Beyond High School!

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Registered: 08-26-2005
Beyond High School!
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Wed, 03-22-2006 - 9:40pm
I know most of our kids are pretty young and college seems far off in the distance but I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of supports are in place right now for kids with ASD's who attend college?
Teresa

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 03-22-2006 - 10:27pm

Depends on what you need.

I know there is supports in college for those with special needs. I am finding out more and more actually. It isn't the same level as is provided when they are in school, but most colleges have support services for kids with needs. Often in the way of counselling, modifications, etc.

There also is workability in highschool and college for those who need it. It provides on the job training for people with disabilities on a variety of levels of need from LD kids and ours up to severe special needs.

Gosh, I could write a whole lot about this now. DH and I were just discussing this last night. It really is never to early to start thinking about our childrens transition to adult life. There is WAY more to it than college actually.

When they are young it is good to teach them life skills they will need. Self care, cooking, cleaning, chores, a work ethic. Also, start them as early as possible on job skills. I was going to post about this tonight. Cait just filled out her first application for a volunteer position at the place she has been going to for hippotherapy for 5 years. I planned this when she started in 1st grade. She would ride there until she was old enough to volunteer. Then she would ride and volunteer there as her first job experience. By riding there in advance, they have gotten to know Cait. She has gotten to know them. They understand disabilities and have lots of volunteers with disabilities and know how to work with them.

After this Cait will probably volunteer in an animal shelter around 14 or so. She wants to be an "animal cop" when she grows up so this will be perfect. She can join workability at 15 so I may have her do it then and work out her getting a workability placement at a shelter. Then she will stay on there during school. After graduation she will likely go to community college and then 4 year if she wants to. I would guess that she will want to either be an animal cop and then being at the animal shelter will be great, or she will want to do something else with animals.

Mike I have a harder time with. John thinks we should get him a volunteer position at the library organizing the books or videos (particularly the videos). It would be quiet and something he could manage. I am thinking he may volunteer at REINS too when he is 12. He is great with small children and those with severe disabilities so that is a start. He is alot tougher though but he HAS to learn job and life skills to be able to be independent apart from going to college (which would be great too).

There are alot of college graduate Aspies who can't hold down jobs so it is really important.

Renee

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 1:07am

You know, this thread reminds me of a guy I knew years ago when I was in the Air Force. He had lived in the same dorm room for 11 years, and he was the weirdest guy I ever met. He was afraid of women, so he never spoke to me, but he'd talk to men, and the conversations were always very strange. He'd lumber into the office and shout, "They found alligater fossils in Iceland!" and walk out. Or, you know how products often have a "Questions or Comments? Call 1-800-###-####? Well, he would. We'd hear him on the pay-phone, talking about how great the instant pudding was. None of us knew what made him tick, but he was definately a character.

Of course, now, twenty years later, I have no doubt at all that he had Asperger's. He didn't just have Asperger's, he WAS Asperger's. I think about him almost every day, really. I wonder how he is. Eventually, he would have retired. He'd have to. How would he have dealt with that? The Air Force gave him a steady, predictable job (more or less, at the time), clothes to wear, a room to live in, and a cafeteria to eat in. He wasn't special to me at the time, but now that I am a mom, with a kid with AS, I really hope he's doing alright.

Evelyn

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Registered: 02-20-2001
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 8:13am

Isnt it weird how many people you came across in life who at the time were "weird" and now you realized they were probably AS.

 


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Registered: 02-24-2004
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:10am

In Michigan, kids get special ed support through age 26 (not 21 like all the other states). So basically, grad school entrance exams, college entrance exams and then other exams through that age can be untimed, read, clarified, etc....Same accommodations that are used through primary and secondary schools.

My neighbors son (who has Aspergers) just graduated from LAW SCHOOL and says he probably couldn't have done it without the supports!

I hope the other states start picking up on this....This is a major reason why we're here.

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:32am

We knew a guy like that in college. The other guys used to kid him alot and this was a nice christian college. The girls were alot nicer to him. Recently in an alumni magazine I saw that he was a truck driver. At first you would think not a great thing for a college grad, but knowing this guy it was probably perfect for him and fit right into his obsession area. He worked ground crew with DH and my DH would always talk about how this guy HAD to drive, always talked about trucks and would make a FULL 3 second stop at every stop sign.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:38am

Our local ASA had a meeting on it the other night that DH went to which is why it came up for us again. Plus I am a surrogate parent for kids on IEP's with no parents. Most are highschoolers so I have been learning about workability and such options for highschoolers. But have always thought ahead to what the kids would do and how to help them live independently.

A great book is Chantal Cecile-Kira's new book called something like Adolescents and autism spectrum disorders. She had ASA's award winning book on autism spectrum disorders a couple years back. Chantal is local to us here and was at the meeting John was at the other night. She had loads of good input on transitions too and it is in the book. As a matter of fact, my sons teacher, Mrs. M. Her mom is/was chantal's sons aide for years. It is the reason Mrs. M. went into special ed and I am so glad she did.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399532366/qid=1143128252/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/002-5967997-2932861?n=283155

Here is a link to her older book many of you have probably seen. It is a good one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399530479/sr=8-2/qid=1143128235/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-5967997-2932861?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:44am

Are you sure they cover everyone until 26?

In most states only kids with severe handicaps are covered past the age of 18 or after high school. There are support services available through college and through different state programs but typically they do not cover our kids until that age.

I know there are a couple state programs here that will even pay for community college and the names of them are escaping me at this point. But you can get support services into college and work life, just not through special education. And special education will cover kids over the age of 18 who are severe as in they will likely be living in group homes or residential placements.

If it does cover kids like ours until 26 that would be awesome. If kids wanted it.

Also there is the age of majority issue to contend with. Once a child turns 18 unless you have been given guardianship for them, they sign for themselves. Mom and dad no longer have any legal say. They often do say if your child has severe enough handicaps that they will not be able to make choices for themselves you need to start seeking guardianship by the time they are 17 so it is in place when they turn the age of majority (18).

Renee

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Registered: 05-16-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:50am

I just went to a lobbying meeting on this.

Because my state -- Connecticut -- is one of only THREE states that doesn't provide any kind of services for non-MR adults with autism. The other two are Mississippi and Alabama, I believe.

They are trying to get funding for a pilot program in job training, etc.

Cathy

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Registered: 02-24-2004
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 2:41pm
In college they are under the Americans with Disabilities Act -it is more on the "student " shoulders to seek support but they are still able, just depends on the college and what their policies are....so I have known adhd, asd, and sld kids to go off to college and get accommodations such as smaller setting for tests, tests read, extra time etc., but their requirements are pretty strict.
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Registered: 08-26-2005
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 8:10pm
You mean to say we are working so hard to help our kids achieve the most "normal" lives possible for them and when they get to the college level there are no supports in place to help that happen? That is not right! I mean nowadays a college degree is almost like what having a high school diploma used to be, you have to go to college to get a good job. How the hell are our kids supposed to survive college with no support? This has me really p***** because I really had no idea. I believe with the right support continuing into adulthood that my son could continue on to college,find a decent job and have a very productive life.Why do we have to fight so hard to get our kids things they should be entitled to?ARRRGGGHHH!
Teresa

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