If you have an autistic teen or young adult who soon will start college, it’s important to know how to access accommodations for them to do their best in school. The process is very different than when your child was in kindergarten through high school, so it’s important to know the steps to take. Your teen or young adult too will be the one driving this process – not you as the parent. So how can you support your autistic teen or young adult in obtaining accommodations at their college?
Difference between high school and college accommodations
Let’s first discuss the differences between laws and regulations between high school and college accommodations.
When your autistic child was in kindergarten through high school, they had the right to certain accommodations through the primary law that governs services through the school for children with disabilities, which is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). They were provided an individualized education plan that would enable your child to receive certain services or adaptations. This would allow them to learn better and obtain the education required.
IDEA does not apply to universities, colleges or vocational schools. Instead, accommodations are provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law protects the rights of people with disabilities. For more information about the law and what is includes, you can check out the ADA website.
Therefore, while colleges and universities provide certain accommodations to autistic students, it is different than what you’ve experienced in primary and high school.
Process for obtaining accommodations in college
The first step for obtaining accommodations is for you and your autistic teen or young adult to reach out the office of disability services at the college or university that your student is considering. You should do this as part of any visit to the college.
When my son J went for a campus visit at the community college where he will start classes next fall, I reached out both the admissions and office for disability services to set up appointments for his campus visit. In fact, we began our visit with the director for disability services! It actually put J at ease because she walked through the process with him and talked about his situation to understand more about how he learned and his struggles at school. She then even noted which accommodations she had in mind for him but will re-visit and adjust when she meets with him next summer.
A big change is that your son or daughter will need to lead these discussions and work through the process. As a parent or caregiver, you can definitely support and help them. You though are not in the driver seat, and you are not the one who will be reaching out and communicating with the school.
Another big difference I learned is that most colleges provide accommodations on a semester basis (or whatever term they have. J’s community college does 8-week courses.) That means your student needs to reach out and renew their accommodations for each term. In addition, it’s your student’s responsibility to reach out to their instructors and communicate their accommodations to them for each term. You, of course, can help your autistic teen or young adult draft an email and send it. But they have to be the one who does it.
Importance of self-advocacy
With this new responsibility, self-advocacy becomes so much more important for your autistic teen or young adult.
According to Dictionary.com, self-advocacy is defined as “the act or condition of representing oneself, either generally in society or in formal proceedings, such as a court.” In other words, a person can speak for themselves and handle their affairs instead of having someone else do it for them.
Being able to speak up for yourself, negotiate and manage your own affairs is an important part of independent living as an adult. To navigate successfully through college and to manage their accommodations, your autistic teen or young adult needs to self-advocate.
No matter how old your autistic child is now, you can begin teaching them self-advocacy skills. Check out this blog post for suggestions of how to do this. Developing these essential skills will help them now, in college and beyond.
Additional resources
Do you want more information about autism and college to help your autistic teen or young adult as they transition to this next stage? Check out these resources.
Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults (affiliate link)
The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum (affiliate link)
A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (affiliate link)
College on the Autism Spectrum: A Parent’s Guide to Students’ Mental Health and Wellbeing (affiliate link)
If you have an autistic teen or young adult in college, share additional tips and thoughts on obtaining accommodations by leaving a comment below. Let’s share and encourage each other on this journey.
