Patrick Pontificates: Feel Free Not to Do Foolish Things (Even if Other Students Behave Foolishly)
I’m back! ‘Tis I, your so-far-successful autistic STEM grad student, ready to reveal the mysteries of post-secondary life. (Or, at …
Assistive Tech to Support Autistic Students in the Classroom
Video. STEM grad student Patrick Dwyer sits down with UC Davis’s Accessible Tech Analyst Joshua Hori for an overview of Livescribe Smartpen, Sonocent Audio Notetaker, and ClaroPDF.
Problem-Focused Coping: Autism and Preparing for Graduate School in Research Fields
I am putting this next sentence in bold because it is very important: The only way to get good information about the unwritten expectations of preparing for graduate school is to talk to the experts – to your professors and your TAs.
Autistic Sensory Sensitivity on Campus, Part Six: Food in Dorms & Residence Halls
In this series, autistic STEM grad student Patrick Dwyer takes a deep dive into sensory sensitivity on campus. These blogs …
Autistic Sensory Sensitivity on Campus, Part Five: Food and Cooking
I think it’s interesting, and a bit startling, to realize just how much inter-individual variability there probably is in the human sense of taste.
Autistic and Transitioning to College? What Students and Families Need to Know
Video with subtitles. A brief but wide-ranging exploration of what a successful transition takes and how to achieve it.
What Autistic Students Can Learn Through Self-Guided Campus Tours
Video. The transition to university is major, major change, right? And, autistic people, we often thrive on predictability. It’s really valuable to spend some time exploring the physical environment of a university campus before you start.
Patrick Pontificates: An Autistic STEM Grad Student Says, “Go to Office Hours!”
You know how Dumbledore in Harry Potter says, “Help is given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it?” I think that should be my new motto when writing about college, because help is given at college to those who ask for it.
Patrick Pontificates: An Autistic STEM Grad Student on not just Memorizing Facts, but Understanding the Material
We don’t learn well by cramming. We learn best through distributed practice sessions. We call this the “spacing effect” or the “distributed practice effect,” and there’s a ton of research to back it up.
Autistic Sensory Sensitivity on Campus, Part Four: Coping Strategies
Sometimes it’s not possible to avoid a sensation. When you’re exposed to a distressing stimulus, try to breathe slowly and deeply.