STS eBooks: Curated Content Our Community Members Love
At STS, we love e-books: they’re disability-friendly, especially portable, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. We’re excited to share our …
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Important Safety Tools for Your Autistic High School or College Student
it’s important to have some emergency numbers available at all times. Preferably, these numbers should be programmed on the phone and also available on a wallet-sized card in case the phone is dead and the student needs to borrow someone else’s. Parents, therapists, and a friend or roommate in the college town are all important numbers to have available.
Parent Perspective: Autism and Community College Dual Enrollment
Video Interview. Attending dual enrollment classes allows students to get used to college work and what the demands are going to be. Plus, they accrue college credit in HS.
Students on the Spectrum and Choosing a College Therapist
Interview. Availability for college students is important as well. Do therapists have office hours that coincide with their class schedule? What is their availability in between appointments if a need arises?
Parent Perspective: Autism and Community Colleges
Video Interview. Students can find the community-based ethos of a community college conducive to taking smaller steps and breaking processes into manageable parts.
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.
Parent Perspective: Autism and the College Transition
Video interview. If transitioning to college becomes part of your everyday conversation, it becomes much easier for students to adapt.
Autism & College: Autistic Culture, UDL, and Student Voices
When we talk about folding autistic and differently-abled students into community colleges and STEM careers, what we’re really talking about is best practices for everyone. It follows that when our most disadvantaged students’ needs are met, we are leveling the playing field for all, with or without a “documented need.” Thank you for believing in students like me.
STEM, College Research, and the Neurodiversity Movement: Investigating Autism Doesn’t Have to Mean Searching for a “Cure”
She loves science. Now she loves autism, too. She decides she wants to research autism, but there’s one problem: in the autism community, “research” can be synonymous with “the cure,” and that’s a major problem indeed. Many autistic people don’t want to be cured. How will she proceed?
Three Assistive Technologies Autistic College Students Should Know
In high school, many 504 plans are written to include use of assistive technologies in the public school setting. However, once at a higher education level, these supports still can be extremely helpful for a variety of reasons.
Autism, STEM, and UDL: What is Universal Design for Learning?
UDL is a framework for designing based on three broad principles tied to how our brain functions in terms of networks.
Alternative Grading Can Support HS Students on the Spectrum Who Want to Pursue STEM in College
What advantages are there to adjusting the traditional grading system and working on something more specific to an individual student?
Let’s Talk Autism, Special Interests & College Social Life
Not only were there more people who shared a special interest with me, but the ones who didn’t thought no less of me for having them. In fact, they thought it was interesting, because they had interests of their own, and we had a shared experience that way, autism or not.
Autism, STEM, and Universal Design: Support Student Difference
Video interview. Having your syllabus state that you support students with disabilities is just one way to create inclusivity and demonstrate your support for all students.
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.
Tips for Autistic Students: How to Prioritize Assignments
Video interview. Having your syllabus state that you support students with disabilities is one simple action discussed that helps create an inclusive academic environment.
Finding the Right Fit: Things for Autistic Students to Think About When Choosing College Classes
Talk with your professors about your potential needs, whether that means a quiet testing environment, extended time on projects, or organizational assistance.
Insider Guide: Navigating the College Admissions Process for Autistic Students (Without Sacrificing Your Mental Health)
Set aside time for your passions, for your special interests and the things that give you immense joy.
A Guide for Autistic Students: World Mental Health Day 2018, Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World
Young people on the spectrum often feel increased judgement and pressure to fit in with their [neurotypical] peers…We need more awareness of the mental health issues many young people on the spectrum may face.