Tips For College Freshmen With Autism
Life as a college student can be a mixed bag. With all the newfound freedoms and opportunities comes new challenges and concerns. It’s often equal parts exciting and frightening. For new college students with autism, it can be a lot to take in. Here are some tips to help students with autism navigate this new environment and adventure.
Unlike K-12, college doesn’t have IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) or special education. But nearly all colleges have disability service offices for students. The extent of the accommodations they offer depends on the school.
Some colleges have specific programs designed to help students with autism. You can learn more about some of these programs here.
If you are seeking out accommodations, contact your school’s Office of Disability Services to set up a plan. You can request accommodations by application. Once the paperwork is completed, registering as a student with a disability will make you eligible for accommodations.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the library can be a good place to relax. Sometimes you can reserve certain rooms ahead of time to study in on a specific day. When you tour your campus, it may helpful to scope out good places to study or calm down.
Communicate with your professors about your needs, either via disability services or more casually. This will help build an understanding of how you function as a student both academically and socially in the classroom.
Try to branch out by participating in extracurricular activities. There are so many opportunities to make friends and find your niche. It can be nerve-wracking to put yourself out there and meet new people, but it’s incredibly rewarding when you find those special people who you really love to be around.
You’re not the only one trying to figure all this out. Everyone else is also getting used to a new environment. It’s easy to feel isolated, and like everyone except you knows what they’re doing, but it’s more than likely many of your classmates feel the exact same way.
For a lot of students, college can seem really intimidating at first. But with a bit of time to get used to it, the experience can be incredibly rewarding. Everyone’s college life is different, so it’s important for students to figure out what works best for them.