This fall there's been a firehose of autism news -- stirring up old controversies, confusing parents and families, impacting students on the spectrum now at college, and even challenging autism researchers. In this special episode, host Katharine O'Brien talks with Dr. Katherine Meltzoff, professor of education at UCRiverside and director of the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center about how teaching and learning about autism is being impacted and how students on the spectrum are faring...

Both Jasmine and Aniella graduated from UCRiverside and found jobs pretty quickly doing what they hoped to do. For Jasmine, putting her engineering degree to work on a project with the California Department of Transportation was a dream job, while Aniella still feels lucky to be working in the entertainment industry in LA. But after a few years in the work world, both decided to go back for more schooling, part time. In this episode they talk with host Katharine O'Brien (a Phd student with au...

Peri begins her junior year at UCLA this fall quarter, and she's back to tell the story of her decision to transfer from a small liberal arts college in the northeast to a big public university much closer to home. UCLA is the most applied-to school in the country. So how did she do it? And why? In this episode, Peri talks about her decision to leave Hamilton, how it went taking classes at Santa Monica Community College for a couple of years, and how she chose four schools, all closer to home...

When Jose Perez finished high school in Massachusetts, he took the advice of counselors who advised him to check out the range of opportunities at his local community college. He says it's been all good - Jose has taken courses towards certification to become an educational paraprofessional, some music classes, an ASL course, and participates in several campus organizations and clubs, including the student senate. He's also dedicated to working with campus police on de-escalation techniques, ...

Tony Yau shared every twist and turn in his college career with the Autism Goes to College audience. From his first semester at the University of Oregon to a re-orienting stopover at community college and on to St. Mary's, Tony's been generous with his candid takes on college life. Some of his insights: Don't over do it with DoorDash, don't hesitate to switch majors, or, even colleges. Because what Tony reveals in this final episode of his undergrad experience is that once you're in the right...

In this special edition ep, Autism Goes to College goes to college with this live event taping recorded at UCLA. Two students, Jenny M. and Danny N. share their stories of navigating from community college to UCLA with our host, Katharine O'Brien. Insights include hacks and how-tos for transfer students, accessing evaluations and accommodations, and how mental health counseling might make all the difference. Bonus: Ryan Neale returns with an update on how it's going as he heads into his junio...

L chose a college experience that started out at the liberal arts-focused, smaller Oxford College campus of Emory University. Coming from a small school in Savannah, it was a choice that felt like a great fit for a lot of reasons. Smaller class sizes, a smaller student body, and less chaotic than the giant campus and Atlanta scene that are part of a typical Emory experience. Academically, L found it ideal. But still, some aspects of college life were hard to navigate. And she continued ...

The number of neurodivergent students in college keeps rising. Around 20% of college students have diagnosed or undiagnosed autism, ADHD, dyslexia or some other processing or neurological difference, according to expert estimates. But very few campuses provide faculty with training in how to meet the learning needs of these students in their classrooms. NeuroPrep, an online course for college instructors, fills that gap. We'll hear from the creators of the course and two professors who say ev...

When Dom transferred to Bridgewater State in Bridgewater, MA. from a community college, he shared on an earlier episode of the pod that he planned to move into the dorms after a semester. Instead, he ultimately decided to continue commuting- both to save some money and enjoy the support of his parents. But Dom is deeply involved with campus life. He became an Orientation Leader (which did include a stint of dorm living), he works with campus programming, and is now drawing on his own ex...

Expectations may vary. Some students on the spectrum find that community college is a good next step. Many want to take a gap year, get some work experience or travel. Others are eager to head off to a four year college. Neurodivergent neurodiversity education advocate Amanda Morin says the time to start talking about post- high school transition planning is early. Because what a student wants and expects to do after high school may not be aligned with parents' expectations, and that means ta...

River loves the varied and welcoming communities across campus and has found a home in many creative spaces at Wesleyan, including dance and a literary society. But freshman year was also a time of confronting their learning style, and navigating the structural conventions that pre-med students face. They negotiated successfully with some professors to modify testing formats, and earned top grades, but the experience prompted deep reflection, and ultimately River decided to approach the scien...

Meet Dr. Naz Zerka. He's a therapist who meets with students on campus at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana - a college well known for its prestigious engineering school and other STEM programs, which means there's a steady flow of students on the spectrum who wind up seeking guidance. Naz says some of the students who find their way to his office are aware they have autism, or may, others come looking for help because of other challenges and, after using some screening tools, begi...

Sam is a grad student at Adams State University in Colorado where he's working towards a Master's in Psychology. It's a program that's mostly online and meets in person one week a month. That hybrid situation is a good fit for Sam, who had mixed experiences as an undergrad. He felt overwhelmed at times, didn't always love dorm living, and took a medical leave for part of one semester. But he got back on track with online classes, building his own schedule around school, and living in an apart...

Lindsey loved her freshman year. She's majoring in communication sciences and disorders, and made the dean's list both semesters. She accessed the accommodations she needed and says she benefitted from getting to know her professors during office hours. Dorm life was more challenging, and this year her accommodations include a single room. She tried out some clubs, and found the Neurodivergent Students and Allies club actually wasn't a great fit, and she explains why. Plus, more insights and ...

You’ll need to eat at college and that can get complicated, especially if you’re looking for safe foods and quiet spaces. Quincy Hansen will graduate from Colorado State University this year, and he’s a great guide to navigating the dining hall scene. One pro tip: you might want to invest in earplugs or headphones. Plus strategies for when to eat and where to eat and how to plan meals and stock your dorm room or apartment if you’re not eating in the dining halls. Sensory eaters, this on...

Ryan says he wanted to start college with "a blank slate and kind of do it on my own." In his college search, he didn't look at schools through the lens of what kind of supports would be available for him as a neurodivergent student. He didn't disclose to any professors in his first quarter. He shares how he arrived at UCLA and dove in headfirst, took a full load of classes, got his first taste of dorm life, loved meeting new people, going to tons of events around campus. But keeping up...

Quinn loved almost everything about her time at Southern Oregon University. When she went to check out the school as a high school senior, she fell in love with the town of Ashland. And the range of support services available for her as a student with an AU/ADHD dual diagnosis made choosing SOU an easy decision. Along the way she had some great roommates, loved her classes in the arts and managed her math dyscalculia, graduating last May. She also encountered an ableist professor, some ...

Career Training Centers offer students on the spectrum experiential learning in ways that can prepare them for college or work. At Miller CTC in Los Angeles, high school graduates or students with a GED can explore training in everything from auto detailing and repair to professional baking and food service, retail, landscaping, and even media arts - including behind-the-camera work and digital editing. Bryson is in his second year at Miller, an LAUSD public school, where he says the pr...

Students on the spectrum often decide that because college is a fresh start, they aren't going to ask for accomodations before classes even begin. Instead, better to see how it goes, and ask for accommodations if needed. That makes sense, but in real life, it's sometimes hard to fix a situation or make it work better on the fly. That's the observation of Dr. Maria Keller, Associate Director of Disabled Student Services at UCRiverside. Better, she says, is to put the accommodations in place fr...

Preston looked at four-year colleges, but he was hearing about typical students getting overwhelmed by the course load and the adjustment to college life. So he decided to start out at a community college and take two classes to start. He chose one language arts class and one math class for the first semester, and he joined the Media Arts Club, which is giving him hands-on experience producing a news show. This winter, he's adding a part-time job. He's gotten the hang of commuting...