College & Post Secondary Opportunities
There’s no one right way to do life after high school. Teens with Asperger profiles have variable degrees of readiness for post-graduate education; luckily there are a variety of post-secondary programs to choose from. We can help you determine your teen’s strengths and needs, and make decisions as a family. We can also help you prepare your teen for the educational, executive functioning, and social challenges that lie ahead.
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Employment and Asperger Syndrome
Article
By Ashleigh Hillier, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Graduating from high school and transitioning to the world of work is an extremely important and exciting milestone. However, for many young adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS), employment can... more
WHERE: Webinar (registration is required to receive link)
HOSTS: Dr. Jane Brown
COST: Free to attend (registration required)
DESCRIPTION: Transition is difficult for everyone and for students on the spectrum who were adjusted to daily life at school, the current changes to an at home... more
**The following is the fifth in a series of articles that are designed to provide students with a diagnosis of Asperger’s or autism tips regarding the sexual misconduct policies and procedures at colleges and universities nationwide.**
This article is primarily intended for a student who has been found responsible for campus sexual misconduct... more
**The following is the third in a series of articles that are designed to provide students with a diagnosis of Asperger's or autism with tips for navigating the sexual misconduct policies and procedures at colleges and universities nationwide.**
If you are accused of campus sexual misconduct, you will most likely be referred to as "the... more
**This article is the second in a series of articles that are designed to provide students with a diagnosis of Asperger's or autism with tips regarding the sexual misconduct policies and procedures at our nation's colleges.** The first article, Tips for Preventing A Violation of College Sexual Misconduct Policies, discussed best practices that... more
** The following is the first in a series of articles that are designed to provide students with a diagnosis of Asperger’s or autism with tips regarding the sexual misconduct policies and procedures at our nation’s colleges. **
If you are presently a student at a college or university, it is likely that you have heard discussions about... more
Dorms, parties, cute girls, hot guys, roommates, new friends—let’s face it, college life is, in large part, about the social scene.
Finally, you’ll be able to come and go as you please. Your parents won’t be there reminding you to study, brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, etc. And you won’t have a curfew. Moreover, college is... more
Hello. I appreciate the opportunity to talk today and share some of my experience about the college transition process as well as some lessons learned along the way. I guess I should say here at the outset that I am not just an AANE employee but I am also a satisfied customer with a 20 year old son with AS.
My son, Scott, is a junior at... more
Rethinking College
Article
Which colleges work well for kids with AS? How do I help my child transition successfully to college? These are the questions most parents ask as a child with AS nears high school graduation. As the mom of a recent high school graduate, I wanted to share my recently developed perspective on college with other parents as they consider what the... more
Please feel free to adapt the following sample letter to your son or daughter's individual situation and needs.
Month ##, 2011
Office of Residential Life and Housing
LIFE University
950 Main Street
Collegetown MA 01610-1477
Re: Housing request for College Student
College Student is a current patient with a diagnosis of Asperger... more
Tips for Success at College
Article
Why go to college? A high school student once told me that the reason he wanted to go to college was “You know, to learn stuff.” Like many students, this young man assumed that attending college is what one does after high school. Then (as the story typically continues), one either goes to medical, law, or business school, or one gets a job... more
Two Perspectives on College
Article
When a student with AS goes off to college, it can be a huge challenge for the parent as well. Below, one student and her mother share with us their differing experiences of her freshman year.
Notes by Brianna Minks, College Student
When I first went into college, I signed up for my school's disabled student services. My mother and I both... more
We are entering a new era! As the generation of children diagnosed in the late 1990’s comes of age, following the 1994 entry of Asperger’s Syndrome into the DSM-IV, more Aspies than ever are off to college. (“Aspie” is a name coined by adults with AS who are active in the Asperger Pride movement.) Of course we all know there has always... more
Ross Kramer talks about his experience with parent... more
Transition in Action Series: Getting Transition Assessments & Using them for Goals and Services
Webinar
Learn about what types of transition assessments can help you build an effective transition... more
College students and recent college graduates with Asperger profiles share their experience with college life. They offer what helped them manage the transition to college and thrive in a new... more
Holding on and Letting Go
Webinar
Practical strategies for helping you and your family with the transition to... more
Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf shares practical strategies for transitioning to... more
Transition in Action Series: Inspiring Vision Statements, Measurable Goals and Dynamic Action Plans
Webinar
Experienced, powerhouse educational advocates Marilyn Weber and Jennie DunKley show you how to create individualized transition plans that will really help get your high school student ready for an independent adult life of education, work, self-care, and healthful... more
Learn how the Transition Planning Form or TPF can be a powerful tool to guide the student and the educational team through the process of creating a dynamic, individualized action... more
Learn about the hidden rules of the workplace and how you can manage when you are on the autism... more
Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and Related Profiles
Webinar
This video discusses the strengths and weaknesses of people who have Asperger Syndrome or related profiles as it relates to the work environment. It focuses on the challenges that those individuals face and the supports that can help them... more
The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum
Recommended Reading
This book, written by experienced college disability directors, is the authoritative guide to the subject. Dr. Lorraine Wolf and Dr. Jane Thierfeld Brown lead AANE’s “Preparing for College” workshops, and Dr. Thierfeld Brown offers college consultations to individual teens and their... more
Get Our of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the…
Recommended Reading
In order to raise a teen with an Asperger profile, it helps to know what to expect from supposedly neurotypical teens. Dr. Anthony Wolf delivers the mixed news with clarity and humor, and offers hope that parents and teens can make it through these tumultuous years.
Learn More and... more
Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of…
Recommended Reading
Navigating the "neurotypical" world with an Asperger/Autism profile can be extremely stressful. But by understanding the specific ways your brain works differently--and how to tap into your personal strengths--you can greatly enhance your well-being. In this wise and practical book, experienced... more
Preparing For Life: The Complete Guide for Transitioning to Adulthood for Those with Autism and…
Recommended Reading
Far too often, students with Asperger profiles graduate from high school graduates unprepared for the transition to an independent adult life. Early, ongoing training in the social skills crucial to establishing successful adult relationships—in college, vocational school, residential living, or... more
Asperger’s Syndrome: An Owner’s Manual–What You, Your Parents and Your Teachers Need to Know: An…
Recommended Reading
Experienced educator Ellen Korin created this workbook at the request of one of her middle school students, who wanted a tool for remembering the content of their important discussions. The result is a very flexible and effective tool that educators or therapists can use with teens with Asperger... more
Disclosure in College
Article
Scott was one of two student panelists at AANE's spring 2012 "Perspectives on College Life" program.
My name is Scott Finkelstein and I just graduated from Brandeis University. I actually finished a semester early and am currently looking for a job (in case any of you are hiring…), but I will walk with the class of 2012 in the spring.
One... more
Homework is an issue that needs careful consideration for the student with AS. Hopefully this article will help both parents and teachers focus your thinking about homework and make good decisions for your student. Decisions about homework should be addressed by the whole educational team, including parents and, if possible, the student... more
According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, “to write an effective IEP for a child with a disability, parents, teachers, other school staff—and often the child— must come together at a meeting to look closely at the child’s unique needs.” As noted in Bonnie Glickman’s article, students are legally... more
On the Transition to Adulthood
Article
As I look back on my teenage years and early twenties, some themes emerge in my transition to adulthood. I gradually took on more and more responsibility for my own welfare. Because it was gradual, I never felt overwhelmed. I was also able to get advice from others to help me at various points. This advice helped me immensely. Unfortunately, there... more
Reflections About College
Article
Beginning college is a big step for most kids, and can be even tougher for young people with Asperger’s. If you choose to live on-campus, it means leaving your family and your home and moving into a dorm room with one or more total strangers. College students don’t have to take nearly as many... more
Many of us started this journey through the now famous metaphor of visiting Holland. If you haven’t read Emily Perl Kingsley’s brilliant essay on having a child with special needs, read it here. In it, she compares getting ready to have a baby to planning a trip to Italy—only expectant parents could think of parenting as a trip to one of... more
Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World
Recommended Reading
Teresa Bolick is an experienced and trusted child psychologist who has shared her wisdom with the AANE community at many of our conferences. In this book she presents strategies for helping the ten to eighteen-year-old achieve happiness and success by maximizing the benefits of Asperger... more
Parenting without Panic: A Pocket Support Group for Parents of Children and Teens on the…
Recommended Reading
Ever wish that parenting a child or teen on the autism spectrum came with instant access to a support group? Brenda Dater has provided parents with exactly that. In this book she draws on her extensive experience as a support group leader and parent of a child on the spectrum to offer trusted... more
Making the transition from high school to adulthood can be both enormously exciting and stressful for any students. The stress may be magnified for students with Asperger Syndrome (AS) as their maturation level, ability to tolerate or accept help, and their social skill/perspective-taking, executive functioning and meta-cognitive abilities (i.e.,... more
Vision Statement Worksheet for a High School Student
The vision statement on the Transition Planning Form should be written entirely from the student’s viewpoint.
After I graduate from/age out of high school, I want to:
Study: In what kind of program/setting/geographical region?
Work: What kind?
... more
Let’s look at dating as a pastime for teens, young adults, and adults. Webster says a pastime is “something that amuses and serves to pass time agreeably.” That is dating at its best. Most of us know that it also produces times of high anxiety, anger, sadness, and confusion. Dating, after all, is one kind of relationship, and all... more
Defining Transition
Generally speaking, transition is defined as the movement from one set of activities to another, but for the families of adolescents and young adults with special needs it has a more specific meaning. In this context, “transition” refers to the complex process of moving from or one life stage to another: from adolescence... more
Katie shares how parent coaching has helped her family. Sign up for Parent Coaching... more
Ross Kramer shares how Parent Coaching helped his family get on the right track.
Sign up for Parent... more