Growth of students with autism prompts new approaches
By STEPHANIE REYNOLDS AND BJ BELLEN, Published April 30, 2009

As the number of students with disabilities at community colleges has increased, so has the number of students with autism spectrum disorder.

An estimated three to six of every 1,000 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to socialize and communicate with others. While Asperger’s is generally thought to be at the milder end of the autism spectrum, people who are diagnosed with Asperger’s typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in certain topics.

Since access is the cornerstone of  the community college mission, the increase in the number of students with autism has prompted many colleges to take a closer look at serving such students, from understanding the obstacles they face to helping them reach their academic goals. It includes educating faculty, staff and administrators as well as students.   

Onondaga Community College (OCC) in New York is among these institutions. Its Disability Services Office (DSO) works with more than 550 students per semester—about 10 percent have autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

OCC began its efforts in the fall of 2006 with a public panel discussion on autism spectrum disorder that included education counselors, a specialist from DSO and a student with Asperger’s.

The college continued the dialogue by sharing information and discussing topics such as the social needs of students with autism spectrum disorder and the best way to manage the potential for disruptive emotional behavior in the classroom. Instructors attending the information sessions were encouraged to contact counselors and DSO with follow-up questions.

As a result, OCC saw an increase in the number of calls from instructors and staff to DSO pertaining to specific students—usually those on the spectrum who are not as high functioning as others—who showed a need for counseling and other services. Instructors and staff often wanted to know if their perceptions of the student were correct and to discuss the options for the students.

The initiative also prompted faculty members to reexamine their courses to determine the weight to give class participation, group work and presentations for students with such disorders while ensuring they were receiving a proper education.

In the meantime, DSO and the counseling department teamed to provide services to students with autism to help them with their social needs. The departments created a social group for students within the autism spectrum that is guided by two counselors. The group, which has met once a week in the fall and spring semesters for two years, offers a caring and helpful atmosphere for students to discuss their difficulties.

Paramount to serving students with autism is communication with parents.  Many parents don’t know that services offered in high school and college differ.

Often, the first surprise to parents is that the college does not provide personal aides to the student, but rather the availability of an aide is determined on a case by case basis.

The parents’ experience working with their child is valuable information. Sometimes it is necessary for the disability provider to get the parent’s view on how best to communicate information to the student or how to best understand a student’s behavior.

At OCC, a start to understanding autism has developed in a college community learning and adapting to help students with autism.

Reynolds is associate vice president of student services at Onondaga Community College (New York). Bellen is coordinator of the college’s Disability Services Office.