay
beinitiallysupportedbyagrantandlaterbecomeself-sufficientviaimplementationofprogramfeesor
fundraisingefforts.Scholarshipscanbecreatedbysponsors,andotherfinancialresourceswhichcan
helpcoverprogramfees,suchasvocationalrehabilitationagencies,canberesearched.Studentscanbe
directedonhowtoapplyforadditionalfinancialsupport.Aslidingscalefeemayalsobeanimportant
meansofallowingaccesstoallsocioeconomicgroups.
Inadditiontoidentifyingoverallprogramfundingsources,itisalsoimportanttoconsiderpotentialwaystomeetstaffingexpenses.Insomecases,oversightofservices,indirectordirect,maybemanagedbystaffaspartoftheirexistingrole,eliminatingtheneedfordedicatedstaffatincrementalcosts.As
thescopeofservicesincreases,theneedfordedicatedand/orspeciallytrainedstaffmayalsoincrease.
Inthesecases,theuseofgraduatestudentsfromappropriateprogramsofstudy(e.g.,schoolpsychology,
socialwork,specialeducation)oradjunctprofessionalsmaybeeffectiveinservingsmallpopulationsof
students.Largerinitiativesorcomprehensiveprogramswilllikelyrequirepermanent,dedicatedstafflines
andmatchedfunding.Shiftingtothislevelofinstitutionalsupportwillrequirecommitmentattheleadershiplevelbydecision-makerswhoseethevalueoftheseprogramsandhavetheabilitytodesignatefunding.
Providing proactive supports to students
with ASD allows the university to use
resources in a more intentional way
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Identifying a Campus Response to Support Students
with ASD
Evaluating Program Success
Ongoingevaluationisimportantforcontinualimprovementandtoensureprogramgoalsare
beingmet.Additionally,students,parents,orotherfundersneedtoknowthattheservicesarebeneficial.
Multiplesourcesoffeedbackallowfortheconsiderationofdifferentperspectives:students,parents,the
universitycommunity,andotherstakeholders.Thiscanbehelpful,asstudentsaren’talwaysthebestselfreportersormaylackawarenessoftheimpactofsomesupports.
Tomaintainadministrativesupportovertime,aswellastoprovideconcretefeedbacktostakeholders,quantitativefeedbackisessential.Changesinpersistencerates(numberofstudentswhousethe
programandareeitherretainedorgraduate)inrelationtothoseoftheoverallstudentpopulation,can
provideaclearpictureofprogramsuccess,ascangraduationandemploymentrates.Othersuccessindicatorsmayincludeincreasingscoresinmeasuresofstudentcompetencies,adjustment,andwell
being.
However,certainchallengescanarisewhenmeasuringsuccess.Thevalue-addedfromprogram
supportsisoftenrepresentedbyqualitativevariablesthataredifficulttoempiricallymeasure.Forexample,itisdifficulttoquantifyastudent’simprovementinmanagingsensoryintegrationissues.Also,
graduationratesmaynotnecessarilyreflectasuccessfuloutcomeforthisgroupofstudents:somemay
transfertootherinstitutionsthatareabetterfit,somemayfindfulfillingemploymentbeforegraduating;
whilestillothersmaygraduatewithoutbeingabletosecureemploymentduetolimitationsinsocialand
emotionalfunctioning.Inotherwords,studentsuccessmaynotbeconsistentwiththeinstitutionstypical
measures ofsuccess.Thiscanbeproblematiciffundingisperceivedascomingattheexpenseofother
programming.Therefore,itisimportanttointentionallyalignprogramevaluationwithbothuniversityand
stakeholderobjectives,particularlywhentaxpayerortuitiondollarsarebeingusedforfunding.
Regardless of the current situation on your campus, this guide was developed to provide a basis
for information and reflection about how to best serve students with ASD in your environment. We
encourage you to utilize the Support Model Planning Worksheet in the next section and refer to the
Existing Program summaries provided at the back of this guide as you apply this information to your
specific campus community.
Changes in persistence, graduation
or employment rates for students
with ASD can provide a picture
of program success.
18
Support Model Planning Worksheet
CampusProfile
•
•
•
Whatisthesizeofyourcampus(totalenrollment)?
WhatistheestimatedsizeofyourpopulationofstudentswithASD?
oIdentified
oNot-Identified(bestestimate)
ArethereagrowingnumberofstudentswithASDonyourcampus?Whatistherateofgrowth?
ExistingServices
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WhatisthedistributionofgraduateversusundergraduatestudentswithASD?ExistingServices
WhatservicescurrentlyexistonyourcampustosupportALLstudentsinthetransitiontocollege
(e.g.,orientation,firstyearprograms)?
WhatservicescurrentlyexistonyourcampustosupportALLstudentsinpersistencetocollege
(e.g.,academically,socially,residentially)?
WhatservicescurrentlyexistonyourcampustosupportALLstudentsinthetransitiontothe
workforce(e.g.,internships,careerpreparation,jobplacement)?
WhatservicescurrentlyexistonyourcampusthatservestudentswithASDinanindirect
manner(e.g.,professionaldevelopment/training,awarenessprogramming,campusexperts)?
WhatservicescurrentlyexistonyourcampusthatservestudentswithASDinadirect/targeted
manner(e.g.,coaching/mentoring,socialskillsgroupsincounselingservices,disabilityservices)?
Whatisthecurrentlevelofexperienceamongyourprofessionalstaffinsupportingstudentswith
ASD(e.g.,academicadvisors,residentialstaff,counselingcenterstaff)?
HowpreparedareyourfacultytosupportstudentswithASDintheclassroom?
Howstrongisthesupportfromthegeneralcampuscommunityregardingtheneedfortargeted
supportsforstudentswithASD?Howmightadditionalsupportbegarneredpriortoadvancing
programmaticinitiatives?
Howstrongisthepotentialbuy-infromdecisionmakersregardingtargetedsupportsforstudents
withASD?Howmightadditionalsupportbegarneredpriortoadvancingprogrammaticinitiatives?
PrevailingChallenges
• Consideringtheprevailingchallengesorissuescurrentlybeingexperiencedwithoraroundstudents
withASD,whatskillsets(ordomains)arepresentingthegreatestchallengeforstudentswithASD onyourcampus?
oExecutiveFunctioning
oAcademicSkills
oSelf-Care
oSocialCompetence
oSelf-Advocacy
oCareerPreparation
oOther
19
Support Model Planning Worksheet
ConsideringaCampusResponse
•Whatlevelofresponseareyouseekingtoachieveatthistime?
oAwarenessandacceptanceprogramming
oFaculty/StaffprofessionaldevelopmentspecifictostudentswithASD
oExtendexistingservicestomeetamorespecializedneed
oDeveloptargetedservicesforstudentswithASD
oDevelopacomprehensiveprogramservicemodelforstudentswithASDActionPlanning
Regardless of institutional goals, it is strongly recommended that planning begin with the establishment of a
task force. Once formed, this work group may draw upon the campus profile, existing services and prevailing
challenges sections above to determine short and long term goals for your campus. Based on these goals, the
sections below will help guide the work group in decision-making related to priorities and implementation
plans. These sections map to the earlier resource guide materials (as indicated). It may be helpful for the task
force to review this material as they consider campus responses. Additionally, the task force may find it helpful to refer the Existing Comprehensive Program Models (pg. )section of this guide as an additional reference.
Taskforcedevelopment
• Whoarethepotentialchangeagentsonyourcampus?
• Whocouldbeinvolvedinaninitialandongoingtaskforce?
• Whatdepartment(s)orpersonnelmighttakealeadershiprole?
Issuesrelatedtodisclosure
• Howwillyourcampushandleissuesofdisclosurerelatedtocampusprofessionals?
• Howwillyourcampushandleissuesofdisclosurerelatedtostudents?
Opportunitiesforindirectimpact
• WhatstepscouldyourcampustaketoincreaseAwarenessandAcceptance?
• WhatstepscouldyourcampustakeinTrainingtheCampusCommunity?
• WhatstepscouldyourcampustaketoDevelopCampusExpertise?
• WhatstepscouldyourcampustaketoEnhanceExistingProgramsandServices?
Opportunitiesfordirectimpact
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldCoachingandMentoringservicesbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailableor
wouldberequired?
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldTargetedSkillDevelopmentservicesbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailable
orwouldberequired?
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldSummerTransitionProgrammingservicesbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailable
orwouldberequired?
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldSupportiveLivingservicesbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailableorwould
berequired?
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldStudentEmpowermenteffortsbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailableorwould
berequired?
• BasedonthechallengespresentedbythepopulationofstudentswithASDonyourcampus,
wouldSocialProgrammingservicesbeapriority?Ifso,whatresourcesareavailableorwouldbe
required?
20
Support Model Planning Worksheet
Furtherconsiderationsforthedevelopmentofacomprehensiveprogram
If the needs and resources identified merit consideration of a comprehensive support program, the following
areas will require serious discussion and development.
•
•
•
•
•
Basedonthesizeandscopeoftheprogramyouareconsideringandtheresourceavailability,what
policiesandproceduresmightyouconsiderforanAdmission Criteria and IntakeProcess?
Basedonthesizeandscopeoftheprogramyouareconsidering,whatresourcescanyou
utilizeforProgram Staffingandwhattrainingandsupervisionwillberequiredtosupportthis
model?
Basedonthesizeandscopeoftheprogramyouareconsidering,whatProgram Fundingsource
canyoupursuetosupporttheinitiative?
Whatexternalresources(e.g.fundingagencies)mightbeavailabletosupportaprogramor
it’sparticipants?
Basedonthemodelyoudevelopandthestakeholdersinyourprogram,howwillyouEvaluate
Program Success?
NOTES
21
NOTES
22
References
Boyd,B.A.,&Shaw,E.(2010).AutismintheClassroom:AGroupofStudentsChanginginPopulationand
Presentation.Preventing School Failure, 54(4), 211-219.
Brinckerhoff,L.C.(1994).Developingeffectiveself-advocacyskillsincollege-boundstudentswithlearning
disabilities. Intervention In School & Clinic, 29(4), 229.
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.(CDC;2014).10ThingstoKnowAboutNewAutismData.
Retrievedfrom:http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsautismdata/.
Gerhardt,P.F.,&Lainer,I.(2011).Addressingtheneedsofadolescentsandadultswithautism:Acrisison
thehorizon. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 41(1), 37-45.
Gilley,A.&Gilley,J.W.(2009).“FERPA:WhatdoFacultyKnow?WhatcanUniversitiesdo?
College and University 82 (1), 17-26.
Parker,D.R.,&Boutelle,K.(2009).ExecutiveFunctionCoachingforCollegeStudentswithLearning
DisabilitiesandADHD:ANewApproachforFosteringSelf-Determination.Learning Disabilities Research
& Practice, 24(4), 204-215.
Rosenwasser,B.,&Axelrod,S.(2001).Thecontributionofappliedbehavioranalysistotheeducationof
peoplewithautism.Behavior Modification, 25(5), 671-677.
Stichter,J.P.,Herzog,M.J.,Visovsky,K.,Schmidt,C.,Randolph,J.,Schultz,T.,&Gage.N.(2010).Social
CompetenceInterventionforYouthwithAspergerSyndromeandHigh-functioningAutism:AnInitial
Investigation.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40 (9), 1067-1079
Tager-Flusberg,H.(1999).APsychologicalApproachtoUnderstandingtheSocialandLanguage
ImpairmentsinAutism.International Review of Psychiatry, 11(4), 325-34.
Thomas,S.B.(2000).Collegestudentsanddisabilitylaw. Journal of Special Education, 33, 248–257.
Wehman,P.,Schall,C.,Carr,S.,Targett,P.,West,M.,&Cifu,G.(2014).Transitionfromschooltoadulthood
foryouthwithautismspectrumdisorder:Whatweknowandwhatweneedtoknow.Journal of Disability
Policy Studies, 25(1), 30-40.
23
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
Pleasenote:Institutionaldatareflectsdatafrom2013-14academicyear.
Eastern University
Private/Public:PrivateUndergraduatePopulation:2541
GraduatePopulation:1463
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:1044
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:22
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:Psychology,EarlyChildhoodEducation,SocialWork,
YouthMinistry,andManagement
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:92%enteringstudents,73%returningstudents
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:47%
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:100
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:9
ProgramName:CollegeSuccessProgram(CSP)
ProgramHousedUnder:CushingCenterforCounselingandAcademicSupport
ProgramMission:TheCollegeSuccessProgramforStudentsLivingwithAutismSpectrumDisorder
providestargetedsupport,practicalknowledge,andculturalawarenesstostudentslivingwithAutism
SpectrumDisorderandtothecommunityofEasternUniversity.Themissionisconfirmedandcelebrated
whenstudentslivingwithAutismSpectrumDisorderhaveequalaccesstoanundergraduateeducation
intheCollegeofArtsandSciences,cansuccessfullyparticipateintheacademic,residential,andsocial
realmsoftheUniversity,andcanfulfillthegreatermissionofEasternUniversity.
YearInitiated:2012
ProgramEnrollment:6
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:12
SourcesofFunding:ParticipantFees
Staffing:Onefulltimecoordinatorandoneparttimeadministrativeassistant.Twograduatementors
whoreceiveagranttocovertuition,room,andboard.Fourundergraduatementorswhoreceivea
stipend.
ProgramWebsite:http://www.eastern.edu/student-life/academic-support-counseling-and-disabilityservices/college-success-program
24
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
Mercyhurst University
Private/Public:Private
UndergraduatePopulation:2680
GraduatePopulation:331
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:1604
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:25
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:Business,IntelligenceStudies,SportsMedicine,CriminalJustice,
andEducation
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:93%freshmen,68%ofallundergraduates
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:31%
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:175
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:27
ProgramName:AspergerInitiativeatMercyhurst(AIM)ProgramHousedUnder:LearningDifferences
ProgramProgramMission:ThemissionofAIMistoeducatecollegestudentslivingwithanAutism
SpectrumDisorderinaprogramthatequallyemphasizesacademicandsocialcompetencytobuild
skillsforacademicandvocationalsuccess.
YearProgramInitiated:2008
ProgramEnrollment2013:22(21liveoncampus)
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:6-9students
SourcesofFunding:Participantfees,institutionalfundingandotherfunding.
Staffing:1fulltimedirector,2parttimeuniversityemployees,and2studentworkers(paidand/orreceive
collegecredit).
ProgramWebsite:
http://www.mercyhurst.edu/admissions/learning%20differences%20program/asperger%20initiative
25
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
Rochester Institute of Technology
Private/Public:Private
UndergraduatePopulation:15,410GraduatePopulation:2,882
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:1784
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:28
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:TwolargestcollegesbyenrollmentareGolisanoCollegeof
ComputingandKateGleasonCollegeofEngineering,whichofferavarietyofdegreesinfieldsof
ComputerandInformationSciences,aswellasEngineering
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:95%offreshman,55%ofallundergraduates
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:30.6%(full-timefirst-timebachelordegree
seekingfreshmen)
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:777
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:85
ProgramName:SpectrumSupportProgram(SSP)
ProgramHousedUnder:StudentLearningSupportandAssessment
ProgramMission:ProvideservicetotheRITcommunityinordertosupportthesuccessofstudentson
theautismspectrum.Directsupportofstudentsontheautismspectrumacrossmajorsocialand
academicdomainsaswellasimpactcampusculturethroughtraining,advocacyandcollaboration
withcampuscommunity.
ProgramInitiated:2008
ProgramEnrollment2013:48
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:NoLimit-Maylimitnewadmitsafterstartoffallterm
SourcesofFunding:ParticipantFeesandInstitutionalFunding
Staffing:1full-timedirector,graduatestudentsaspaidmentors,aswellascontractedadjunctsinthe
positionsofcasemanagers,EFcoaches,andseminarinstructors.
ProgramWebsite:http://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/ssp/
26
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
Rutgers University—New Brunswick
Private/Public:Public
UndergraduatePopulation:33,901
GraduatePopulation:14,135
Verbal-581;Math-631;Writing-596
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:Verbal:581;Math:631:Writing:596‘
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:NotAvailable
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:BusinessManagement,Pharmacy,Nursing,Communications,
andBiologicalSciences.
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:47.5%
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:9,810receivedPellgrantsinFall2013,30%
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:1200
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:
Notavailable
ProgramName:CollegeSupportProgram(CSP)ProgramHousedUnder:RutgersHealthServicesCounseling,AlcoholandOtherDrugAssistanceProgram&PsychiatricServices(CAPS)
ProgramMission:TheCollegeSupportProgramforStudentsontheAutismSpectrum(CSP)isdedicated
tohelpingstudentsdevelopskillsandstrategiestosuccessfullyparticipateinallareasofUniversitylife.
TheCSPisanintegrativeandcollaborativeprogramthathelpsstudentstoestablishandpursue
individualized,behaviorallytargetedgoalstosuccessfullynavigatechallengesfacedattheUniversity
level.UnderthedirectionofRutgersUniversity-HealthServices-Counseling,Alcohol&OtherDrug
AssistanceandPsychiatricServices(CAPS),theCollegeSupportProgramprovidescommunityeducation
topromoteaUniversityenvironmentthatisbothsupportiveandinclusive.
ProgramInitiated:2009ProgramEnrollment2013:11
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:Variesdependingonresources
SourcesofFunding:ParticipantFeesandInstitutionalFunding
Staffing:Onefull-timeprogramcoordinatorandundergraduatevolunteermentors
ProgramWebsite:http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/services/autism-spectrum-college-support-program
27
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Private/Public:Public
UndergraduatePopulation:10,297
GraduatePopulation:1,377
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:NotAvailable
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:23.2
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:Chemistry,Engineering,Psychology,Health&Human
Performance,andEarlyChildhoodEducationPercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:32%
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:NotAvailable
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:1246
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:49
ProgramName:MoSAIC
ProgramHousedUnder:DisabilityResourceCenter
ProgramMission:MosaicProgramisaholisticprogramdesignedtosupport,educateandchallengethe
personalandacademicdevelopmentofcollegestudentswithAutismSpectrumDisorders.Through
developingastrongandacceptingcommunityinwhichstudentsareofferedstructure,studentsareen
couragedtolearntogether,supporteachother,andtakerisks,inthehopesofdevelopinghighly
qualifiedgraduateswhoarereadytoenterthecompetitiveworkforce.
ProgramImitated:2009ProgramEnrollment2013:39
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:10
SourcesofFunding:Participantfees,grantfunding,foundation/giftfunding,andfundraising
Staffing:Onefull-timedirectorofDisabilityServiceswhodevotespartialtimetotheprogram,
40studentworkers(receivecollegecredit/volunteer)
ProgramWebsite:http://www.utc.edu/disability-resource-center/mosaic.php
28
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
University of West Florida
Private/Public:Public
UndergraduatePopulation:10,158
GraduatePopulation:2,430
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:1029
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:23
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:NotAvailable
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:20%
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:NotAvailable
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:450
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:27
ProgramName:AutismInclusionProgram(AIP)
ProgramHousedUnder:StudentDisabilityResourceCenter
ProgramMission:ToprovidethehighestlevelofsupporttocollegestudentswithAutisminaprogram
thatequallyemphasizesacademicandsocialcompetency.ThegoaloftheAIPistoenhancethecollege
experienceofUWFstudentswithAutismbyofferingprogramsthatsupportacademic,social,lifeskills,
andcareerpreparationwhilealsoservingasaplatformforsocialinvolvementinextracurricular
activities.
YearInitiated:2010
ProgramEnrollment2013:22(12residential)
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:Nolimit
SourcesofFunding:Noofficialbudget
Staffing:DirectorofStudentDisabilityResourceCenterdenotesaportionoftimetoprogram,along
withagraduateassistant.
ProgramWebsite:http://uwf.edu/offices/case-management/autism-inclusion-program/autism-inclusionprogram/
29
Existing Comprehensive Program Models
Western Kentucky University
Private/Public:Public
UndergraduatePopulation:18,115
GraduatePopulation:3,009
AverageSATscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:NotAvailable
AverageACTscoresfornewlyadmittedfreshmen:22
Highestenrolledundergraduatemajors:ElementaryEducation,Nursing,Biology,Interdisciplinary
Studies,andManagement
PercentofenrolledUGstudentslivingoncampus:29%
PercentofenrolledUGstudentseligibleforPellGrants:43%
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportoffice:473
NumberofenrolledUGstudentsregisteredwithdisabilitysupportofficewithadocumentedASD:51
ProgramName:CollegeandCircleofSupport
ProgramHousedUnder:KellyAutismProgram
ProgramMission:TheKellyAutismProgram’smissionistoprovideaneducational,socialandsupportive
environmentsothatindividualsdiagnosedwithAutismSpectrumDisordercanachievetheirpotential
asproductive,independent,andemployablecommunitycitizens.
YearImitated:2005ProgramEnrollment2013:41(40inresidentialhousing;1athome)
LimitedNewAdmitsperYear:10
SourcesofFunding:Participantfees,grantfunding,andinstitutionalfunding.
Staffing:Threefull-timeemployees,threepart-timeemployees,and12studentworkers,whoare
paidand/orreceivecollegecredit.
ProgramWebsite:http://www.wku.edu/kellyautismprogram/collegeandcircleofsupport.php
30
December2014
RochesterInstituteofTechnology•OneLombMemorialDrive•Rochester,NewYork14623
SpectrumSupportProgram•CampusCenter,Suite2720
Phone:(585)475-6936•E-mail:ssp@rit.edu