The Road to Post-Secondary Education: Questions to Consider

By Marci Wheeler
From the Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Thinking about post-secondary education? Whether you are a parent or an individual with an autism spectrum disorder, you probably have a lot of questions. How does the application process work? What sort of educational program is right for me? What type of supports and services can I expect at college? The article is meant to be a first step for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and parents interested in post-secondary options. This article was not written to provide answers, but to highlight questions that are important to ask yourself, and your son or daughter to begin the exploration process of post-secondary education.

A misconception that many hold is that post-secondary education only includes 4-year universities and colleges. Therefore, it is important to explain the category of post-secondary education and all that it encompasses. Post-secondary education encompasses 4-year universities, 2-year colleges that offer associates' degrees, vocational schools and adult education. Adult education classes are courses typically offered through the community, and are non-degree oriented.

The key to successful post-secondary educational experiences is that individuals with autism spectrum disorders become acutely aware and knowledgeable about their own accommodation needs. In addition to being cognizant of these needs, students must be able to articulate accommodation needs when communicating with universities, disability services and/ or with other entities. Being familiar with what the student needs to succeed in school is ultimately the responsibility of the individual with the disability. Below are a sampling of questions we feel are pertinent to ask yourself when preparing for a post-secondary experience.

Getting Prepared for All Post-Secondary Options

START EARLY

This section is simply addressing your basic interest areas. Answering the questions below can help you decipher which post-secondary experience is right for you. Remember that these questions get more at what you want as opposed to what you think is possible. Do not place any limits on yourself when answering questions in this section. Remember that addressing one's needs and meeting one's desires is a balancing act for all, whether we have a disability or not.

We encourage everyone to dream. However, we acknowledge that making dreams come true can be hard work. Give yourself plenty of time to plan and to create a memorable post-secondary experience. Frequently, the less time you leave for planning the more problems you will encounter later. For example, it is possible that living away from home does not seem feasible to you. It is important, though, to state what you want. Questions are listed below to help you determine what you will need to make specific situations work. For example, you may want to leave home. However, you may feel that you require a certain amount of support that you are currently getting from family. It may be difficult to picture receiving this support outside your family network. Questions to answer to help you determine what you really want include:

• Why are you pursuing a post-secondary experience?
  
• Do you know what job/career interests you?
  
• Is it a career where a 2 or 4 year degree is necessary?
  
• Is it a job/career that requires a certificate from a technical or vocational school?
  
• Do you want to attend a small or large campus?
  
• Do you want to live in a big city or in a small town?
  
• If you desire a college degree, do you know what major you might want?
  
• What future job options will this degree lead to?
  
• Do you want to live at home with family or away from home with or without a roommate?
  

Course of Study

Before choosing a college or other post-secondary program to attend, there are questions you should ask yourself about what you want to study and/or what major you want to pursue. When choosing a four year college, many students do not choose a major until after their first year is completed and/or a certain number of course credits have been successfully completed. Your choice of a major or course of study may help to pinpoint the type of school you want to attend. There are two- and four-year programs as well as technical and specialized training schools available depending on the program/major chosen. Some schools have entrance requirements such as test scores that need to be met.

Some individuals with autism spectrum disorders have intense interests and strengths that make the selection of an area of study very easy. Some questions to consider when choosing a major or area of study include the following:

• What are your interests and strengths?
  
• What is your career goal? In other words, in what field do you envision working? For example, if you are interested in working on or for a newspaper, you may want to think of a major in journalism.
  
• What are the entrance requirements for the program(s) that interest you?
  
• How many credits/classes are required to complete the major/program with a diploma and/or other certificate?
  
• What is the average length of time that it takes students to complete the program?
  
• What courses (if any) are all students required to take, regardless of their major/program?
  
• Is there support offered for advanced students to "test out" of some basic classes?
  
• Is there support offered to students who need to take remedial classes?
  

Distance

Deciding whether you want to leave home is one of the first decisions you need to make. In other words, are you ready to leave the house where you have grown up? Or do you want to wait to leave home? Are you more comfortable entering college (a new chapter of your life) from the security of your home? Perhaps, dealing with college life and expectations will be enough of a challenge that you don't want to bring about other life changes. Perhaps you simply want to save your money by not having to pay room and board. All of the above are considerations for people to think about as they explore post-secondary education. The decision about where you want to live will help define the post- secondary opportunities that will be logical for you to choose from.

• Do you want to leave home?
  
• If so, how far away do you want to go?
  
• How often will you want to go home? If you are thinking about traveling out of state or a fair distance, will going home at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break be sufficient for you?
  
• Will travel home be possible from the school that you are thinking about?
  
• If commuting, how far will you need to travel daily?
  
• Do you have the supports (e.g., financial, other person) in place to allow such travel on a regular basis?
  
• Do you receive supports within your home that would need to be recreated if you were to leave home? If so, who might provide that support? Who might fund that type of support? Are you open to receiving personal support from individuals with whom you are unfamiliar?
  
• Do distance education classes or correspondence courses appeal to you?
  

Campus and Community Environment

The size and location of the campus you are going to attend should be decided. What is right for you? Choosing the size of the school that you wish to attend is an individual choice. A size that is good for one person is not necessarily going to work for another. Some people prefer very small schools where it is possible to know everyone who attends. Other people like the variety that a large school offers. Some people who are shy and have difficulty making social connections may favor smaller post-secondary experiences. Questions to answer about the size of a school include the following:

• How many students are enrolled?
  
• How many students live on campus?
  
• How many students commute?
  
• What is the average class size?
  
• How many academic buildings are on campus?
  
• Are the buildings on campus large with many floors or small with one or two stories?
  
• Are there specific buildings or areas on campus for specific majors?
  
• What atmosphere are you looking for (e.g., a place to hide in the crowd, a place with more individualized attention to students)?
  

Most people feel comfortable in an environment that feels familiar. Choosing a program location that offers a comfortable atmosphere should also be addressed. Questions to answer about the location of a school include the following:

• What size is the community? Small, mid-size or large?
  
• What opportunities for recreation are offered on campus? In the community?
  
• What opportunities for entertainment are offered on campus? In the community?
  
• What opportunities for shopping are available on campus? In the community?
  
• What transportation, if any, is needed or offered on campus? In the community?
  
• Is student parking for bikes and cars easy to access?
  
• How long is the average walk from one class to the next?
  
• How safe is the campus? The community?
  

Thinking about the campus and community environment of a college or other post-secondary program is important to the comfort and success of your experience.