Choosing Higher Education... and Staying There

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Success in Choosing Higher  Education… and Staying there
For People on the Autism Spectrum
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
Cambridge, MA May 16­20, 2009
Stephen M. Shore, Ed. D. www.autismasperger.net
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INTRODUCTION AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
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A   L I T T L E   B I T   A B O U T   M E Introduction The Autism Bomb
Loss of speech & tantrums
Self­stims
Environmental withdrawal
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W  H  A  T        I  S        A  U  T  I  S  M  ? ASA (2005) A complex developmental disability that typically  appears during the first three years of life.  Autism  Spectrum Disorder results from a neurological  condition that affects the functioning of the brain. Social interaction • Communication Communication (but no significant clinical delay • Socialization for AS) Repetitive motions and restricted interests • Restricted Anything that interferes with the central nervous   system getting the needed information from the   environment.
Interests
DSM IV­TR  (2000) Miller (2000)
Reframe
OOPS!!!!!
WHAT ABOUT SENSORY INTEGRATION ISSUES?
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I N N E R   A N D   O U T E R   S E N S E S
S  E  N  S  O  R  Y     V  I  O  L  A  T  I  O  N  S
uo • Fl irds ng b cks pi Chir ng clo • cki • Ti res ht t lig cen s
Sight Tactile
(Inner ear)
Hearing Vestibular Proprioceptive
ad ng Dand Kissi ee
ff - Co ard be
(Muscles &  joints)
cu Hair •
ts
•
Smell
Taste
• B
ods d fo lan
Vestibular: Hypo —> Spinning/Hyper —> Gravitational Insecurity Proprioceptive: Deep pressure, Under mattresses, Weighted blankets
Love airplanes but they mess w/Vest & Prop senses
Brave little kids
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A CLOSER LOOK AT MY  PLACEMENT ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM — Adult
AGE E V E N T S
0
Typical development Turn over at 8 days Rapid physical and motor development
1.5
Autism bomb hits Withdrawal from environment Tantrums
2.5
Putnam evaluation of atypical developmen t, strong autistic tendencies & psychotic Early intervention from parents who refute recommend ations for removal from home
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Enter Putnam Condition improves to “neurotic” The wonderful world of watch motors Echolalia and return of speech Eating baby food
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Kindergarten Social & academic difficulties Discovered making a mess of myself while eating BBQ chicken wings Loved cats but dogs… Yikes bikes!
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Cracking rocks Special interests in astronomy and weather Teacher concerns for reading and math difficulties
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Concern about dropping the letter “e.” My friend says “he feels like a pizza” and I argue with him that he does not look like a pizza and probably does not feel like one either
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Middle and high school Finally getting it together but still often in left field Discovering the band room Time to focus more on people and not their bicycles
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College More friends Dating Others really do think differen tly Utopia!
Paradigm shift from being advocated for to advocating for one’s self
Professor of Special Education at Adelphi University
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CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS
Overly sensitive to loud noises… Difficulty with hair washing and brushing…
l op pe o nt ine… i s nl p m i Bu
e
Proble
ms wi th han dwr
iting…
… eater Picky
Difficult
y paying attentio n…
s“ on the go” … Only likes certain types of clothing…
… Clumsy
Alw
ay
Adapted from Myles, Cook, Miller, Rinner & Robbins. (2000). Asperger Syndrome and sensory issues : Practical solutions for making sense of the world. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing. P. 5.
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THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
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T H E   A U T I S M   S P E C T R U M
Severe Moderate Light
Increasing Variability of Presentation Kanner’s T w i c e PDD-NOS HFA/AS 9
Rosenn, D. (1997). “Rosenn wedge”. From Aspergers: What we have learned in the ‘90s conference in Westboro, MA.  Used with permission
E x c e p t i o n a l i t y
SELF-ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
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S  E  L  F ­ A  D  V  O  C   A  C  Y     D  E  F  I  N  E  D Self­advocacy involves knowing  when and how to approach others in order to  negotiate desired goals, and in order to  build better mutual understanding, fulfillment,  and productivity.  Successful self­advocacy often involves an amount of  disclosure about oneself that carries some degree of risk,  in order to reach a subsequent goal of better mutual  understanding. 
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DEVELOPING A SELF-ADVOCACY PLAN
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MY ADVOCACY PLAN
Name ____________________
SCAN: Where is the challenge? Perception of the environment 1. Sensory 2. 3. ADVOCACY: DISCLOSURE: SCAN
Challenge What is causing the  difficulty?
How Cognitive we think Social cues Socio-emotional and how we feel Explaining your needs Giving the reason why ADVOCACY
Explaining your needs …promoting greater  understanding and in a  way the other can  provide assistance
DISCLOSURE
The reason Partial – Note specific characteristic affecting a situation only Full  –
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MY ADVOCACY PLAN SCAN
Challenge Sensory Fluorescent lights Cognitive Remembering verbal  instruction Socio­emotional Decoding jokes
Name ____________________ ADVOCACY DISCLOSURE
The reason Partial – I have  sensitive eyes Partial – I remember  things better when I  write them down Partial – I take things  very literally
Explaining your needs
Ask instructor to  change lighting Request instructor for  written instructions
Ask for fellow students  to tell you when they  make a joke
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INCIDENTAL HIDDEN CURRICULUM RESOURCES
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S  U  C  C  E  S  S     W  I  T  H     A  S  P  E  R  G  E  R’  S
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SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM
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DON’T   LET   THIS   HAPPEN…
Special Education is ALL DONE!! I want to be just like EVERYONE ELSE OOPS!!!!!! Well… Maybe I DO need to find the Office of Student  Support
Paradigm Shift From  Being Advocated for to Self­Advocacy
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High School
INSTITUTIONAL  RESPONSIBILITIES
College
• Provide equal access to educational  programs, services, facilities & activities • Provide reasonable accommodations,  academic adjustments and/or auxiliary  aids & services • Maintain student confidentiality • Written policies & procedures (including  grievance) in alternative format
• Provide those deemed in  need of special education a  customized education  according to their needs in  order to level the playing  field. • Individuals with Disabilities  Education  Act
A.S.
Univ
• Americans with  Disabilities  Act/504 19
High School
T    R    A    N    S    I    T    I    O    N
College • 4­5 classes each 3­4 hours/wk • 2 hrs/day/class hour HW  • 2­3 cumulative  exams/semester Univ • Research, primary sources • 10­300 students • Entire campus 20
• 5­6 hours/day of classes • 1­2 hrs/day HW • Frequent quizzes, non­ cumulative tests • Teaching content from  textbooks • 25­20 students/classroom • One building 
A.S.
T    R    A    N    S    I    T    I    O    N
Commuter? PROs • Supervision & monitoring • Existing support services • Smoother transition • Reduce stress • Less worry? • Less financial risk  CONs • Dependency issues
• Commuting details (drive,  Univ mass transit) • Limit testing  • Socially isolated • Less challenging? 21
A.S. • Stigma, self­esteem
T    R    A    N    S    I    T    I    O    N
Residential? Pointers • Size matters and smaller is not automatically better
A.S. • Investigate housing options carefully
• Disclosure issues • To meddle or not to meddle • Know thy roommate
Univ
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T    R    A    N    S    I    T    I    O    N
Tools • Start now • Work on self­advocacy & life skills • Listen, support & assist  • Remember who’s the boss now • Call/visit/question everywhere • Documentation & policies • Transition/orientation programs • Build a team • Start now!!! 23
A.S.
Univ
Self­Initiated Individual Education Plan (Cont.)
Special Education Teacher(s) or Provider A Person Who Can Interpret Evaluation Results Others with Knowledge or Special Expertise about the    Child
StudentÕs (as appropriate) IEP Team
Regular Education Teacher(s)
Student
Who must we get on board? • Student
­ Student’s Guide to the IEP ­ Helping Students Develop Their IEP www.nichcy.org
Student StudentÕs as IEP appropriate to their TEAM ability
School System Representative
• Parents • Special Education Teacher • Regular Education Teacher(s) • Administrators • Others 24
Transition Services Agency Represen­ tative(s) Parents
A Guide to the Individualized Education Program.  Office of Special Education Programs. 16 June 2002.  <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Products/IE P_Guide/>
M a k i n g   C o l l e g e   R i g h t
A.S. Univ
M A J O R   K E Y——>S U P P O R T
Family Friends
Interconnection is Vital
School
Other
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SOME STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
A.S Univ
So c iz at io n
O Li Co ur se w vi
rg an
ia
l
• Aides
­ ­
Friends
­ ­
ng
•
Parties Appropriateness
•
or k
Dorm? ­ Single?
Carbon­based Silicon­based
•
Home?
• •
Part time?  • Full time? Accommodations?
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Looking For The Right College (Cont.)
Preparation • Documentation… ­ Appropriate ­ Recent ­ Suggestions for reasonable  accommodation Issues to consider • Is assistance needed with… ­ Academic Accommodations ­ Independent Living Skills Questions that need answering • Where is the office of student  support? ­ What is needed to obtain  accommodations? Univ ­ Are they friendly? ­ Knowledgeable? ­ Willing to learn? 27 ­ Do they know what AS is?
A.S.
M a k i n g  C o l l e g e  R i g h t (Cont.)
A C C O M M O D A T I O N S     W O R K S H E E T
Name: Counselor:
Any Student Unnamed Somebody
School: Date: Cause
Any State College
August 15, 2009 Only one question per page. Two sheets of paper to cover distracting verbiage.
Challenge
Taking tests with multiple questions per page.
Suggested Accommodation
Visually over 1. stimulating, gets 2. lost in all the words.
Unable to Perception of 60Hz concentrate under cycling due to visual fluorescent lights. sensitivity Scheduling long term assignments. Poor executive function.
Explore alternate lighting, sit next to window, wear baseball cap in class. Regularly meet with professor (perhaps once a week) to keep on target with lengthy assignments.
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M a k i n g  C o l l e g e  R i g h t (Cont.)
REALITY CHECK
A.S. Colleges are in the business of education Univ
(Lorraine Wolf)
College are not rehabilitative institutions
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W H A T    M I G H T    B E    L I K E    T O    H A V E    A   D I S A B I L I T Y     I N   A   C O L L E G E    C L A S S R O O M ? 
Let us find out...
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D I S A B I L I T Y    I N    T H E    C L A S S R O O M
Now… Let’s tell a story in a round­robin fashion Instructions: All you need to do is relate your sentence to the  previous person’s sentence.
Adapted from: Lavoie, R. (1989). Understanding Learning Disabilities: How  difficult can this be? (Videotape) Greenwich, CT: Peter Rosen Productions.
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D I S A B I L I T Y    I N    T H E    C L A S S R O O M
Now… Let’s tell a story in a round­robin fashion again  EXCEPT • This time… no words can contain the letter “n” ­ No “n” at the beginning, middle, or end
Adapted from: Lavoie, R. (1989). Understanding Learning Disabilities: How  difficult can this be? (Videotape) Greenwich, CT: Peter Rosen Productions.
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IN CLOSING…
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S  U  C  C  E  S  S     W  I  T  H     A  S  P  E  R  G  E  R’  S Definition
If you are productive and fulfilled with  your life you are probably successful You he wher are exa nt e you ctly all i y need It’s rne right to be now jou
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www.autismasperger.net
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