College Students and Aspergers Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder

Academic Support Plans for College Students with Aspergers/Autism

Much of my practice at this time of year is with students attending college who suspect they have Aspergers or ADHD. An cult assessment for Asperger's Disorder, now called Autism Spectrum Disorder since it was moved to become part of the autism spectrum, have average to above average intelligence, study hard, but are having difficulty socially with peers, and sometimes with facility. They often have developed high levels of anxiety around the school day after having done so well in a highly supported secondary school.

Besides being amazed that most of my patients were not diagnosed during high school or before, I also regret that they are now confronted with the costs of an assessment which should have been provided earlier for free by the school district.  An assessment for adult Asperger's costs approximately $1,950.00 due to the time and complexity of the process. Usually it leads to some accommodations in the school setting, and below I am posting a general statement on accommodations. More importantly a comprehensive assessment helps us understand what skills and abilities a student has socially, and where their deficits are so we can focus treatment on those - making use of their strengths. Almost all therapy for adults with Asperger's starts with psychoeducation, fully and completely understanding the disorder. We then review, model, practice and critique a series of specific skill sets, always using our new insight to guide us.

But what accommodations can you expect from a college or university?  In the United States laws are very specific bout what services can be expected. In Canada the laws are not specific, and often not enforced, so it can vary greatly from school to school. This year I developed a hand out based upon one I found at a university website, I think this one is from Allegheny College. You can do a simple search on the web and see many colleges have a set policy and supports for students with Asperger's of ASD. If your son or daughter's college doesn't have such a procedure already set up, you might consider working with them to do so. Here is what I use, based on Allegheny College's outline:

Appropriate Accommodation for Students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder or “Asperger’s Syndrome” 

Asperger’s Syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by major difficulties in social interactions and unusual patterns of behaviour. It was discovered by Hans Asperger in 1944 and was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual- IV in 1994. Asperger’s Syndrome is often referred to as “high functioning autism.” Currently, in the newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 Asperger’s Syndrome has become part of a spectrum of disorders called autism-Autism Spectrum Disorder. This can be confusing to some as there is an expectation that an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder has some cognitive or intellectual deficit. This is not the case. Many people with Asperger’s Syndrome have high intellectual and verbal abilities, but appear to be socially awkward. In my own practice I work extensively with adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder or “Asperger’s” and these individuals work at high level jobs, in management, in a variety of setting and fields and have successful and full careers, families and social lives. ASD is a language based developmental disorder which makes it difficult for individuals to “see the perspective of others” and “read their minds” as many of us do day to day in order to interact socially. There are also some neurocognitive difficulties common with ASD, such as resistance to change, hyper focus and sensory sensitivities.

Characteristics of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome

• May have difficulty communicating, including difficulty understanding facial expressions, nonverbal communication, and have poor eye contact in conversational settings. • May have difficulty asking for help when they need it, or difficulty talking when experiencing stress. • May lack social awareness and misread social cues; may experience difficulty making friends or working in small groups. • May have trouble dealing with change; students withASD/Asperger’s Syndrome do best with structured routines and schedules. • May be very rule-oriented and logical • May not do well with noisy settings or bright lights.Tips for Positive Communication • Stress the importance of good study habits and effective time management. • Be firm and direct with the student, as a student with ASD/Asperger’s may not understand social cues or nonverbal    communication. • Give praise when merited; it builds confidence. • Give timely feedback to the student; errors need to be corrected as soon as possible.
Possible Classroom Accommodations • Be open to students recording lectures; if you are concerned have the counselling department write up an agreement and confidentiality form. Recording classes can be a critical component to academic success. • Point out the organizational items in textbooks, e.g., chapter summaries, sub-headings, graphic design, charts, maps, and indexes. • Give all assignments and course expectations in written and oral form. • Incorporate “hands on” and lab experiences when they are appropriate. • Consult with your schools student counselling centre when assistance is needed in solving problems. • Give students a clear syllabus, listing tests and assignments with due dates noted. • Use demonstrations and hands-on experiences. • Use overhead projectors or PowerPoint presentations. Break down difficult concepts into steps or parts. • Outline the day’s lecture on the board, overhead, or PowerPoint. • Keep the structure of the class the same everyday, and if it must change giving the student advance notice is helpful. • Give a brief review of the material presented and emphasize key points. • Include a time for questions and answers. • Encourage all students to take advantage of the school based tutoring and consultation services. • When group projects are a must, assign the groups and put the student with Asperger’s in a smaller group. All of these accommodations are not necessary all the time, and many of these can be easily dealt with by assigning a student/peer coach who can essential provide most of these services through simply modelling and a 15 min daily check up with the student.Test Accommodations and Administration • Allow extra time for test taking (usually time and one half). • Arrange for exams to be taken in a separate room. • Explain directions more fully and if something isn’t understood - write it out. • Keep all test formats the same. Offer alternate means to demonstrate competency if the student has difficulty with the testing format.

Each student and situation can be different, but working with a professional you should be able to come up with a good outline of what your child's needs, in terms of support for their "handicapping condition"- and I advise you to use those words as they will lead to more serious consideration by the college.  For information on the services I provide in terms of autism/Asperger's testing, treatment and support, visit my web page at www.relatedminds.com

Using Visual Supports: Positive Autism Supports for School or Home

Last month I visited a number of schools for parents, completing observations, writing a plan and meeting with staff. Most of these were for younger children, grades 4-6. What was bothersome is that one of the most important and successful supports we provide our children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder or Aspeger's Disorder), namely Visual Supports, were not used in any class. 5 of of 5 had "visual supports" in the IEP, but none of them used any visual supports while I was there doing my observations.  Why? Most of the people I asked said they didn't think the child needed them anymore. Well, I wasn't asked to come in and provide behavioural consultation because the student was doing well!

Here is an excellent place to find a handout about using visual supports with children with autism or Asperger's Disorder: http://www.autismoutreach.ca/assets/30visual.pdf  POPARD, the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders has several great handouts about the usefulness of visual supports, and why NOT to stop using them.  They also have a really useful handout: "Visual Schedules." You can download the one above and bring it to your next school based team meeting, and request a copy of the other. POPARD also has a number of useful training videos on line addressing this issue.

While I didn't see anyone using a visual schedule or other support, here is what I did see: Taking 100 data points -marking down every 15 seconds what is happening with the student - are they getting a corrective feedback, positive feedback, neutral statement, following an instruction - whatever they are doing- after 100 measures each and every one of these students was getting 90% or above negative feedback. "Corrections" to be polite. Nagging that gets no where to be frank. Over and over I say students waiting - watching what other students were doing - not doing that- but instead waiting- looking at their "aide" until they get a verbal command. That's what visual supports can avoid. Verbal instructions are almost always negative or corrective. That's not useful with out kids with autism or Aspergers Disorder. Often students see exactly what is expected of them and wait...and wait...until they get a verbal prompt. Almost always negative or "corrective" to be polite. When everyone else is putting their books away the student with autism - with a higher than average IQ and enough cognitive abilities to know what to do - has become accustomed to getting a verbal prompt from an adult.

If it's time for lunch and the student isn't getting ready, visually point to what other students are doing. Point to the schedule. Give a non-verbal signal and teach the student to obtain information from the environment by watching. It's a simple change, but one that is even less likely to happen when your child has a full time aide assigned to them who just can't wait to be helpful and talk to them, explain to them, and unknowingly teach them to ignore their environment and instead rely upon a verbal prompt. Even when they know what to do.

Don't let this happen to your child. Make sure the school is not just writing "use visual prompts" down on the IEP but also really using these visual methods in practice. This goes for students of all levels and abilities.

Dr. Jim Roche is a Registered and Licensed Psychologist providing behavioural consultant services, family counselling and individual therapy for children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. For more information on the services he provides visit his web page at: http://www.relatedminds.com/autism/

Dr. Roche also provides testing and assessment for autism spectrum disorder, Asperger's Disorder and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities for children, adolescents and adults.