I recently corresponded with James Williams, a college student and Elementary/Special Education major. James is the president of the Council for Exceptional Children at his university, a member of the Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, and a member of his university’s Dean’s List. He also has Asperger’s Syndrome.

James shared with me some strategies, resources, and tips to help students with Autism prepare for college and independent living. Excerpts from the interview are below.

Positively Autism: What advice do you have for high school students with Autism and their families when preparing for and selecting a college?

James Williams: The most important advice I can give regarding preparation is to find good resources. The most helpful resources I found were usually located on the internet. There is so much good information on the internet regarding colleges, degrees, and career paths. I did have to know where to start and for that information I asked my brother, who was already in college, and my counselor’s office. There was a lot of good information available through my local library as well and I found it to be a good place to dig in and get info. I also found good information through some of my local state agencies, although the information was hard to find and at sometimes confusing...In selecting a college, there are a couple of things to think about. First, I would develop a plan that includes my future goals. Then I would take those goals and use them as starting point. For example, I wanted to become a special education teacher and go to a school within 3 hours of my parent’s home. So I compiled a list of all the schools that offered that degree and then I went to the websites of most of them and narrowed them down to a few and made personal visits and contacts to each of them. I contacted both the Services for Students with Disabilities Coordinator and the College of Education Dean’s Office to learn more about what they offered. A strong indicator that you have found a supportive environment is the “culture” or attitude of the campus. A college can be grounded in tradition, but still progressive and pro-active in their effort to assist and promote the attendance of individuals with disabilities.

PA: What supports do colleges provide for students with Autism and how can students access them?

JW: Colleges offer a varying level of support and much of it depends on the size and funding of the Services for Students with Disabilities Office. On a small campus, the office could be minimally funded and offer very few basic services. However, it varies not only on size, but also on the commitment of the university to promote and accept the attendance of students with disabilities. Keep in mind, that the law says accommodations must be available to students with disabilities, but it does not specify the quality or size of those services. At my university, they offer several accommodations such as note-taking assistance, preferential seating, extended time, or alternate test site. In addition, they offer a weekly Asperger’s Syndrome/HFA group that is offered as part of the services available at the counseling center. Again, it varies school to school, but remember that just because an accommodation you want is not on their list, doesn’t mean you can’t ask for it and state your case.

PA: You’re majoring in Special Education. Stephen Shore is another individual with Asperger’s Syndrome with college degrees in Special Education. What do you think that individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome can contribute to the field?

JW: Not to sound boastful, but I think we offer a very unique picture into our world and those of us like Stephan Shore and myself have received a great deal of intervention that enables us to express our thoughts and feelings much more accurately then other individuals on the spectrum. In my opinion, I think this should serve as a model to schools and parents to the power of intervention and appropriate education. One of the biggest arguments in special education is over the term Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and the lack of clarity as to who determines what is “appropriate”. In my mind, appropriate should be judged on the basis of the outcomes of the students receiving the “appropriate” services. As it is right now, many of our students with Asperger’s Syndrome or High Functioning Autism struggle to live independently, go to college, or obtain employment, wouldn’t they be receiving an inappropriate education because IDEA 2004 says they should be prepared to do all of those things? I suppose I am applying logic to a field that has always been somewhat devoid of it, so maybe it’s just me…maybe not. Either way, I feel that individuals like us that get involved in the field can continue to make great advances in understanding and assisting other individuals like us.

PA: What can teachers do to prepare students for college?

JW: Teachers can be the single most important influences in a student’s decision to attend college. In my case, my high school teacher… inspired me to become a Special Educator and we are still good friends today and we support each other as colleagues. As teachers, we can prepares our students for college by ensuring they are getting challenging academics, social skills training, and living skills experiences. It would also be a good idea to directly discuss with the student what jobs they would be interested in doing and what training would be required to do them.

PA: Do you have any other advice for college-bound students?

JW: My other advice would be to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student. The first and most important step in understanding your rights and responsibilities is to read the basic ideas behind both the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The laws are confusing and wordy, but several agencies, including the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights provide simplified pamphlets and resources on the main ideas. Using that knowledge, brainstorm a list of reasonable accommodations that you believe would enable you to successfully complete the courses your degree requires. Use this knowledge to request accommodations and assistance from your college. If your school’s SSD office approves certain accommodations and one of your instructors/professors refuse or seem unwilling to provide them, self-advocate your needs with that professor and handle it in a polite and professional manner. If there is no progress, then it is important that you contact your SSD office and explain the situation to them. When you do this, keep two things in mind: approved accommodations are legally protected/enforceable and you are never required to share your diagnosis with a professor or anyone else, if you do not wish to. You are required to disclose your disability to your SSD office if you wish to have accommodations, but you don’t have to defend or explain your disability to anyone who refuses to provide those accommodations. Lastly, remember that Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s Syndrome said, “Not everything that steps out of line, and thus ‘abnormal’, must necessarily be ‘inferior’.” In other words, it’s ok to be different, but rather it is how we handle our differences that make us successful members of society.