Check for filler words. Are you overly using “like” or “um?” While these are somewhat normalized in daily speaking and often increase during nervous moments, making note of your habits can help you be aware of what you might say and help decrease use of them.
Steps to Autism Acceptance Podcast, Episode Three: Communication Within Interpersonal Relationships
Editorial Board Member John Caldora and spouse Alexandria Crabtree Caldora on how autistic people can navigate communication challenges in their …
Autistic Professional Spotlight: An Exchange With Anthropologist, Primatologist, and Ethologist Dawn Prince-Hughes
I think I see reality quite lyrically so it was the way that I see reality that helped me with the gorillas at first. I think that lyricism is present in most people on the spectrum. That’s why when they interface with a world that’s very hard and materialistic, they need rules that are unshakable and unchangeable, because their birth orientation is to be a part of everything
Autistic Professional Spotlight: Anthropologist, Primatologist, and Ethologist Dawn Prince-Hughes
Prince-Hughes completed regular coursework and assisted around the zoo. She was given the responsibility of monitoring a gorilla with a serious illness. Her work on that task was pivotal: the director of the zoo was so impressed that he sponsored a series of gorilla behavior research projects.
Steps to Autism Acceptance Podcast: Episode Two, Managing Limitations and Shutdowns in College
Editorial Board Member Arianne Garcia and college student Rem discuss some of the challenges and barriers to autistic student success, …
Community College Focus: Chuck Sekafetz, Electronics Department Chair at Chemeketa Community College
Autistic students do come through the CWE program in our department…We find that the student who has gone through CWE with an employer has an easier time transitioning to full time employment due to the created familiarity with the employer and/or coworkers.
Podcasts
Steps to Autism Acceptance Podcast: Episode One, Institutions of Higher Education
Editorial Board Member Susan Woods and Dr. Eric Endlich on what colleges and institutions of higher education can do to …
Autistic Professional Profiles: Quality Assurance Specialist, Aerospace Engineering and Manufacturing Company
Hear from an autistic STEM employee about the college transition and how he’s succeeding in the workforce.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Supporting All STEM Learners
For many autistic and neurotypical students, college presents a depth of challenges, course material, and independence that they likely haven’t had much experience with before. UDL can support instruction and student growth.
Rules About Technology in the Classroom: A Barrier for Students With Disabilities?
If we ban technology, we are hurting some of the most vulnerable students and infringing on their rights to access accommodations.
Establishing an Autism Peer Support Community
However, before you despair and conclude that facilitating a peer-support group is not for you, please remember that things usually sound more complicated written out on paper than they are in practice!
Guest Post Three: Autistic Science Person Ira Kraemer on Self-care, Disclosure, and Positive Outcomes in College
Guest Post Two: Autistic Science Person Ira Kraemer on Challenges to STEM Education for Students Lacking a Diagnosis
I can’t overstate this enough: the most important part of graduate school is finding nice people, having a kind, supportive mentor, and having peers who support each other.
Autistic Science Person Ira Kraemer: Transitioning to Grad School & Adjusting to the New Environment
Transitioning to any sort of new school is like taking notes in class – messy. It also feels like everyone else is walking around with a navigation system while you’re just fumbling about. Sometimes though, other people let you know that they don’t have a GPS either!
Marshall University, College Program for Students Who Have Autism
Prospective students and families should visit the colleges and universities. Talk to the people who provide support, assess the culture and “feel” of the community, and find the best fit for the individual.
Scholarships, Grants & Loans for Students on the Spectrum
Additional scholarships include the Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships (two scholarships) and the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship, 15 of which were awarded last year.
On Mentorship, Lab Environments, and Job Applicant Disclosure: An Interview with Chemistry Professor Jen Heemstra
On one hand, disclosing too early could create bias that eliminates you from the competition. On the other hand, disclosing provides context that can help you have a more successful interaction with a future employer.
Insights in STEM: Former Department Chair and Professor of Computer Science Margie Bleichman
Faculty, ask questions and seek to understand the accommodations process to help dispel misconceptions about unfair advantages for students receiving accommodations.
Insights in STEM: Community College Administrator & Instructor Don Brady
Quick tips for instructors and students about supporting neurodivergent students in the college classroom.