For any parent with a child on the spectrum, this is a good read. According to the article in the Miami Herald, there are 20+ colleges and university's now offering accommodations to students with autism. These are high functioning individuals.
My initial impression...is that all? Aren't there more programs like this?
The accommodations come with a fee. The cost mentioned in the article is about $8,000 at the University of Miami. Parents need to understand that the services that were offered in high school are no longer there. The transitions for someone with autism can be daunting but, not impossible to overcome for a college student on the spectrum as long as they have support.
Many parents have a misconception that college life will include an extension of high school accommodations and processes, said Paul Hanson, Resource Adviser and Learning Disability Specialist at Miami-Dade College.Transitions to adulthood is one of the areas of support for the FOCUS Center for Autism. We have residential programs for young adults. We building support systems for parents and, we are moving toward a program for higher functioning adults. We're grappling with funding but, we're optimistic we can find solutions. You can find out more at our website.
“Some parents think you’re going to have an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting every year, and it’s just not going to happen,” Hanson says. Parents should be realistic about their child’s symptoms, he says.
“The student has to be able to stay in a classroom, control their behavior and emotions, and try to fit in.”
http://www.focuscenterforautism.org/
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