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.
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!
“This is the most fundamental lesson in founding an autistic student club: you are not alone”: college support group founder Justin Robbins.
Audio interview. “It happens to people teaching in any kind of academic discipline, where students think [their instructors] can give them advice on things that they’re really not qualified to talk about. We’re discipline experts.”
Talk with your professors about your potential needs, whether that means a quiet testing environment, extended time on projects, or organizational assistance.
Align your strengths with your interests. Find a supportive mentor. Be willing to accept some trial-and-error. Autistic students can succeed in STEM.
Autistic students must define obvious needs, such as academic and transportation accommodations, but it is also beneficial to measure more nuanced needs such as independence and social living.